Does Eleanor know? If the bone marrow sample ends up saving Vanessa, can Eleanor accept that?

lan's tone earlier made it sound as if Eleanor's feelings weren't even a

consideration.

Now Joel found himself hesitating, wondering whether he ought to tell Eleanor the truth. With lan pouring money into the lab and all the proper paperwork in order, even if Eleanor wanted to stop things, it was still all perfectly legal.

Rubbing his temples, Joel felt a headache coming on, torn by indecision.

Just then, his assistant Minnie poked her head in. "Joel, it's time to leave for Marlowe Village."

"Bring Eleanor with us," Joel said.

"Of course!"

Eleanor had already agreed to visit Marlowe Village, and now she was ready, bag

in hand, following Minnie to the elevator. Joel joined them, pausing to give

Eleanor a look full of concern.

"Ride with me," he said gently.

"Sure!" Eleanor replied with a nod.

In the parking lot, a sleek black Rolls-Royce stood out among the other cars. Inside, lan was still on the phone, while Vanessa chatted with a friend on her own. Glancing up, Vanessa noticed someone approaching. When she saw Joel and Eleanor walking together toward another car, she couldn't help but smile slyly and turned to lan. "Ian, looks like your wife and Mr. Kingsley are heading out together." lan finished his call just as Vanessa spoke. He looked through the window and saw Eleanor and Joel getting into a car, clearly about to leave.

As Eleanor buckled her seatbelt, she caught a glimpse of the Rolls-Royce parked diagonally across from them-lan's car. She could just make out the silhouettes of lan and Vanessa in the back seat. Joel noticed as well.

"Want to go over and say hi?" Joel asked.

Eleanor shook her head, her voice cool. "No. Let's just go."

Joel stepped on the gas, and the car surged toward the exit.

A moment later, lan's Rolls-Royce pulled out too. Watching Joel's car take a turn away from downtown, lan frowned and pulled out his phone to text Eleanor.

Where are you two going?

Eleanor saw the message but ignored it.

Joel glanced at her. "Have you talked to lan about a divorce?"

"Not yet." Eleanor shook her head. She still hadn't gathered enough evidence.

lan and Vanessa's affair was painfully obvious, yet she didn't have a single piece of solid proof—nothing that would help her fight for custody of her daughter.

"How old were you when your mother passed away?" Joel asked quietly. "Twelve," Eleanor replied.

"And how much do you know about your father's life?" he pressed.

A sting of emotion prickled Eleanor's eyes. "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

Joel swallowed hard. "No reason. Just checking in on you."

"My dad died so suddenly. I never even got to say goodbye," Eleanor said softly, regret in her voice.

Joel didn't say anything more. Sometimes, silence was its own kind of protection.

Later, Joel's team bought a few fish from Marlowe Village to take back to the lab. Eleanor buried herself in her work, deciding to spend the night in the lab's dormitory.

11 p.m.

Eleanor was hunched over a microscope, studying live samples, when her phone buzzed on the table beside her. She glanced at the screen-lan.

She picked up, her voice flat. "Hello?"

"So, are you planning to stay out all night now?" lan's voice was cold on the other end.