After Xavier walked Eleanor downstairs, he asked if she was heading home to pick up her daughter. He wondered if she could do him a favor and pick up Vivian too-he was still tied up and wouldn't make it in time.

"Of course, that's no problem. Just come by around eight-thirty," Eleanor replied, genuinely happy to help.

Her own daughter would have a friend over, and even dinner would feel more cheerful.

At exactly eight-thirty that evening, Xavier arrived with a small gift in hand. The two girls immediately huddled together, giggling as they unwrapped the present. Meanwhile, Eleanor invited Xavier outside to the backyard for a cup of tea.

Princess, their golden retriever, had gotten used to Xavier by now. At first, she'd been a little shy around him, but these days she'd weave around his feet, nudging his hand with her nose and wagging her tail, eager for attention.

Twenty minutes later, Xavier coaxed Vivian home, not wanting to intrude on Eleanor's evening or disrupt her daughter's bedtime.

But Evelyn, still thinking about the toys her dad might bring next time, snatched Eleanor's phone, expertly unlocking it with the secret code, and dialed her father's number.

Eleanor was carrying a stack of freshly laundered clothes into the bedroom when she overheard her daughter chatting away on her phone.

She paused in the doorway, surprised. On speaker, a woman's laughter rang out. "Evelyn, just tell me what toy you want and I'll help your dad pick it out," Vanessa's voice promised.

Eleanor's heart did a somersault. Her daughter had called lan, but it was Vanessa who had picked up?

"I want a dinosaur toy," Evelyn declared.

"Alright,” Vanessa replied, her tone giving away a hint of impatience. "I'll go with your dad tomorrow to get it. But it's late now, you really should get some sleep!"

Eleanor, an adult, could hear the annoyance in Vanessa's voice. Clearly, Evelyn's call had interrupted some quality time between Vanessa and lan.

It was nine-thirty. The two of them were probably at a hotel together.

"Okay, Miss Vanessa, goodnight! Don't forget to tell Daddy about my dinosaur!" Evelyn chirped.

"I won't forget. He's right here with me."

"Okay!" Evelyn said, and with a tap of her tiny finger, she hung up.

Eleanor leaned against the doorframe, waiting for her daughter to run off and play before retrieving her phone. She quickly changed the unlock code.

She didn't want Evelyn calling lan behind her back anymore. The last thing she needed was for that man to get the wrong idea that she still expected something from him.

On Thursday morning, Eleanor asked Joslyn, their housekeeper, to bring Evelyn home for lunch and keep her home in the afternoon-anything to avoid Vanessa's class at school.

While Eleanor was in a meeting at the lab, her phone buzzed. It was a message from lan.

"Is Evelyn not feeling well? Why did she stay home today?" he asked.

Eleanor let out a short, cold laugh. Did he really not know the reason? "No," she replied.

"Can you tell me why?" lan pressed.

Eleanor clenched her jaw. Was he actually blaming her for not letting Evelyn spend more time with Vanessa at school?

"Evelyn lives with me now. I don't owe you an explanation for every little thing," she shot back, her patience worn thin.

It was several minutes before lan responded. "I'll come by this evening to drop off a gift for her."

Eleanor didn't bother to reply.

By the time she got home that evening, she could already hear voices inside-her daughter's excited chatter and lan's unmistakable, warm laugh.

She felt a flicker of annoyance. He hadn't even called before coming by. How long had he been there?

"Ma'am, you're home. Sir is here," Joslyn said as she came to greet Eleanor at the door.

Eleanor glanced at her, and Joslyn quickly covered her mouth, correcting herself with a sheepish smile. "Mr. Goodwin is here."

After five years of calling lan "sir," the habit was hard for Joslyn to break, even

now.

"Mom, you're back! Look what Dad gave me a giant dinosaur!" Evelyn ran over, proudly showing off her new toy.