Ian grabbed two bottles of water, twisted the cap off one, and handed it to her. Eleanor took a sip.
"When are you planning to move in?" Ian asked, taking a sip of his own water.
Eleanor thought about it for a second. "I'll start packing tonight, and we'll see how things look over the next couple of days. Since Evelyn is starting school so soon, the commute from Cloudcrest Manor is just too inconvenient."
"Alright. You focus on packing, and I'll handle the movers. It works out perfectly since I'm moving in at the same time," Ian offered.
"Okay," Eleanor nodded. She checked her watch and said, "Let's head back."
"I'd like to stay a little longer. Can you keep me company?" Ian asked in a low voice.
Eleanor froze. That single question instantly shifted the atmosphere in the room, making the air feel impossibly fragile.
Eleanor's grip on her water bottle tightened. Her heart clenched fiercely, flooded with a sudden, suffocating wave of bittersweet sorrow.
She knew he was genuinely remorseful. She could feel his agonizing caution and his almost desperate, desperate hope.
Eleanor thought about everything he had done—for her, for her father, for their daughter. She knew he was truly fighting to change.
"Ian," Eleanor spoke softly, her voice ringing crystal clear in the deafening silence of the living room. "I... I'm willing to try and look forward, and I'm willing to work with you to give Evelyn a better environment to grow up in. But..."
Eleanor turned her head to meet his gaze head-on. "I need time. Not a few months. I might need a year, two years, or maybe even longer. If you can't accept that, then we can... go our separate ways."
Her words were brutally honest, stripping away any false hope and laying down the ultimate test.
"I understand," Ian replied without a second of hesitation. "I will wait. A year, two years, ten years, or the rest of my life. I will wait for you."
Eleanor's breath hitched. She was entirely at a loss for words. Finally, she gave a gentle nod. "Okay."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor)
Without Vanessa to serve as an antagonist, it’s turned a reasonably story into dead wood. I just can't anymore. After, Vanessa's life went downhill it was the perfect time to wrap up the story....
I dont Understand why he keep Clingy on that Girl Vanessa, this couple has Lack of Trust and communication to each other, Lan Never explain the reason what was goin' on, if i were on Eleanor i will do the same.. your his wife yet people around him Doesnt even know that your the wife 😅😅 fuck that 6 yrs of marriage😆😆 he even the richest man he hire thousand people to look for that vanessa girl but he didnt do it 😆 even giving her a jewelry with Million dollar as a wife its hurt to see this, even when she Nearly drawn at the pool with that Girl vanessa, Lan Save Vanessa over his wife😆😆 That Guy is totally a REDFLAG😆...
Hello! This series has been requested a lot on Reddit, but we’re unable to post the link there ourselves. If you have a Reddit account, we would truly appreciate it if you could help us share the link to this novel to increase its readership. As a thank-you, we will increase the number of free chapters available each day. Thank you so much for your support!...