"Yes." Eleanor's memories unlocked. It was shortly after they had married. Ian had worried she might feel suffocated by their routine, so he had secured a lifetime private suite at this resort, explicitly meant to be a sanctuary for her to rest.

The very first time they came here, Eleanor had worn a flowing white sundress. She had run barefoot across the sand while lan walked patiently behind her, carrying her shoes.

That night, they had leaned against each other on the beach, gazing up at a sky full of stars. It had been incredibly romantic.

"I remember." Eleanor turned her head to look at him, offering a soft smile. "I was just a lot younger back then."

lan couldn't help but chuckle. "You aren't old now."

Eleanor laughed, amused. "Why do you care so much about age all of a sudden?"

lan tightened his grip on her hand. His gaze traced the lines of her face, his eyes gentle yet tinged with a deep, quiet helplessness. "I don't care about age. I just care that you might decide you don't want me again."

Eleanor froze for a second before letting out a light laugh, playfully teasing him. "Since when did Mr. Goodwin become so insecure?"

lan looked at her in silence for several seconds. He let out a heavy sigh. "From the day you left me."

Eleanor's smile faltered. Looking at him, it felt as though a heavy weight had suddenly settled over her chest.

In the three years since their divorce, her entire world had revolved around her daughter, her work, and her research. She had treated him with nothing but cold indifference, completely detached. She had once been absolutely certain that she would never look back, but now, the lines were blurring.

He had shouldered so much, yet he always presented a calm, unshakable facade to the world. As it turned out, he had his own vulnerabilities too.

"lan," Eleanor called out softly.

"Yeah?"

"That day you brought me here... were you planning to tell me about your deal with Vanessa?" Eleanor asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

lan paused. Then, lowering his gaze, he said, "If you had been willing to come upstairs with me that night, maybe I would have. But I knew that even if you heard the truth, you probably still would have chosen to divorce me."

Eleanor's mind drifted back to that year. If lan had truly confessed that Vanessa was the only matching donor to save his mother, and that both his sister and daughter carried the same hereditary risk, Eleanor knew exactly what her younger self would have done. She would have stepped aside to let Vanessa have him.

For the sake of her daughter's future health, she would have willingly surrendered her position as Mrs. Goodwin.

However, fate had a strange way of working things out. That night, Eleanor had stubbornly refused to go upstairs with him.

If she had gone up, if she had heard about the transactional nature of his relationship with Vanessa, and learned just how long Vanessa had of Mrs. Goodwin.

coveted the title me

there was no telling how things would have ultimately played out. Cóntent

As if sensing exactly what she was thinking, lan looked at her, his gaze unwavering

and profound. "But there is one thing I am absolutely certain of. Other than you, I will never marry another woman in this lifetime."

Eleanor looked back at him, challenging him gently. "And what if I never looked back?"

lan was silent for a few seconds. He let out a faint smile, his tone resolute. "Then I would have spent the rest of my life alone."

Eleanor remembered him saying once that he would never remarry. It turned out he had been entirely serious about that vow.

Something struck hard against Eleanor's heart. Sometimes she truly couldn't believe this man loved her so deeply, and other times she felt conflicted. What had she done to deserve such devotion?

"What if I had married someone else?" Eleanor looked up at him, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

lan's gaze remained deep and calm, as if he had pondered this exact scenario countless times in his mind.

"No. I would have done everything in my power to bring you back to me," his deep voice resonated with absolute certainty.

Eleanor was stunned. Thinking back on everything he had done over the years, she had never connected his actions to herself. But now, she realized every single move had revolved around her.

When Xavier's business had hit a crisis, lan had utilized all of his connections to bail him out. The microchip Mansfield had so desperately needed? lan had paid a massive price to secure it. At the time, Eleanor assumed he was just being a ruthless businessman, doing it all for profit, networking, and corporate expansion.

Now she knew. He had only been waiting for her.

lan suddenly closed the distance between them. Wrapping a long arm around her waist, he pulled her flush against his chest. He rested his chin on the top of her head his voice. Tow rumble. "I know I've done some underhanded things, but I couldn't help it. Every time I saw someone else getting close to you, I couldn't stop myself from driving them away."

Eleanor stayed quiet.

"I know you probably think I went too far. But if I had to do it all over again, I'd do the exact same thing."

Eleanor lifted her head, her dark hair sweeping across her face, but her eyes were remarkably clear and bright. She called his name softly. "lan."

"Hmm?"

Eleanor's eyes shimmered with a faint trace of tears. "Was it really worth it?"

lan felt a sudden flicker of panic. Then, cupping her face with one hand, he dipped his head and kissed her.

"It's worth it," he murmured hoarsely. "For you, everything is worth it."