Eleanor nodded. She had some materials she needed to review on the plane anyway, as she'd had very little time to prepare for this trip.

The next day, she spent the day resting at home. That evening, Serena came by to pick up Evelyn, taking her to Goodwin Manor early to save them a trip.

That night, Eleanor finished packing her luggage. The next morning, she was up by

seven.

At eight, lan rang the doorbell. Eleanor was about to carry out her suitcase and a travel bag, but lan strode in, his long legs covering the distance in an instant. He took one in each hand. "I've got it."

Joslyn smiled as she saw Eleanor off. "Have a safe trip, ma'am!"

Eleanor looked back. "You get some rest, too."

In the elevator hall, Eleanor noticed lan didn't have any luggage. She frowned. "Where are your bags?"

"Gavin already sent them to the airport."

When they reached the underground parking garage, she saw that the Maybach usually parked in his spot had been replaced by a silver-gray supercar with fluid lines and a futuristic design. It shimmered under the lights.

Eleanor didn't know much about cars, but she knew this one was incredibly expensive.

lan used to have several sports cars, but after their daughter was born, he had switched to sedans and SUVs-vehicles that could accommodate a car seat. He had almost completely stopped driving sports cars.

Ilan placed her luggage in the front trunk, then pulled open the passenger door for her. "Get in."

Eleanor wanted to ask something but decided against it and got in.

lan slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. A deep, powerful roar echoed through the garage before settling into a steady hum.

A moment later, the silver-gray car pulled smoothly out of the garage and merged into traffic.

Sitting in the car, Eleanor could feel the stares from all around through the windows.

Undoubtedly, the limited-edition sports car was a moving spectacle in the flow of traffic.

Eleanor felt a little uneasy. She was used to being low-key and wasn't comfortable with this level of attention.

She glanced at the man in the driver's seat. The morning light outlined his handsome profile and silver-white hair, creating a striking image against the powerful car.

Once they were on the expressway, Eleanor got a true sense of the car's extreme performance. Her face paled slightly, and her voice held a hint of pleading. "Could you slow down a little?"

"Okay," Ian replied, immediately reducing his speed and maintaining a steady pace.

For lan, this moment brought back memories of the past, of driving her along the coastal highway in a sports car.

That was before their daughter was born. They would go for drives by the sea in the evening, walk on the beach at night, and then in their hotel room overlooking the

ocean-

He had missed this feeling for a long time.

When they arrived at the airport, lan's car drove smoothly toward the dedicated access road for the private jet terminal.

lan turned to Eleanor. "You go on ahead. I need to take a call, I'll be right there."

Lanny, who had arrived earlier, picked up Eleanor's suitcase and travel bag. "Miss Sutton, please follow me onto the plane."

Eleanor nodded and followed him aboard.

Fifteen minutes later, Eleanor was looking at her phone when she heard the flight attendant closing the cabin door. She looked up in surprise. Hearing the sound of the plane's engines spooling up, she quickly said to the attendant, Wait, lan isn't on board yet."

Just then, Lanny, who was sitting across from her, stood up. "Miss Sutton, please take your seat. Mr. Goodwin received an urgent call and is mable to travel with you will be accompanying you on this flight."

Eleanor froze, and then it dawned on her. What urgent business? This was clearly

all part of his elaborate plan.

He had done this on purpose.

"Miss Sutton, I'm sure you've figured it out. Mr. Goodwin simply wanted you to have

a comfortable journey on his private jet," Lanny explained.

Eleanor sank back into her seat, a mix of complicated feelings washing over her. Just then, her phone buzzed with a new message. [You once said we should avoid flying on the same plane. Have a pleasant trip, Eleanor. Lanny will ensure your safety throughout your time in Montclair.]

Reading the message only made her feel more conflicted.