No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 676

It was as if Xavier didn’t notice anyone else in the room. After whispering something to his client, he strode straight toward them.

“Eleanor! Dr. Kingsley! What a coincidence, I didn’t expect to see you both here!”

Joel offered a polite nod. “Mr. Vaughn.”

Xavier always found Joel pleasant enough. He suspected Joel liked Eleanor, but only in the way colleagues or friends sometimes did—there was no hint of anything more.

“Are you here for Dr. Windsor’s lab?” Xavier asked with genuine curiosity.

Eleanor set down her fork and nodded. “Yes, we had a meeting here this morning.”

“Let me take care of the bill,” Xavier said quickly. “Just put everything on my tab.”

“That’s not necessary,” Eleanor replied with a smile. “I promised Joel lunch today.”

Xavier let out a helpless laugh. “No need to be so formal with me.”

Across the room, Serena kept glancing back, hoping Xavier would notice her. But he was too engrossed in his conversation with Eleanor to even glance her way. Even Serena’s friend sitting across from her grew anxious, knowing full well about Serena’s not-so-secret crush on him.

“Really, it’s fine. You should go take care of your guests,” Eleanor insisted gently.

Xavier didn’t push. As a thought struck him, he added, “Let me treat you and Evelyn to dinner next time. I recently found a wonderful family-friendly place—Evelyn would love the food there.”

Eleanor nodded, smiling genuinely. “Sounds good. Let’s set it up when we’re both free.”

That was when Serena couldn’t take it anymore. She rose to her feet and called out, “Xavier.”

He finally turned, noticing her for the first time. His expression cooled a little. “Serena, I didn’t realize you were here.”

“Yeah, just grabbing lunch with a friend,” Serena replied, forcing a smile. She wondered if Xavier would offer to pay for her meal too—he had done that before.

“Alright, enjoy your meal.” With that, Xavier turned back to Eleanor. “You two take your time. We’ll catch up soon—I need to get back to work.”

He nodded at Joel before heading off, not sparing Serena’s table another glance.

Serena stood frozen, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Her friend tugged at her sleeve, whispering awkwardly, “Serena, I’m full. Should we go?”

Serena shot a glare at Eleanor. Why was it that Eleanor always got Xavier’s undivided attention?

Eleanor had finished eating as well and turned to Joel. “Shall we head back?”

Joel nodded, and as they walked past Serena’s table, Serena glared daggers at Eleanor, her eyes full of resentment.

Eleanor didn’t even flicker. Not a sideways glance, not the slightest acknowledgment.

It was more effective than any argument or shouting match. Sometimes, being utterly ignored hurt more than any insult.

“I’m afraid I can’t disclose that—it’s a matter of client privacy.”

“Don’t worry, Xavier and my brother are practically family. I’m not some random stranger. Tell you what—if you give me a hint, I’ll buy a unit from you today. Deal?” Serena said, lowering her voice.

As it happened, this agent did know Xavier’s details. He hesitated, whispering, “Miss, that’s really against our policy, I can’t—”

“I’ll buy any unit in his building. In cash,” Serena declared.

Half an hour later, Serena strode out of the agency, thoroughly satisfied.

“Serena, you’re incredible! You really bought it outright? Your brother must give you a pretty generous allowance!”

Serena never asked her brother for money—she had her own Darcy trust fund, one her father set up before he passed away. Three million a month, deposited without fail.

“Now you and Xavier are not just neighbors, you’ll be living in the same building. This is your chance!” her friend teased.

Serena bit her lip, her eyes shining with hope. If she could really get closer to Xavier, maybe things would finally change.

Of course, moving to Cloudcrest Manor wasn’t just about Xavier—she needed to keep an eye on Vanessa for her brother’s sake.

Whenever she thought of Vanessa’s wrist, so thin and covered in scars, her heart ached.