One of the shareholders couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so certain that Eleanor will never have another child with Mr. Goodwin?"

Shaun Wallace froze. He didn't actually know; he had only based his assumption entirely on his wife's analysis.

Another shareholder clapped him on the shoulder. "Mr. Goodwin and Eleanor are both young. They can have kids whenever they want. Why are you stressing over it?"

Shaun fell silent. He thought of his wife's confident claims and found himself completely speechless.

It finally dawned on him that his current downfall was entirely his wife's fault.

"With modern science, even if Eleanor doesn't want to carry a child, there are plenty of other ways," someone else chimed in.

"Are Mr. Goodwin and Eleanor really getting back together?"

"Judging by Mr. Goodwin's attitude just now, I'd say it's happening soon."

"If they really remarry, it's great news for us. With a genius like Eleanor leading our biotech division, we won't have to worry about our future."

At that, the profit-driven nature of the businessmen in the room showed. Everyone looked thrilled. If the future boss's wife was a heavyweight in the tech world, what was there to worry about?

Shaun's face grew increasingly ugly, flushing a deep red. No matter how much Goodwin & Co. thrived in the future, it had nothing to do with him anymore.

Listening to the other shareholders chat about Eleanor's scientific achievements, envisioning the bright future of the biotech division, and discussing the massive profits lan and Eleanor's reconciliation would bring, Shaun felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Of course, no one spared him another glance. It was as if he were completely invisible.

Shaun clenched and unclenched his fists, staring into a bleak and uncertain future.

A shareholder who was relatively close to him walked over and patted his shoulder. "Shaun, take my advice. Just sell your shares voluntarily. Save yourself some dignity."

Shaun snapped his head around and glared at him.

The shareholder chuckled awkwardly and walked away. The others also began to stand up and leave. Shaun stared at the financial report in front of him. The deficit was glaringly obvious.

A massive loss of millions of dollars.

His entire life's work was gone.

He stood up angrily and left. Just as he stepped into the elevator, his wife called.

He answered it in sheer frustration, and Miranda Wallace's voice came through the line. "Shaun, I'm heading to my cousin's place this afternoon, and I'm bringing Yvette along to visit."

Hearing that, Shaun's hand shook with rage.

"Miranda, shut your mouth. Look at the disaster you've caused!"

"What did I do now?"

"We'll settle this when I get home," Shaun growled, hanging up the phone.

Ilan led Eleanor back to his office. He gently pressed her down onto the sofa, his gaze sweeping over her face. "Don't take what I said out there to heart. I didn't mean to say it."

Eleanor offered a soft smile. "I didn't take it to heart."

"Really?" A hint of uncertainty flickered in lan's eyes.

"What outsiders say doesn't affect me." Eleanor patted the empty space beside her. "Sit down."

lan sat next to her. She turned to him. "Handle the situation with Shaun rationally and calmly."

lan nodded. "I should have cleaned house with him a long time ago."

"Yeah." Eleanor nodded. "I'll head back to the lab now."

lan stood up. "I'll walk you out."

"There's no need. You should stay and deal with your work," she said, not wanting to take up his time.

lan suddenly caught her hand. "Could you stay and have lunch with me before you go?"

Eleanor paused. Looking at the pleading look in his eyes, her heart softened little by little. She nodded. "Okay."

lan had his assistant bring in tea and pastries, then stepped out for a moment.

Eleanor stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the high-altitude view of the city. Fifteen minutes later, Gavin Young came in to deliver some documents. He looked at Eleanor. "Misse's something I'm not sure if should tell you."

"Go ahead," Eleanor said.

Gavin pulled out his phone, scrolled for a moment, and handed it to her. "Just ten minutes ago, Mr. Goodwin had me book an appointment with a specialist at the Urology and Reproductive Health Center."

Eleanor took the phone, her eyes falling on the screen.

The booking details were crystal clear—Urology and Reproductive Health Center,

specialist consultation, 2:30 PM today.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Why did he book this?" she asked, confused.

Gavin's expression was

complicated. He hesitated before speaking. "Miss Sutton, I've worked for Mr. Goodwin for many years, so I can usually guess what he's thinking" He lowered his voice. "I don't know if I'm right, but I I Mr. Goodwin is planning to get a vasectomy."

uspect"

Eleanor froze.

"Miss Sutton

Gavin looked at her,

his tone earnest. "Mr. Goodwin

always shoulders everything by

himself if he really goes throwmet

with this surgery, he definitely wont tell you. But I just felt like you needed to know."

Gavin added, "Please talk him out of it. He's still young. What if you two want to

have another child in the future?"

Without waiting for her to respond, Gavin turned and left the office.

Once he was gone, Eleanor bit her lower lip. She turned back to look at the city skyline, standing completely still for a long time.

Ten minutes later, the door opened.

lan walked in, and Eleanor turned to look at him.

The sunlight spilled over him, casting a faint golden glow over his graying hair. His

eyes were gentle, and a smile played on his lips. "You're not afraid of heights anymore?"

In the past, whenever she visited his office, she had refused to stand near the floor- to-ceiling windows.

Eleanor didn't answer. She simply stared at him.

Her silence caught him off guard. "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like

that?"

Suddenly, Eleanor reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

lan stiffened in surprise for a second before wrapping his arms around her in return. "Did something happen?"