The next morning, the alarm on the nightstand blared, jolting Eleanor awake. The blinding glare of the sun forced her to squint, and she raised a hand to shield her

eyes.

The feeling of summer drifted in from outside the window. Eleanor glanced at the time. Though she was sleep-deprived, she had to get up and finish the last of her program.

Eleanor rose and walked to the mirror. The woman reflected back had swollen eyes with dark circles, but her gaze was clear, no longer clouded by confusion.

Eleanor smoothed her hair and changed into a smart suit.

The past couldn't be changed, but the future was long. At least now, she had the courage to face it all.

Eleanor picked up her laptop bag. After sorting out her feelings overnight, she decided to face everything head-on.

There was always a solution to every problem.

Just as Eleanor opened her door, she saw lan leaning against the opposite wall in the hallway. With one hand in his pocket, he asked, "Want to get some breakfast together?"

Eleanor was planning to grab a bite downstairs before leaving anyway. She nodded. "Okay, let's go."

They walked side-by-side to the elevator. The hotel was quiet in the early morning. It was just the two of them in the elevator, and the faint scent of lan's cologne hung in the air.

"Did you sleep well?" lan broke the silence.

"I did," Eleanor nodded, adding, "I've figured some things out."

lan glanced at her, his gaze deep. He didn't press for details, just gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.

They arrived at the restaurant, a circular space with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, filled with the warm, golden light of the morning.

After getting their food from the buffet, they sat down at a table by the window.

Eleanor took a sip of her coffee and looked at him. "Last night, thank you for telling me about my dad."

lan's eyes met hers. "Of course. I should be the one to apologize for keeping it from you for so long."

Eleanor shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore." She looked up at lan's bloodshot eyes. "I don't blame you. Between us, it wasn't about who was right or wrong."

lan's breath hitched for a moment as he focused on her. "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

Eleanor looked up. "Did you ever read my old chats with Joel?"

lan nodded. "I did."

"Did you think I was cheating back then?" Eleanor asked directly.

Ian thought for a moment before answering honestly, "I suspected it."

"If you read our conversations, you should have known we mostly talked about medicine," Eleanor said, her gaze dropping.

lan put down his utensils, his voice low. "It was precisely because I saw you were talking about medicine that it hurt even more. To me, back then, your chats were a form of resonance in a language I couldn't understand."

Eleanor was taken aback. "Why would you think that?"

lan's eyes locked onto hers, and his

throat tightened. "Eleanor, do you

know? I could give you the most I

give

comfortable life, solve all your problems, even share a bed with you. But always felt I couldn't give you that... that connection and resonance on a soul-deep level. But Joel could. When you talked with him about medicine, I could feel the excitement between the lines."

Eleanor's eyes widened slightly.

lan continued, "In the field you love most, only Joel could walk alongside you, understand the brilliance behind your every thought. He understood you with just a look or an

expression, while I... I could only

stand on the sidelines and watch

He added with a bitter smile, it's stil

the same even now."

"So, when you saw those chat logs back then, you just assumed..." Eleanor bit her

lip.

"I didn't think you were cheating," lan interrupted her hastily, struggling to describe

what he had felt. "I was just..."

He paused, then let out a rare,

ene

self-deprecating laugh. "I was just jealous of a man who could the depths of your soul. I was jealous of the unspoken

understanding you and Joel shared. That feeling made me believe I could never truly have you. A part of your soul was opening up enthusiastically to another man, and I was- I was powerless."