Eleanor hurried through the school corridors, but no matter how quickly she moved, she still arrived ten minutes late. When she finally reached the entrance, she caught sight of Xavier's tall, composed figure standing beside two little girls.

She approached, slightly out of breath and apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Vaughn. I'm late again."

Xavier looked at her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Busy week, Mrs. Goodwin?" Eleanor nodded. "Yes, I've been teaching classes at Ashford Medical University." He looked genuinely surprised. "Vivian wants to spend part of the day at your place tomorrow. Would that be alright?"

"Of course!" Eleanor replied quickly. "I'll be home all day. You can drop her off early, I'll make sure she's well looked after."

Xavier's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

"It's no trouble," Eleanor said with a warm grin.

Around eleven o'clock the next day, Xavier brought Vivian over. As soon as he'd said goodbye, Vivian and Evelyn dashed upstairs to the playroom, with Eleanor following close behind to keep an eye on them.

The two girls, so close in age, became fast friends-giggling and playing together as if they'd known each other all their lives. Time slipped by, and before they knew it, it was already four in the afternoon. When Xavier returned to pick up Vivian, neither girl wanted to part.

"I don't want Vivian to go!" Evelyn clung to her friend's hand, her voice trembling.

Vivian and Evelyn hugged each other tightly. Xavier gently lifted Vivian into his arms, while Eleanor scooped up her own daughter. In the midst of all the commotion, Xavier's hand brushed against Eleanor's.

As Eleanor soothed Evelyn in a quiet, gentle voice, a stray lock of hair slipped from her forehead, falling softly across her cheek. From where Xavier stood, he could see the graceful curve of her brow, the delicate slope of her nose, her vivid red lips, and her porcelain skin.

Her dark hair spilled loosely around her shoulders, framing her face with a natural, effortless beauty that held a quiet, classic elegance.

In the end, it took Xavier's promise to buy them new toys the next day to finally coax the girls apart. Evelyn, teary-eyed, watched Vivian leave, then buried herself in Eleanor's arms for comfort.

That weekend, Magdalen called, inviting Eleanor and Evelyn over for lunch. Serena was off traveling with friends, so the house was unusually quiet.

On Monday, Eleanor received an email from Joel: the nationwide outbreak was worsening, and the new medication Eleanor had been developing was being fast- tracked for clinical trials. If all went well, it would be ready for production within two weeks.

Later that evening, lan sent Eleanor a message he needed to delay his return by a few more days.

Throughout the week, whenever Eleanor couldn't make it to school in time, Xavier would help by watching Evelyn at the playground. She was deeply grateful for his support.

With the pressure mounting in her lab, Eleanor's schedule had become unpredictable. Having Xavier's help meant she no longer had to worry quite so much.

On Wednesday, during a meeting chaired by Dr. Lyman himself, Eleanor received high praise and formal recognition: in just two weeks since the lab's founding, she had developed a new medication that was already on the verge of approval for the market.

"We'll be publishing this research in a leading international journal," Dr. Lyman declared. "This new medication could save countless lives."

Faye tried to keep her expression neutral, but jealousy smoldered in her eyes. In this round of drug trials, Eleanor had completely outshone her.

The next few days were a blur of meetings, and Eleanor's breakthrough sent ripples throughout the medical community. Her name quickly became known among her peers, and when people learned she was Elliot's daughter, their respect for her only deepened.