Behind her, Faye bit her lip. Not long ago, Gwenda used to bend over backwards to please her. Now, though, Gwenda seemed to orbit around Eleanor-clearly, Eleanor had her own way of winning people over.

Even someone as dense as Callie seemed fiercely loyal to her these days.

Vanessa returned from the restroom, her purse slung over her shoulder. Spotting Faye, she called out, "Have you seen lan around?"

Faye shook her head. "No, haven't seen him. Didn't you find him out there?"

“He's not at his table. Guess he must've stepped out," Vanessa replied, sounding a little disappointed. She glanced at her watch. "Let's go grab something to eat."

Meanwhile, Eleanor, Simone, and the rest of the group climbed into a small shuttle van that dropped them off at the entrance of a nearby hotel.

As Eleanor stepped out, she spotted Principal Maxwell emerging from lan's car. The two men were laughing, deep in conversation.

A strange feeling tightened in Eleanor's chest. She had a hunch about what was coming.

lan was the host of tonight's dinner.

Following Simone, Eleanor trailed behind six distinguished professors as they entered the hotel lobby.

Her intuition proved correct. Principal Maxwell clapped lan on the shoulder and announced, "It's lan's treat tonight. It's not often we're all together like this-let's make the most of it and catch up."

Eleanor kept to the back of the group as the elevator arrived. Everyone squeezed inside, and when Eleanor stepped in last, she realized just how crowded it was. lan stood right at the front, his gaze flickering toward her.

There was still space, technically, but if she got in now, she'd be practically pressed against him.

She hesitated at the threshold. "Come on, Eleanor!" Simone called, beckoning her in.

As Eleanor stepped forward, the elevator let out a warning beep. Suddenly, a strong arm blocked the door, while another hand took her wrist and pulled her inside.

She stumbled, colliding with lan's chest. Her whole body tensed as she quickly pulled away, elbowing Professor Vinson-an older gentleman with silver hair-by accident.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Vinson," she apologized at once.

"Don't worry about it," he said kindly, shifting to give her more space.

Now she was standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with lan, her posture ramrod straight, his clean cedar scent filling the air between them and making it hard to breathe.

When they reached the sixth floor, Eleanor was the first to step out, holding the elevator doors open for the others. Once everyone had exited, she and Simone brought up the rear, following the group into a spacious, elegantly decorated private dining room.

Principal Maxwell was given the seat of honor, the professors found their places in turn, and finally, Eleanor and lan-being the youngest-sat at the end of the table.

Eleanor's expression was a bit stiff, while lan seemed perfectly at ease.

When it came time to order, Simone handed the task to Eleanor, who took the menu and focused on making selections. The professors chatted among themselves as she placed the orders. Ian took the menu after her, adding a few dishes and, at the end, requesting a dessert.

Principal Maxwell looked over at Eleanor with genuine approval. "Eleanor, we were just talking about your research earlier. You're a real rising star."

"Eleanor's talent is obvious to all of us. The medical community needs more people like her," Simone added warmly.

"You flatter me," Eleanor replied modestly.

"Her accomplishments don't stop there," another professor chimed in. "She's the

pioneer behind this latest breakthrough!"

"This field has great promise," Dr. Blake said, smiling. "If you need technical support down the line, our lab would be happy to help."

"Thank you, Professor Blake," Eleanor said sincerely.

The food began to arrive, and conversation drifted to lighter topics. Eleanor, as the junior at the table, listened attentively.

Soon, a server appeared with a delicate dessert, unsure where to place it. Ian nodded in Eleanor's direction. "For her."

It wasn't hard for the server to guess the older professors hardly looked like they'd go for something sweet.

After the dessert was set down in front of her, Eleanor's expression turned even more rigid. She hadn't ordered this.

"Try it. It's not sweet, just a hint of cocoa," lan said quietly.

Only those who'd brought someone here before would know this dessert was rich but barely sweet.

"I don't want it," Eleanor replied, pushing the plate back toward him, her face openly rejecting the offer.

lan's handsome features froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered his calm, professional composure.

He stood, raising his glass. "Thank you all for coming tonight. Let me offer a toast to our distinguished guests."

Everyone joined in, glasses clinking. Eleanor rose with them, though she toasted with tea instead of wine.

Just then, a silver-haired female professor smiled at Eleanor. "Eleanor, that gentleman who gave you flowers on stage earlier is he your husband?" Eleanor blinked in surprise, caught off guard.

Across the table, lan's hand stilled on his wineglass. His eyes narrowed, now fixed on her.

Setting her fork down, Eleanor smiled politely at the professor. "He's just a friend."

A faint, unreadable smile flickered at lan's lips as he raised his glass toward Principal Maxwell. "Principal Maxwell, I hope the Military Medical University will continue to support Eleanor's research in the future."