No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 623

Eleanor let out a cold laugh as she turned away, her eyes icy and hard. “Make amends? Ian, do you really think every mistake can be fixed?”

She hadn't wanted to dredge up memories of that night, but now the images came rushing back—her daughter burning with fever, her small hands and feet like ice. Alone in the hospital, Eleanor had cradled Evelyn on the narrow bed, tears slipping down her cheeks as she tried desperately to cool her daughter’s skin.

Hatred flashed in Eleanor’s gaze. Her voice dripped with scorn. “You think you can just make things right? Is this for your own peace of mind? Let me tell you, it’s too late for that.”

Ian stood frozen by her words. After a moment, he rasped, “It’s not about me feeling better.”

Eleanor sneered. “Listen to me, Ian. I won’t give you the chance to make it up to Evelyn. I want your conscience to haunt you for the rest of your life.” She paused, a mocking smile playing on her lips. “That’s if you even have a conscience.”

She picked up a glass of water and headed upstairs. Behind her, Ian stayed silent, his tall frame shuddering as though struck. He pressed a hand to his chest, steadying himself against the table.

A moment later, he walked out the front door and stopped by his car. Suddenly, he turned and slammed his fist into the trunk of a nearby maple tree, the rough bark tearing the skin on his hand. Blood trickled down his wrist, but Ian seemed numb to the pain.

Joslyn happened to return home just then and gasped at the sight. “Mr. Goodwin, are you alright?”

Ian waved her off, his voice hoarse. “Take care of Eleanor and Evelyn for me. If anything happens, call me right away.”

His gaze was sharp and commanding, and Joslyn understood instantly—this was a responsibility he was entrusting to her.

She nodded. “Of course. Don’t worry, I’ll look after them.”

Ian climbed into his car and drove away.

Joslyn glanced at the tree trunk, noticing the faint smear of red. For a moment, she stood there stunned. Was this guilt she was seeing? Or just anger after another argument with his wife?

Back inside, she crept upstairs and peeked in on Eleanor and Evelyn. Mother and daughter were fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb them, Joslyn slipped away.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least Ian had cared enough to look into Evelyn’s surgery all those years ago. If he’d never found out the truth, Mrs. Goodwin’s heart might have broken entirely.

Maybe, just maybe, this time they’d be able to resolve some of their misunderstandings.

That evening, Joslyn found a quiet moment to mention Ian’s bloodied hand to Eleanor. All she got in response was a curt, “Joslyn, I’m not interested in hearing about him anymore.”

Joslyn gave an awkward little smile. “Of course.”

Three days later, Evelyn was bouncing around the house, healthy and cheerful again. In the meantime, Ian had been checking in on her through Joslyn; he’d texted Eleanor directly as well, though she never replied.

…

At Meridian Dynamics, Eleanor had taken three days off. Work had piled up, so she spent the morning tackling paperwork and the afternoon in meetings.

At two-thirty sharp, a meeting began on the eighth floor. Eleanor sat at the conference table, leafing through her reports with focused attention.

Eleanor couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips.

Immediately, she felt a heated stare from beside her.

Ian’s eyes flicked to her screen, dark and unreadable.

She typed back quickly, “Rest up. I’ll drop by when I have a chance.”

Mansfield replied almost instantly, as if he’d been waiting for her response. “Really? I’ll look forward to it, then.”

Eleanor’s features softened. At that moment, Ian spoke up. “No phones during the meeting.”

His tone was calm but edged with frost—and anyone paying attention could pick up the jealousy buried in his words.

Faye certainly noticed.

Eleanor calmly locked her phone and returned her focus to the meeting.

When Byron finished discussing the testing facility, he turned to Eleanor. “Given that you have a young child, we’re waiving the clock-in requirement for you. Just take care of your responsibilities, and that’s all we need.”

Eleanor offered a grateful smile. “Thank you, VP Chase. I appreciate your consideration.”