She decided to put it out of her mind for now and deal with it at the lab tomorrow.

The next morning, after dropping off her daughter, Eleanor drove straight to the lab. As soon as she arrived, an assistant approached her. "Dr. Sutton, the doctor is waiting for you in the conference room for a meeting."

"I'll be right there," Eleanor said, pulling on her white lab coat.

She swiftly tied back her long hair, her movements efficient and professional, radiating an air of scholarly authority.

When Eleanor walked into the conference room, the morning sun was streaming through the glass walls, backlighting lan. The light cast his already striking, deep- set features into sharp, unreadable shadows.

He glanced up as she entered, but his eyes dropped the moment they met hers.

Sensing the tension, Dr. Smith broke the silence with a forced chuckle. "Well, shall we begin? We have some new data sets from this morning to review."

He could see that Eleanor had the upper hand in their silent conflict, while lan was on the defensive.

"Doctor, could you give us five minutes?" Eleanor asked.

"Of course," Smith replied, happy to give them a chance to resolve their issues. He tactfully closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.

The sunlight illuminated the dust motes dancing in the air, but it did nothing to dispel the frigid atmosphere between them.

Eleanor walked right up to the conference table, something she rarely did, and leaned forward, bracing her hands on its surface. She looked down at the seated man, her posture making it clear she was here to negotiate.

lan leaned back slightly in his chair, tilting his head up to meet her gaze.

In the soft light, her delicate features were illuminated, and her whole expression seemed to vibrate with a new energy.

"I need a reasonable explanation," she said, her voice low and firm. "This

concerns Evelyn. It concerns the lives of your mother and your sister. What are you thinking?"

lan met her challenging stare, taking in the confusion, anger, and resentment swirling in her eyes. His throat moved as he swallowed, but his gaze fell to the table, his expression hardening into any unreadable mask. There is no explanation."

His voice was quiet but unyielding. "I told you, we are only using Vanessa's sample for now."

"lan," Eleanor's voice rose with frustration, "what are you hiding? That sample belonged to my mother. I have a right to know what it's for."

"Final authority over the use of that sample rests with me," he said, deflecting her question, his tone becoming harsh. "This is not up for discussion."

"You are the most selfish, infuriating man I have ever met," Eleanor snapped "Don't come to regret this. If anything happens to your mother or your sister, the consequences will be yours to bear alone."

Without another word, she spun around, not wanting to look at him for a second longer. She stormed to the door, pulling it open and striding out. The door swung shut behind her with a dull thud.

Outside, Dr. Smith, who was chatting with his assistant while holding two cups of coffee, jumped at the sound. Clearly, their talk had been a failure.

A moment later, he entered the conference room with the coffee. lan was standing by the window, his tall frame casting along shadowin the morning light. Despite the brightness, he was enveloped in an aura of profound loneliness and sorrow. He was looking down, his thick lashes casting deep shadows beneath his eyes.

"Mr. Goodwin, have some coffee," Smith said, placing a cup on the table in front of him.

lan turned and slowly sat down. He took a sip before saying, "Let's continue the meeting."