No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 1328

Eleanor glanced at him again before casually picking up her teacup. The other colleagues at the table hadn't noticed the subtle exchange; in the context of a dinner party, such a simple expression of concern seemed perfectly normal.

True to his word, Ian didn't touch his wine glass again, instead eating a few bites of food with deliberate slowness.

Joel returned a short while later, clearly still under the influence, though he was lucid. "Are you full?" he asked Eleanor.

Eleanor nodded. "I am. You should eat something too."

Joel nodded. Someone handed him a bottle of water, which he accepted and began to drink. In the soft lighting, his scholarly and gentle demeanor drew the attention of a few young female colleagues. Joel had no shortage of admirers at the company, but he was typically engrossed in his research and maintained a professional distance from anyone who showed interest.

Across the table, a pair of narrowed eyes focused on Joel. Ian recognized that the warm, approachable aura Joel possessed was something he himself lacked. Perhaps, he mused, that was what had initially drawn Eleanor to him. The world he inhabited had conditioned him to take control, to present a hard, commanding front, but he was missing that gentle quality that put people at ease.

He quickly suppressed the thought. All that mattered now was that the woman across from him was happy and no longer looked at him with that detached gaze. For that, he was willing to change in any way necessary.

At eight-thirty, the celebration dinner began to wind down. Some of the other colleagues decided to head to a bar for a second round, but Eleanor, Joel, and Ian opted out.

Seeing that Joel was too drunk to drive, Eleanor offered, "Joel, let me take you home."

Before Joel could reply, Gavin stepped forward and spoke to Eleanor in a natural tone. "Miss Sutton, Dr. Kingsley and I are heading in the same direction. I can give him a ride."

Eleanor was taken aback. "You live near each other?"

Joel, catching on, quickly added, "Ellie, Mr. Goodwin had a lot to drink tonight, too. Since you live in the same building, it would be more convenient for you to take him."

“Exactly. Eleanor, if you could make sure Mr. Goodwin gets home safely, we’d really appreciate it,” Gavin added.

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