No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1295

Just as Eleanor finished exchanging numbers with the young biologist, a deep male voice sounded beside her. "Dr. Sutton, are you finished? A word, if you please."

Eleanor looked up. "Of course." She nodded a farewell to the biologist and followed Ian to a quieter spot.

"I'm heading back to Goodwin Manor in ten minutes. Would you like to ride with me?" Ian asked.

Her daughter was at Goodwin Manor, so Eleanor naturally had to go pick her up. She nodded. "Alright, let's go together."

She hadn't driven, and with the roads around the venue blocked off, hailing a cab would be impossible. She had no choice but to accept his offer.

A flicker of a smile crossed Ian’s eyes. "I'll have Gavin Young bring the car to the entrance."

Ten minutes later, Eleanor and Ian left the banquet together. It was already eight-thirty.

Once settled in the car, Eleanor rubbed her temples wearily. Networking was definitely not her strong suit. In truth, she had been on edge all evening.

"Tired?"

Eleanor suddenly looked up and asked, "Would it be possible to arrange a dinner with Mr. Aaron? I'd like to discuss the foundation with him."

Ian’s brow furrowed slightly. "Is that necessary?"

Eleanor’s gaze was clear. "Yes. I'm using his money for my research, and I want to ensure the contract grants him appropriate rights, like priority application of the research findings or partial patent sharing." She added earnestly, "I don't want people to think I only received this funding because of my connection to you, nor do I want to put you in a difficult position or be a source of criticism."

Walden Wells wasn't the only one who thought that way tonight. The Guild of Commerce was a vast, complex organization; there were surely many others with the same opinion.

Eleanor was doing this because she wanted the grant to be based on fairness, transparency, and mutual benefit, not on some ambiguous personal debt.

Most importantly, she didn't want Ian to bear the pressure alone.

Ian looked at her intently. This was her way of drawing a line in the sand, of confirming that their partnership was strictly business, untainted by personal feelings.

Ian’s expression instantly softened, and a gentle warmth radiated from him. "Rest if you're tired."

"Okay," Eleanor murmured, unconsciously hugging her arms as a chill from the air conditioning washed over her.

Ian noticed. He spoke to Gavin, who was driving. "Turn the heat up a few degrees."

Gavin immediately adjusted the temperature.

Ian unbuttoned his suit jacket and shrugged it off, then undid the top two buttons of his white shirt, revealing the strong, clean lines of his collarbone.

As the streetlights cast shifting shadows across his brow and eye sockets, he smiled faintly. His already handsome features, combined with his natural aura, created an alluring presence.

Unfortunately, Eleanor's mind was elsewhere, lost in thought about the future of her work.