No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1612

Eleanor didn't get home until eight-thirty. She had eaten dinner at the lab, but Joslyn had thoughtfully prepared a restorative broth for her anyway.

Sitting out on the balcony to enjoy her broth, Eleanor watched as Evelyn happily rode the new bicycle Ian had bought her around the lawn. The little girl giggled with pure joy while Princess barked excitedly and chased after her.

Suddenly, Princess darted right in front of Evelyn's path. Unable to brake in time, Evelyn tumbled onto the grass, the bike clattering down with her. Eleanor's heart lurched, and her instinct was to rush over, but she forced herself to stay put.

It was a rare minor setback for her daughter, and Eleanor wanted to see how Evelyn would handle it on her own.

At that exact same moment, Ian's heart violently clenched.

Evelyn lay sprawled on the grass, one of her legs pinned under the bicycle. Princess whined and nudged her in a panic. Ian instinctively took a half-step forward—

But he stopped himself.

He just stood there, watching.

Pushing herself up from the grass, Evelyn's large eyes darted around, instinctively searching for her father's comforting figure.

She spotted him. He was standing a short distance away, but he didn't run to her. Instead, his gaze was steady, filled with encouragement and unwavering affirmation.

It was as if he fully believed she could handle this tiny hurdle.

The tears brimming in Evelyn's eyes were blinked away. Reaching out with her small hands, she pushed against the bicycle, successfully freeing her trapped leg.

Then, she tried to pull the heavy bike upright, but she used too much force and stumbled forward, falling right back over the frame.

In that instant, Ian's throat tightened painfully, and his hands curled into tight fists at his sides.

Still, he forced himself not to move.

Ian stood in place, his deep gaze fixed on the small figure riding away.

Then, he walked over to Eleanor and took a seat beside her. He assumed she might be upset about his hands-off approach. "Did it break your heart to watch?"

Eleanor reached out, taking his hand and resting her head on his shoulder. "It did, but I completely agree with how you handled it."

Ian interlaced his fingers with hers. "She has to learn to face adversity on her own eventually."

Looking at him, Eleanor suddenly thought back to his nineteenth year. He had shouldered the immense weight of his family's legacy all by himself. How many times had he been knocked down, only to force himself back up again? That was exactly why there was never an ounce of panic in him, only an unshakeable stability.

"You did the right thing," Eleanor murmured, watching the little silhouette riding in the distance with profound comfort in her heart.

Later that night, the little one clung to her dad, demanding he read her storybooks and refusing to let him leave.