No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 571

At that moment, the two middle-aged men standing beside Mr. Brown shifted their attention to Ian and Eleanor. One of them sighed. “Mr. Goodwin really is young. Betting the future of Meridian Dynamics on a young scientist like that—he’s taking quite the risk.”

“Lately, our Mr. Goodwin seems obsessed with his research. He’s handed off all the real projects to others. At the last board meeting, we didn’t even get a full progress report.”

“If this keeps up, are we supposed to trust the fate of Goodwin & Co. to an outsider?”

“Not exactly an outsider. She’s his ex-wife.”

Their voices dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, until a glint of calculation flickered in one man’s eyes. “At next week’s board meeting, we should propose a technology oversight committee. We can’t let Mr. Goodwin have the final say on everything.”

The board had been uneasy about Ian’s decisions for nearly a year. The brain-computer interface project demanded a massive investment, and it was uncharted territory—no one knew if it would turn out to be a goldmine or a bottomless pit.

For the old-school shareholders, Ian’s aggressive approach was unnerving. They’d always favored caution and stability.

Meanwhile, York joined Ian, Eleanor, and Steve’s conversation. Steve watched Eleanor, sincerely hoping York could convince his former colleague to return, but York had told him plainly—Eleanor was committed to Meridian Dynamics and wouldn’t leave easily.

Elsewhere, Xavier and Henry found themselves near a group of older executives engrossed in their own discussion. Vanessa and Faye stood together, both eyes drifting toward Eleanor, their faces tight with varying degrees of tension.

“Should we go get Mr. Goodwin?” Faye asked Vanessa softly.

Vanessa swirled her wine, her tone relaxed. “It’s a business gala. He’s got plenty of people to talk to—I won’t interrupt.”

“That’s the CEO of Starnova Group over there, the one partnering with us,” Faye murmured, barely masking her jealousy. “He seems very interested in Eleanor.”

Vanessa narrowed her eyes. “Is he trying to poach her?”

“Very likely.” Faye bit her lip. Being personally recruited by a major player like him only proved how valuable Eleanor was.

“If he knew about Ian and Eleanor’s divorce, I wonder if he’d feel even more confident.” Vanessa’s lips curled into a sly smile.

Faye, never one for subtlety, quickly caught Vanessa’s meaning. If the head of Starnova Group learned that Eleanor and Ian were no longer married, he’d probably think he had a real shot at recruiting her.

Vanessa took a delicate sip of her juice, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

Tonight, Steve was undoubtedly the center of attention. As Starnova Group’s influence in global aviation was immense, no shortage of business leaders were keen to make his acquaintance.

A flash of satisfaction crossed Steve’s sharp gaze. This was the edge he needed to approach Eleanor about joining his lab.

“Thank you, Miss Shannon. You’ve been a tremendous help.” Steve clinked glasses with her, genuine gratitude in his tone.

Vanessa’s lips curved. “Happy to help, Mr. Steve.”

Steve wasn’t naïve. “It seems Mr. Goodwin has your heart, am I right?”

Vanessa answered without hesitation. “You guessed correctly.”

Not far away, Henry’s grip on his wineglass tightened. Xavier, noticing, placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “It’s just business talk, nothing more.”

Henry knew that, but the way Steve looked at Vanessa unsettled him.

Xavier sighed quietly, glancing toward Ian, who was deep in conversation with Mr. Brown and the others, his back to Vanessa and Steve as if he hadn’t noticed how animated their exchange had become.