Eleanor hadn't said a word before Evelyn flung her arms around his neck. "Daddy, you can't leave! I want you to stay with me."

lan chuckled, his voice low and warm. "Alright, sweetheart. I'll stay with you."

Evelyn's eyes brightened as she glanced at her mother. "Mom, you look so pretty today!" It was only then she noticed Eleanor had done her makeup.

Today, Eleanor's makeup brought out her striking features, adding a touch of sophistication and, beneath it, a subtle allure. She smiled at her daughter. "I'm going to help Miss Thatcher for a bit. You stay here with Daddy, and you two can come down together soon, okay?"

"Okay, Mom!" Evelyn was perfectly content with her father's company.

It had been ages since she'd felt this close to him.

Eleanor's smile lingered for a moment, then slipped away as she turned and stepped out of the room.

Joy was already slipping into her wedding dress when Eleanor entered. She glanced up. "Why are you back downstairs again?"

"He's with Evelyn," Eleanor replied.

Joy gave her a knowing look. "So you two can't even manage the basics of being

in the same room?" It was an accusation Eleanor couldn't deny. Wherever lan

was, she felt like the air itself got thinner.

"I'll stay with you for now," Eleanor offered.

"That works. But I'm warning you, I'm seating you both at the same table later. Otherwise, who's going to look after Evelyn?" Joy said with a smirk.

Eleanor could only nod in resignation. It was Joy's big day, after all-she could call the shots.

An hour later, Eleanor entered the reception hall, her hand in Evelyn's. Over two hundred guests were already mingling, and as they walked in, more than a few heads turned their way. Among Joy and Frazier's friends, many had heard about Eleanor's accomplishments.

Seeing her in person was rarer than spotting a celebrity, so everyone was eager to catch a glimpse of this rising star in the research world.

"Isn't that Mr. Goodwin from Goodwin & Co.?" someone whispered nearby.

People followed the direction of Eleanor's arrival and saw lan in a perfectly tailored black suit, every movement exuding confidence and grace.

Still, considering Frazier was now the legal director of the Vesper Joy Hotel, and with Goodwin & Co. holding shares in the hotel, lan's presence wasn't all that surprising.

The wedding ceremony began, and lan took the seat beside Eleanor.

As the ceremony reached its high point, Evelyn sat excitedly on lan's lap. When the couple exchanged wedding rings, Evelyn suddenly turned to Eleanor with childlike curiosity. "Mom, did you get a ring when you and Dad got married? Why aren't you wearing it?"

Eleanor gave her daughter a gentle smile. "When I'm working in the lab, I don't wear rings."

Truthfully, she couldn't even remember where she'd tossed that wedding band-if it weren't worth a small fortune, she might have thrown it in the river long ago.

Eleanor watched as Joy and Frazier exchanged vows and finished the ceremony. She joined in the applause, her heart genuinely wishing her best friend a lifetime of happiness and love.

Just then, Eleanor's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen-and her breath caught in her chest. The name flashing there left her stunned for several seconds.

lan followed her gaze and caught sight of the name on the screen.

-Mansfield Ellington

"Evelyn, I need to take a call," Eleanor said softly, rising from her seat with barely concealed urgency, as if afraid the caller would hang up before she reached them.

The wedding emcee's booming voice made it impossible to hear anything anyway, so Eleanor hurried out of the hall, almost running.

lan's eyes darkened as he watched her go. Evelyn tugged at his face with her little hand. "Daddy, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing, honey." Ian managed a small smile.

Eleanor made it to the front of the hall, a little out of breath as she answered the call. "Hello?"

A familiar voice laughed on the other end. "What's this? Did you have to run just to pick up my call?"