No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1550

At that moment, the door to the private room swung open, and Ian stepped inside. He had clearly rushed over straight from the boardroom, still wearing a crisp, formal suit, a faint trace of exhaustion lingering between his brows.

"My apologies for being late," Ian said, walking directly to Eleanor's side and naturally pulling out the chair next to hers. Gavin immediately signaled the restaurant staff to begin serving the food.

Sensing the lingering atmosphere in the room, Ian glanced at Eleanor with a curious expression.

"Were you all talking about me?" he guessed with an easy smile.

Dr. Smith let out a booming laugh. "Yes, actually! We were just discussing the lab. Eleanor mentioned she'd love to visit the facility in Drexford sometime."

Ian looked at Eleanor. "We can take Evelyn there to see the snow before the holidays. You can take the opportunity to tour the lab your father used."

Eleanor froze. "My father's lab is still there?"

Dr. Smith quickly interjected, "It is! It hasn't been touched at all. There are still stacks of your father's handwritten notes everywhere."

It felt as if a massive, invisible hand had just seized Eleanor's heart, squeezing painfully tight. She had always assumed that after her father's passing and the lab's subsequent restructuring, his old workspace would have been completely gutted and repurposed.

She whipped her head around to look at Ian, her eyes wide with a silent, desperate question.

Ian met her gaze and gave a slow, gentle nod. "Yeah. It's still there. You can go see it whenever you're ready."

Eleanor nodded, an overwhelming sense of anticipation filling her eyes. "Okay. Let's go to Drexford before the holidays. I really want to see it."

As dinner wound down, Dr. Smith finally revealed the true purpose of the gathering. His current experiments were complete, and he had been invited to head a major research institute in Montclair. He and his entire team were relocating; this was, in fact, a farewell dinner.

Walking out of the restaurant after the meal, Dr. Smith shook Eleanor's hand firmly. "Eleanor, I thoroughly enjoyed the six months we worked together. You are an exceptionally brilliant scientist. Let's make sure we keep in touch."

The night air was crisp and refreshing. A few other couples were out walking, and as Eleanor stepped aside to let someone pass, the back of her hand accidentally brushed against Ian's. Without missing a beat, he seized the opportunity and laced his fingers through hers.

He held on tight, refusing to let go.

Eleanor's fingers were slightly cold. She gave a half-hearted tug, but Ian only tightened his grip, his warmth seeping into her skin.

Her heart immediately kicked into a frantic rhythm. It had been years since they had walked together like this, hand in hand in the quiet of the night.

"Are we... really taking Evelyn to Drexford for the holidays?" Eleanor asked softly.

"Only if you come with us," Ian replied, his gaze locked on her. "The snow there is breathtaking in the winter, and Evelyn absolutely loves skiing. She complained the whole way home last time that she hadn't gotten to ski enough."

Eleanor instantly remembered the last time she had gone to Drexford for a conference and taken their daughter skiing. She looked up at him. "So, you followed me there on purpose that time, didn't you?"