But letting go didn't mean starting over. Some scars, once formed, couldn't be easily erased.

Eleanor simply smiled and gently stroked her daughter's hair, saying nothing.

lan glanced at Eleanor in the rearview mirror and caught her gentle, smiling gaze.

He knew their daughter was right beside her, which meant there was only one person she could be thinking about so deeply.

As the sky outside darkened, the man's eyes grew dimmer.

"I have a business dinner tonight, so I won't be crashing your dinner," lan said to Eleanor after they got out of the car.

Eleanor held her daughter's hand and nodded. "Okay."

Evelyn waved her little hand. "Bye-bye, Daddy."

Eleanor led her daughter into the elevator. She was determined to patiently help Evelyn practice her writing and drawing tonight, balancing work with more quality time with her daughter.

On Monday, the seminar organized by The Guild of Commerce officially began. Eleanor drove from the school to The Guild Hall early in the morning.

Many leading academics and titans from various fields were in attendance. As Eleanor stepped into the main hall, she spotted Professor Lyman Brown and Maxwell, the president of Kingston Ashford Medical University. She walked over to greet them. "Dr. Lyman, Principal Maxwell, good morning."

"Eleanor, you're here! I was the one who told lan to specifically invite you," Principal Maxwell said to her.

Dr. Lyman also looked at her with approval. "Ian told me you've made significant breakthroughs in your research on blood disorders. That's wonderful news for the future of medicine!"

"Indeed. These are efforts that benefit all of humanity."

Just then, a small stir rippled through the entrance of the venue. Everyone instinctively turned to look as lan strode in.

He was dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose that gave him a scholarly air. His salt-and-pepper hair was impeccably styled, gleaming under the lights. His arrival seemed to make the atmosphere in the hall more formal.

After a quick scan of the room, lan's gaze settled on their group, and he walked

over.

"Principal Maxwell, Dr. Lyman, thank you for taking the time to attend," lan said, greeting them with polite humility.

Even though he was now the Chairman of The Guild Hall, this humility from a younger peer earned him admiring glances from those around them.

Although they were very familiar in private, in a formal setting like this, the two academic giants still shook his hand.

After shaking hands with the two senior figures, lan's gaze shifted to Eleanor. He extended his hand. "Dr. Sutton, welcome."

Eleanor looked at the outstretched hand. In such a public place, with eyes all around them, she couldn't refuse without causing a scene. She had no choice but to extend her hand to meet his.

lan's hand was warm and firm as it enveloped hers. He applied a restrained pressure, as if afraid of hurting her, yet also afraid she would pull away too quickly.

After five seconds, Eleanor tried to withdraw her hand, but lan held it a little tighter.

"I look forward to your presentation today, Dr. Sutton."

With that, he finally let go. His eyes were deep and focused.

Maintaining a polite expression, Eleanor naturally stepped back to stand behind Dr. Lyman.

Soon, they entered the main conference hall. After the forum began, lan as the host, gave the opening remarks. His speech was concise and powerful exuding the confident charisma of a

king of the business world, making it nearly impossible to look away.

Afterward, several experts from different fields gave their presentations, followed by breakout sessions for discussion and exchange.

Eleanor entered the medical conference room. She had just taken her seat and was listening to a discussion about the latest research findings when lan pushed the door open and walked in.

As the Chairman of The Guild of Commerce, he was supposed to be presiding over the artificial intelligence breakout session.

That was also the field that interested him the most.

"Mr. Goodwin, please, have a seat," a senior professor said, standing up to greet

him.

lan smiled faintly. The gaze behind

his gold-rimmed glasses swept across the room before landing on Eleanor Medicine is a vital field conceming human welfare. I wanted to come and listen to your esteemed insights." Content Belongs

He sat down in a chair that a staff member had brought in, directly opposite Eleanor.

Her hand tightened on her pen. She would have much preferred him to focus on other fields.

When it was Eleanor's turn to speak,

she adjusted the microphone and began to explain the latest

breakthroughs in her blood disorder research. Across from her, a pair of eyes watched her intently, filled with unconcealed admiration.