No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1379

Love and responsibility, calculation and protection—all these contradictions manifested in this one man.

Their marriage had been entangled with too many complex factors from the start, burdened with too much weight. How could it ever have blossomed perfectly?

Now, their intertwined fates, like a tangled mess of thread, were finally being unraveled, one strand at a time.

"So, the ultimate reason you poured money into leukemia research... was to save me?" Eleanor's eyes suddenly reddened, tears welling up.

Ian reached out, but instead of using a tissue, he caught a falling tear with his fingertip and gently wiped it away.

"You saved yourself," he said in a low voice. "Without your talent, it wouldn't have mattered how much money I invested."

A torrent of emotions washed over Eleanor. She noticed his disheveled, graying hair, which seemed to silently narrate the pressures he had faced over the years.

Slowly, she raised her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, and gently smoothed his hair.

Ian's body tensed for a moment before an indescribable emotion surged through his chest. He remained kneeling, motionless, letting her cool fingers move through his hair.

At that moment, the man let down all his guards, his expression softening completely. The ruthless corporate titan had vanished, replaced by someone gentle and vulnerable.

"Ian," Eleanor took a deep breath, as if mustering all her strength. "Thank you."

It was the only thing she could think to say to him.

But this wasn't a casual thanks.

It was a thank you for giving her father the lab and easing his worries, a thank you for marrying her to save her, and a thank you for silently protecting her and the promise he had made to her father all these years.

Eleanor turned to the window, her back to him. "You should go back first. I have two more days of meetings and some data to organize."

"I'll wait and we'll go back together. Evelyn and Serena will be fine," Ian said, his tone low and resolute.

He didn't press her for an answer. Whatever she decided, his own answer had been the same all along.

He picked up his suit jacket from the sofa. "Get some rest. Don't overthink things. If you have any more questions, you can come ask me anytime."

As Ian walked toward the door, his steps were noticeably lighter.

The door clicked shut.

The world outside the window was pitch black. Eleanor felt an exhaustion that was close to collapse, but deep inside, a wall of ice was quietly beginning to melt.