Just as she stepped into the lobby of her apartment building, she came face-to-face with a man walking out of the elevator.

lan was dressed in a dark shirt with his suit jacket draped over his arm, his hair perfectly styled. He was clearly on his way out.

lan stopped in his tracks.

Since the divorce, he had mostly seen Eleanor in her white lab coat, or looking confident on a lecture stage, or elegant at a gala. It had been a long time since he'd seen her like this-so full of life, vibrant and energetic.

The sunlight streamed in from behind her, outlining her slender, lithe silhouette. Her form-fitting workout clothes accentuated her slim yet athletic figure. A few stray, sweat-dampened strands of hair clung to her cheek, creating an unexpectedly... sensual look.

A sharp tightness gripped lan's throat, his gaze lingering on her. He knew better than anyone how incredible her body was, even after having a child.

Feeling his eyes on her, Eleanor wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and was about to walk past him when she heard his deep voice.

"Morning."

Eleanor paused. "Morning."

"Went for a run?" he asked.

"Yeah," Eleanor nodded.

"I have an international video conference, so I'm heading to the office," lan volunteered.

Eleanor glanced up at him and replied naturally, "Oh."

"Want to pick up Evelyn together for lunch?" he asked again.

Eleanor hadn't made any plans for lunch yet, as she had given Joslyn the day off. "We'll see," she said.

lan's gaze swept over her flushed cheeks and rosy lips, his breath catching for a split second. "I'll get going, then."

With his suit jacket over his arm, lan walked toward the complex entrance, his tall frame and dignified air cutting an imposing figure. His thick, silver-white hair was particularly striking.

***

After lan got in the car, Gavin drove for a short distance before starting his verbal report on the upcoming meeting. However, when he finished and waited for his boss's input, he noticed lan staring out the window, lost in thought.

Still, Gavin shrewdly sensed that his boss was in a rather good mood.

Only lan knew what was on his mind. His thoughts were still filled with the image of Eleanor's vibrant energy after her morning run.

His memory drifted back to more distant scenes: the girl who would drowsily cling to him in the morning, playfully begging him not to go to work. The girl who would run to him when he got home, wrapping her arms around his waist and softly calling him her husband.

All those sweet, everyday moments he had once taken for granted, he now realized, were unbearably precious in their absence.

It felt as if an invisible hand squeezed his heart, and a wave of bitter regret washed over him, mixed with an undeniable longing.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to pull away from those beautiful memories.

He knew it wasn't time yet.

"Mr. Goodwin?" Gavin asked tentatively.

lan snapped back to the present, the turbulent emotions in his eyes vanishing as he regained his usual composure. "Yes. Where were we? Continue."

Just then, Gavin's phone buzzed with a message. He stopped at a red light and glanced at it. Then, he turned to lan in the back. "Mr. Goodwin, Walden Wells's son just died in Montclair."

lan's cold eyes remained impassive. "I see."

Gavin considered the implications.

With Walden Wells having lost his heir, he might actually marry Vanessa to produce a new one for the walls family If that happened with Wells backing, would vanessa stiffwillingly honor her contract?