He had been on the brink of death, and these two people and their teams had fought to give him a chance at life.

The debt was heavier than a mountain.

He slowly closed his eyes, suppressing the storm of emotions inside him. "I understand, Mr. Maxwell. Thank you for telling me all this."

***

Eleanor awoke from another startling nightmare.

Like a drowning person suddenly breaking the surface, she gasped for air and shot upright.

lan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them at the sound and met Eleanor's frantic, panicked gaze.

"Is he awake? Is Mansfield awake?" she asked, grabbing his arm, her voice hoarse and desperate.

lan looked at the worry on her face, felt the trembling in her fingertips, and knew, as expected, that Mansfield was the person she cared about most.

A dull ache spread through his chest for a few seconds before he quickly took her hand in his, his grip firm and reassuring. His voice was low and gentle. "He's awake."

Seeing the uncertainty still in her eyes, he continued, "He's fully conscious and in stable condition."

Eleanor let out a huge sigh of relief. She took several deep breaths. She knew their rescue plan had been cobbled together at the last minute; she hadn't been fully prepared, and every step had been a race against time. A single mistake could have cost Mansfield his life.

Now, hearing that he had successfully woken up, the nerve that had been stretched taut for so long finally slackened.

An overwhelming wave of relief and residual fear washed over her, leaving her feeling weak. Her body swayed slightly.

lan immediately steadied her by the shoulders, helping her lean back against the pillows. "Don't get up so fast. You need to lie down for a bit longer."

Pushed back against the pillows, Eleanor felt too dizzy to even argue. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

Her delicate eyelashes fluttered weakly like a butterfly's wings. Her face was drained of color, butter lips were flushed from how hard she was breathing.

They parted slightly as she tried to catch her breath.

lan's gaze suddenly deepened.

Eleanor's vulnerable expression and

her red lips were like a rose blooming in the snow, a silent temptation that pulled at the

deepest desires within him.

A powerful, unexpected impulse swept through him—he wanted to kiss her.

The thought was so swift and intense that his breathing instantly grew heavier. His throat went tight, the words sticking on the way out.

But he knew he couldn't.

Right now, Eleanor was ecstatic over another man's recovery. She was longing for another man.

lan abruptly turned his head away and stood up, his back to her. "He's resting now. You shouldn't disturb him yet."

Eleanor blinked, oblivious to his

thoughts. She slowly sat up again and ran a hand through her messy hair realizing it was tangled, and probably greasy, after three

sleepless days.

She began to comb through it with her fingers in frustration, trying to make herself look a little more presentable.

lan composed himself and turned back around, only to see Eleanor frowning as she

tried to fix her hair, as if she was very concerned about her appearance.

That realization was like a tiny thorn pricking his newly calmed heart.

*Is she getting ready to see her man?*