No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1583

Eleanor pulled her hand back, meeting his gaze without flinching. "I meant it."

She gave him her answer.

Ian's Adam's apple bobbed, a flicker of raw agony crossing his eyes.

His body was burning with a high fever, but his heart felt like a block of ice, heavy and suffocating. Every beat sent a dull, throbbing ache through his chest.

"Let's get your fever down first. We can talk about this later," Eleanor said, wrapping up the cord of the hairdryer and walking toward the bathroom.

When she returned, Ian was sitting in the exact same spot, completely motionless. It was obvious he was sulking.

"Why? There has to be a reason you're saying this to me, right?" Ian lifted his head, refusing to let the issue go. He wanted to get to the absolute bottom of it.

Eleanor's brows furrowed slightly, though her voice softened. "Enough. Let's drop it for now. We'll talk when your fever breaks and you're feeling better, okay?"

"Feeling better?" Ian abruptly stood up. His towering frame closed the distance between them, bringing a stifling sense of oppression. His voice dripped with bitter self-mockery. "Do you honestly think I care about that right now?"

Eleanor knew she had crossed a line last night. She fell silent for a moment before offering an apology. "I'm sorry. I was entirely too harsh yesterday."

Ian let out a heavy sigh, a hollow laugh escaping his lips. "I know Mansfield, Xavier, and Joel are all great guys. If I hadn't been obsessively tying you down, you probably would have found real happiness by now."

Eleanor froze. She hadn't expected him to bring them up voluntarily. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

Ian lowered his eyes, his voice dropping to a weary whisper. "I admit it. Over the last three years, I used every dirty trick in the book to keep any other man away from you. If you resent me for destroying your chances at love, then go ahead and hate me—"

Eleanor's frown deepened. Where was he getting all this?

But if he wanted to fixate on that excuse, there was no point in explaining herself further.

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