No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 97

"Grandma, it's really not necessary, I—"

"Ian, did you hear me?" Magdalen's tone left no room for argument as she addressed him.

"I heard you," Ian replied, staying by Evelyn's side.

Satisfied, Magdalen turned to Eleanor. "If he won't buy it for you, then I will."

Eleanor hesitated, realizing she couldn't refuse any longer.

After dinner, Evelyn, always attentive, gripped her father's hand and said, "Daddy, you have to buy Mommy a big, sparkly gem, okay? Collette's mom has a huge diamond ring, and it's so pretty!"

Ian smiled, promising, "Alright, I will."

Eleanor followed Ian out the door. She just wanted to pick something simple and head back to appease the old lady—otherwise, if Magdalen decided to buy the gift herself, it would be extravagant.

Ian drove them to a nearby jewelry store. As soon as they stepped inside, Ian's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, then turned to Eleanor. "Go ahead and pick something out. I'll be right there."

Eleanor entered the shop alone. A young saleswoman greeted her with a bright smile. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Goodwin's assistant?"

Eleanor paused, smiled faintly, and didn't bother to correct her.

The saleswoman continued enthusiastically, "Miss, would you please let Mr. Goodwin know that the six sets of jewelry he ordered for Miss Shannon have already shipped by air express? They'll arrive in time for her concert."

Six sets of jewelry.

Eleanor gave a cool, inward laugh. Ian certainly was thoughtful—every detail for Vanessa's concert was already taken care of.

"Of course. I'll let him know," Eleanor replied, her tone even.

The saleswoman sighed. "Miss Shannon really has an eye for unique pieces. These are all one-of-a-kind, usually kept at our main office. I'm sorry for any inconvenience."

"How much did the six sets cost, roughly?" Eleanor asked, curiosity piqued.

"Altogether, about twenty-eight million dollars," the saleswoman answered readily.

Eleanor thought to herself: He spent fifty billion on research to save Vanessa's life—what's another twenty-eight million on jewelry?

"Miss, buy one, please! They're very cheap—just three dollars each," the woman said hopefully.

Eleanor pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. "I'll take fifty."

"Fifty? Really?" The woman's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I'm a teacher—I'll give them to my students," Eleanor replied, pretending.

Ian stood nearby, his gaze fixed on Eleanor's face, unable to fathom what she was thinking.

Eleanor didn't quite reach fifty; she picked out barely twenty before standing up. "I'm done. Here, please take the money."

"Thank you, miss, thank you!" The old woman's hands shook as she accepted the bill, quickly folding it and tucking it close to her chest.

Eleanor hefted the bag of cheap bracelets and turned to Ian. "Let's go home."

Ian didn't move. The neon lights by the roadside flickered in his eyes—bright one moment, dim the next—his thoughts impossible to read.