No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1236

Eleanor glanced at the time. It was still early. "Let's eat somewhere near the lab," she suggested.

Ian nodded, putting down his iPad and getting up briskly. "I'll drive."

Eleanor was still feeling the effects of her late night, her head feeling heavy. She needed to rest up for the afternoon meeting.

During the drive, she sat in the back seat with her eyes closed. Ian didn't disturb her, only occasionally checking on her in the rearview mirror.

When they arrived at a restaurant across from the lab, Ian parked the car. Eleanor woke up immediately, rubbing her temples. She looked up and met a pair of deep eyes looking back at her from the mirror.

Their eyes met for a split second. Eleanor was the first to look away.

"Are we here?" she asked, smoothing her hair.

"Yeah." Ian unbuckled his seatbelt, got out, and came around to open her door.

They entered the restaurant, which was elegantly decorated and frequented by many lab employees.

At a window seat, a pair of eyes widened in shock as they saw the two walk in.

It was Faye Yeaton.

Though the Yeatons had gone bankrupt, she had managed to keep her job in the civil projects division. Now, with her father having fled the country to escape his debts, she and her mother had moved out of their mansion and were renting an apartment near the lab.

They had sold everything of value, including her flashy Bentley convertible.

Faye never expected to run into Eleanor and Ian here. The man who was always the untouchable CEO of Goodwin & Co. was now pulling out a chair for Eleanor, his movements gentle and graceful.

Even though Yeaton Holdings was bankrupt and she had fallen from grace, suffering ridicule and scorn—and despite the rumors that Ian was behind it all—Faye found she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

Just then, Ian's gaze swept casually across the restaurant and briefly met hers. Faye quickly looked down, her heart pounding like a drum.

Despite the mortifying incident where she'd tried to claim a connection to him, and knowing he never gave her or Yeaton Holdings a second thought, her attraction to power made her almost pathologically obsessed with him.

After ordering, Eleanor sensed something and looked over. This time, Faye didn't look away, meeting her gaze directly.

Her colleagues were still whispering.

"I heard Dr. Sutton's paper was accepted into—"

"Mr. Goodwin has been pouring money into the Neural Interface Project to support her research—"

The words were like needles in Faye's ears. Everything her colleagues said only served to highlight Eleanor's status in the research community, a height she could only dream of reaching.

She glanced over at Ian and Eleanor again. Eleanor was saying something, and Ian was listening intently, a faint smile on his lips.

Faye's suspicion hardened into certainty.

Ian was pursuing his ex-wife, Eleanor.

The decisive, ruthless Ian of the business world was acting like a loyal, devoted guardian, watching over Eleanor's every move.