A man who’d walked such a path wouldn’t go down easily.
Eleanor exchanged a few words with Xavier before getting into the car. Xavier watched her leave—he had the means and the will to help, but in this case, he simply didn’t know where to begin.
Eleanor was just too busy; this time, there was nothing he could do.
Back at the office, Eleanor skipped the morning meeting and threw herself into drafting her proposal. Byron had already learned she was working on the company’s three-year strategic plan, so he made it clear: no one was to disturb her unless absolutely necessary.
Faye, however, found this hard to accept.
“VP Chase, does this mean next time I can skip the morning meeting too?” she protested, clearly displeased.
“Faye, Eleanor’s working on something important—more important than any meeting,” Byron replied, his tone grave. “You’ve all seen what’s happening online with Goodwin & Co. Meridian Dynamics is one of their holdings. If there’s turmoil within Goodwin & Co., a lot of our projects will be at risk too.”
“I saw it—and it freaked me out! The things people are saying about Mr. Goodwin online are brutal.”
“Exactly. But I’m sure Mr. Goodwin will find a way through. Once he’s back on his feet, those reporters will shut up fast.”
Faye had been thinking about the situation all morning. She’d texted Vanessa, who replied that she’d spent the night at Goodwin & Co., clearly there to support Ian.
Faye was among those who least wanted to see Ian fall. Yeaton Holdings still needed him, and her own research depended on his protection.
At this point, the Yeatons and the Goodwin family were practically joined at the hip.
Gwenda blinked in surprise. Shouldn’t Mr. Goodwin have left? After all, he and Eleanor were no longer married—was it really appropriate for her ex-husband to walk in like that? What if he did something while she was sleeping?
But Gwenda didn’t have the nerve to check. She could only hope Ian, for all his faults, was still a gentleman.
Inside, Ian gazed down at Eleanor, curled up on the couch. The office was warm, but somehow the cold still seeped in; she shivered in her sleep.
Ian quietly shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over her.
Then he moved to her desk chair, sat down, and glanced at her open laptop. The screen displayed her planning report. He narrowed his eyes, curiosity getting the better of him, and began to read.
He also noticed a cup of coffee on the desk. After staying up all night himself, the caffeine was tempting. He picked it up and took a sip—it was Eleanor’s usual, far sweeter than he preferred, but he didn’t mind.

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