Still, even without going public, Goodwin Pharma Group had a promising future ahead.

As soon as Ellington got word, he relayed the news to Eleanor right away. But Eleanor, who had never cared much about such things, was hardly surprised.

lan's company hadn't needed outside funding for ages. Their cash flow was more than healthy, and they had enough capital on hand to cover any investments he wanted to make.

Eleanor figured lan's decision was about keeping his pharmaceutical group's information private. He liked to keep things close to the chest, and from his perspective, whether the company was publicly listed or not made little difference.

Earlier, Eleanor had discussed the background check on Starnova Group with York, who had actually followed through and had someone look into it.

Sitting on the couch, Eleanor watched York put on his reading glasses. "I checked three times,” he said. "There's no trace of Goodwin & Co. anywhere."

Eleanor scrolled through the equity structure chart of Starnova Group on her laptop. The first layer of ownership was crystal clear.

York rubbed his forehead. "The truth is, scientific research needs commercial backing. As long as the contracts are clear and research independence stays intact, it doesn't really matter where the funding comes from."

Eleanor frowned, realizing her worries had been overblown.

She had been overthinking things-there was no need to waste any more time fretting about lan.

Mr. Windsor was already busy enough, and now she'd made him assign people to do such a complicated background check-she felt a bit guilty for troubling him.

Starnova Investments and York's lab were mainly focused on developing a neural interface system for pilots.

Just then, York shared his thoughts with Eleanor. "Science knows no borders, but technology does. So this time, our lab will be contributing technology as equity- we'll be getting a significant controlling stake."

Eleanor felt a chill down her spine. The value and potential impact of the brain- computer interface project was enormous. If it succeeded, the applications would be far beyond imagination-military pilots, special ops, and more.

"Mr. Windsor, if we accept Starnova Investments, will our research—”

"It's inevitable," York said, rubbing his eyes. "But the key is who controls the applied technology. The patents will belong entirely to the lab. That's my number one condition in negotiations." He paused, then added, "I'll be heading to Kingston in a couple of days to meet an old friend. We'll have to push back the preparations a bit."

"Of course," Eleanor nodded. "Please take care of yourself, sir."

Looking at the elderly man, hair turned white with age, still working tirelessly for the country's scientific progress, Eleanor felt a deep sense of respect.

York patted her shoulder. "Don't let yourself get weighed down by worries. Just focus on wrapping up the final tests on the new drug."

Eleanor smiled and nodded. Yes-she'd let lan's influence turn her into a nervous wreck.

That evening, Eleanor took her daughter to the nearby park. Watching her little girl hop and skip around, laughing with delight-this, she thought, was what made it all worth it.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her bag. She pulled it out and saw a message from the Secretary of State's private number.

"Eleanor, Mansfield is safe. He asked me to let you know."

Eleanor stared at the message for a few seconds before finally releasing a breath. As long as he was safe, that was all that mattered.

When the weekend ended, Eleanor returned to the lab for a meeting. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she spotted Faye clutching a box, chatting with Nina.

Nina looked genuinely upset. "Faye, you just got back and now you're leaving for Meridian Dynamics again? I'm really going to miss you."