No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1538

As the elevator ascended, Ian stood right behind Eleanor, a steady, powerful presence, like an immovable mountain guarding her back.

The elevator pinged softly, and the doors slid open.

Inside the conference room, several key executives from Meridian Dynamics were already waiting.

At the long conference table, Ian pulled out the chair directly next to him. "Sit here," he told Eleanor.

She hesitated for a second, but Byron smiled warmly. "Miss Sutton, please have a seat."

Everyone in the room naturally turned their attention to her. They all knew this wasn't a real strategy meeting; they were just here to play their parts and walk through the motions.

Eleanor looked at Ian. He was already seated and gesturing for her to join him.

She took the seat beside him. Ian immediately took control of the room. "The main reason I called you all here today is to finalize the deep strategic partnership between Dr. Sutton's project and Meridian Dynamics. The framework agreement is set. The project managers will handle the specifics moving forward."

The executives nodded in unison, voicing their agreement.

Byron pulled out a document and handed it to Eleanor. "Miss Sutton, take a look at the contract. If everything is in order, you can send a trusted representative to iron out the details with us."

She accepted the folder but smiled pleasantly at the room. "Would you all mind giving us a moment? I'd like to discuss this privately with Mr. Goodwin."

Byron looked surprised, but the rest of the room seamlessly took the hint. They all stood up and filed out of the conference room.

Her research simply didn't align with Meridian Dynamics' core focus. There was no practical reason for a deep partnership; it was just a blatant waste of his company's resources.

She stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. With her back to him, she let out a soft sigh. "Thank you for getting me this far. Without your initial investment and constant support, my research never would have progressed so smoothly."

Then she turned around, her eyes crystal clear and completely resolute. "But this time, I'm refusing your help."

Ian's expression froze. "Eleanor—" he started, almost instinctively.

She held his gaze, her tone brokering no argument. "I've thought this through. My research direction and Meridian Dynamics' core strategy have almost no overlap. There's no reason to force a partnership, and frankly, it's not a sound business decision for your company."

Ian stared at her in stunned silence. He hadn't expected her to analyze it all so sharply.