No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 680

“It’s nothing,” Ian said, grabbing his suit jacket before heading out.

On the way back to the office, his phone rang again. The caller ID flashed: Zane, Chief Legal Officer.

“Mr. Goodwin, the situation is worse than we thought.” Zane’s voice was tense. “The Securities Commission has officially launched an investigation. They’ll be sending people to the company tomorrow.”

“Alert all senior management. Emergency meeting in thirty minutes.”

The black Maybach shot down the highway toward Goodwin & Co. Tower like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Word got out fast. By that evening, the business journals had splashed the story across their front pages—Goodwin & Co. under investigation for insider trading, the Securities Commission involved.

In the boardroom, Ian’s gaze swept across the anxious faces of the executives. “Mr. Goodwin, the stock price is already fluctuating,” someone reported.

The meeting dragged on until dawn. When it finally ended, Ian drove through the empty city streets, originally intending to head back to Goodwin Manor. At the last moment, he turned the wheel and headed for Cloudcrest Manor instead.

Inside, the house was dark. Ian didn’t bother turning on the lights. He dropped onto the living room couch, loosened his tie, and let exhaustion wash over his face.

He pressed his long fingers to his temples and closed his eyes.

His phone started to vibrate again. He reached over, glanced at the screen. “Mr. Goodwin, the Securities Commission team will arrive at nine tomorrow morning.”

Ian tossed the phone aside, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and sank deeper into the sofa. He leaned his head back, staring blankly at the ceiling, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

—

The next morning, Eleanor was brushing her teeth, scrolling through the news on her phone as she liked to do. A breaking headline caught her eye: ‘Goodwin & Co. under investigation for insider trading.’

She paused, toothbrush midair. Below the headline was a photo of Ian, the caption in bold: This man has always been ambitious, enjoying privilege while flagrantly breaking the rules.

Eleanor frowned, then set the phone aside and finished getting ready.

Before she had a chance to call Ellington, her phone rang.

“Ms. Sutton, did you see what’s happening with Goodwin & Co.?” Ellington sounded nervous—after all, Ian was the second-largest shareholder in her company.

“I saw. Will this affect us?”

“So far, not much. But we need to prepare,” Ellington replied, cautious. “If Goodwin & Co.’s shares tank, there could be a domino effect.”

Eleanor dried her face with a towel. “Schedule a senior management meeting this afternoon. We’ll assess the impact.”

After hanging up, it was still barely seven. Eleanor let her daughter sleep a bit longer. She headed downstairs for a glass of water when the doorbell rang unexpectedly.

She hurried to the door and checked the screen. Ian was standing outside.

Taking a slow, steady breath, she opened the door, her expression cool as she looked him up and down.

“What is it?”

Ian studied her face, searching for any sign of concern.

But Eleanor, brow furrowed, seemed lost in thought.

Tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, Ian said quietly, “If I do get investigated, I’ll have to trouble you to look after Evelyn.”

“Evelyn’s my daughter. Whatever happens to you doesn’t change that,” Eleanor shot back, seeing through his attempt to gain her sympathy.

Ian’s gaze darkened.

“Since you’ve explained, you can go now.” Eleanor stood, her voice cool and dismissive.

Ian stayed put, lifting his eyes to her. “I’ll wait for Evelyn to wake up. I want to take her to school.”

Eleanor could see from his drawn face that he probably hadn’t slept all night. She wasn’t about to let him drive their daughter in that state.

“No need,” she said, moving to the door and making it clear he should leave.

Slowly, Ian stood and walked toward her. As he passed, Eleanor caught a faint scent of tobacco clinging to his clothes and instinctively turned her face away in distaste.

Ian’s expression grew even more somber. He swallowed hard, her dislike plain on her face.

Without another word, he walked out, back straight, and disappeared through the door.