The receptionist spotted Eleanor and immediately straightened up, greeting her with respectful enthusiasm. "Ms. Sutton, the meeting's on the eighteenth floor- please, this way."

Eleanor gave a polite nod and, with Ellington by her side, stepped into the waiting elevator.

In the hallway outside the conference room, several senior executives lingered, deep in conversation. When they noticed Eleanor, they broke into welcoming smiles. "Good morning, Ms. Sutton."

Eleanor responded with effortless poise and a warm laugh. She recognized these men and women as lan's most trusted inner circle-each one sharp, ambitious, and influential. When she'd first joined Goodwin & Co. as a shareholder, their reactions had been wary, their gazes appraising and guarded. But now, their attitudes had clearly shifted.

Stepping into the conference room, Eleanor saw that everyone had arrived early. lan sat at the head of the table, eyes lowered as he skimmed through a stack of documents. His composure radiated authority, an unspoken command that filled the room with a hush.

At the sound of footsteps, lan lifted his gaze, his eyes landing squarely on Eleanor.

Calm and composed, Eleanor crossed the room and took her seat at the table, her nameplate gleaming in front of her. Ellington settled in a row behind her, notebook ready for the meeting.

lan glanced at his watch. His deep voice broke the brief silence. "Everyone's here. Let's begin."

The room fell instantly silent.

One by one, department heads gave their reports. Ian listened with an inscrutable expression, occasionally interjecting with pointed questions that cut straight to the heart of the matter.

When someone tried to offer explanations, he stopped them cold. "I want solutions, not excuses."

That was lan-cool, commanding, leaving no room for debate.

It seemed as if he was born to sit at the helm, orchestrating every move, surveying the field from above.

When it was time to present the projects under Eleanor's division, Ellington took the lead. Ian listened, his eyes never leaving Eleanor, his gaze intense and unreadable.

Ellington finished. For a moment, lan said nothing, then a faint, rare smile touched

his lips. "The proposal from Vesper Joy Group is impressive."

His approval was evident, and everyone in the room noticed it was not something he gave lightly.

As the meeting drew to a close, lan tapped his long fingers on the table. "There will be a dinner tonight. I hope everyone can make time to attend and connect."

With that, his gaze drifted-seemingly by chance-in Eleanor's direction. She was already turned away, quietly conferring with Ellington. Ellington leaned in, listening intently.

lan's expression darkened just a shade, his voice low as he dismissed the group. "That's all for now."

As Eleanor and Ellington rose to leave, Gavin approached them. "Ms. Sutton, Mr. Goodwin would like a word with you."

Eleanor frowned, glancing down the empty corridor where lan stood, waiting by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Tell him I'm not interested in the dinner tonight," she said crisply, and walked away with Ellington.

Gavin knew better than to press her and instead went to relay the message to lan. lan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Have VP Solis go in my place tonight."

"Understood," Gavin replied with a nod.

Just then, lan's phone buzzed with a message from Henry. "Ian, do you have time to talk tonight?"

Before lan could respond, another message appeared: "It's about Vanessa."