"Don't work yourself too hard, Callie," Eleanor advised.

Callie's heart warmed. "I know. You two enjoy your lunch."

Once Callie had left, Joel's gaze settled on Eleanor's slightly pale face. "How are things over there?"

"Let's go to the restaurant and talk while we eat," Eleanor suggested. A lot had happened recently, and if she needed a good listener, Joel was definitely the best choice.

In the restaurant across from the lab, Eleanor explained the situation with Smith and mentioned the transactional nature of Vanessa and lan's relationship.

Joel was stunned silent for a long moment before he finally processed it. "You mean to say, lan and Vanessa were never lovers? It was a transaction from the very beginning?"

"I'm not sure if they were lovers or not, but they definitely had a deal," Eleanor confirmed. "lan needed her to provide stem cell donations at least once a year, and in return, he provided for her financially."

Joel had seen lan and Vanessa together before. Ian's care and attentiveness toward her had been obvious. It couldn't have been just a cold transaction.

"Your research breakthrough has effectively removed Vanessa's status as the sole donor. Now lan is no longer beholden to her. He should be grateful to you," Joel said, picking up his teacup. "Has he given you any explanation for everything he did to you in the past?"

Eleanor's fingers tightened around her water glass. She turned to look at the spring scenery outside the window. An explanation? What they had been through couldn't be resolved with a simple explanation.

"The past doesn't matter anymore," Eleanor said, looking back at Joel. "What's important now is that we've both moved on."

Joel was taken aback. He had witnessed everything Eleanor had been through, but this was the first time he had seen her so calm about the past. She had matured, grown. He deftly changed the subject. "Well, let's not talk about that. Once you're done with Smith's experiments, you planning to return to the BCI

team? Callie seems overwhelmed on

his own."

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Eleanor nodded. "Of course, I'm coming back. I don't have a habit of leaving my research half-finished."

Joel smiled. He, too, had been through a lot recently in the commercial projects division and had interacted with lan several times an had been incredibly supportive of his work providing funding, equipment, and personnel. For that, Joel was grateful. He wanted to say a few words in lan's

defense but worried Eleanor

wouldn't want to hear them.

The fact that Goodwin & Co.

operated so smoothly was largely due to lan at the helm. Joel had come to understand the internal complexities of the company and the challenges of expanding into international markets. Countless eyes were on lan, waiting for him to make a mistake, waiting for him to fall. The business world was a battlefield, and as a man, Joel had to admire lan's skill and decisiveness.

Now, adding the pressure of his

family's health issues, the past

decade couldn't have been easy for him.

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"Tell me about your commercial projects," Eleanor asked, wanting to catch up on Joel's work.

"Everything is proceeding in an orderly fashion," Joel began, choosing his words carefully, his tone objective. "And speaking of which, lan's support for scientific research is truly commendable. Our division's three major projects recently received full funding, equipment, and staffing, all thanks to him."

Eleanor nodded, listening quietly. Joel continued, "I've been in a lot of meetings at Goodwin & Co. lately, and I've learned a bit about the business world. He's incredibly capable to manage a company like that."

Noticing that Eleanor didn't seem keen on the topic, Joel smiled. "Anyway, you know my work is all about following the development plan. It's your research that's truly worth discussing."

Eleanor offered a small smile. She understood the implication behind Joel's words. It wasn't that she was unaware of lan's difficult position; it was just that, having stepped out of the role of his wife, there was no longer any need to dwell on the past.

As they walked back to the lab, Eleanor spotted a familiar figure. She quickened her pace in surprise. "Professor Langley."