Chapter 1525

While Eleanor was still frozen in shock, Evelyn tugged on her hand. "Mom, you have to say goodnight to Dad, too!"

Now Eleanor knew exactly what that little whispered secret had been.

Keeping her grip on her daughter's hand, she refused to meet the man's gaze and mumbled a quick, "Goodnight."

With that, she practically dragged Evelyn out the door.

Once they were safely back in their own house, the little girl looked up. "Mom, I remember Dad used to say goodnight to us every single night. He always kissed

us."

Eleanor realized her daughter was getting nostalgic for the past. She offered a soft, "Yeah. He did."

Satisfied, Evelyn happily skipped upstairs to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.

Later, as Evelyn lay tucked against Eleanor's side, her big eyes blinked thoughtfully in the dim light. Suddenly, she threw her little arms around Eleanor and whimpered softly, "Mom, I never want you and Dad to be separated ever again."

The unexpected plea hit Eleanor like a physical blow, striking the softest, most vulnerable part of her heart. Her breath hitched, and she instinctively pulled her daughter closer, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

Evelyn didn't say anything else. She just nuzzled comfortably against Eleanor and soon drifted off to sleep.

Eleanor let out a shaky sigh. Now, she was wide awake.

She grabbed her earbuds, unlocked her phone, and opened her photo gallery, scrolling all the way back to her oldest saved pictures. She stopped on one specific image. It was a freezing winter day, snow swirling around them. Ian had unzipped his heavy coat and pulled her tightly against his chest, shielding her from the cold. A passing stranger had snapped the picture for them.

She stared at the girl she used to be-bundled in a knit beanie, her eyes crinkled into bright, happy crescents. Then she looked at lan. His jawline was sharp and a bit austere, but his eyes... his eyes were stunningly bright, practically screaming with unfiltered love. The slight curve of his lips was so incredibly tender it could have melted the ice around them.

She remembered that trip. It was right after they got married. She had grown up in the south and had always dreamed of seeing a real winter wonderland, so they flew north.

The moment they stepped off the plane, she had been shivering uncontrollably Without hesitation

lart had bed her inside his own

trench coat, lifting her into the car and literally carrying her all the way into their hotel room.

Back then, she had been so convinced that his marriage to her was nothing more than an act of gratitude him repaying a debt to her family. Because of that, she had constantly felt the need to prove she loved him more.

Looking back at these photos now, it was as if a heavy filter had been lifted. Through these frozen moments in time, she saw everything her younger self had been too blind to notice.

The way lan looked at her. The way he held her.

That wasn't the behavior of a man just paying off a debt.

Eleanor scrolled through photo after photo-casual days, their wedding, moments with their daughter. There were so many obvious truths she had completely overlooked back then, truths that were glaringly obvious now.

Because she had been trapped in the mindset of 'he's only doing this out of a sense of obligation, her insecurities had poisoned

མ།

everything. She lacked confidence in their marriage, which had allowed so many silent misunderstandings to fester.

When Eleanor finally put her phone down, she realized her eyelashes were wet.

She reached up to wipe her tears, pulled out her earbuds, and gently wrapped her arms around her daughter. Just like when she was a baby, Evelyn subconsciously burrowed deeper into the crook of Eleanor's neck.

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur of shopping and errands.

Then, September 1st officially arrived.

Eleanor helped Evelyn into her pristine school uniform, strapped on her backpack, and they headed to the campus. The principal and senior administrators were all lined up at the gates, greeting the new students.

As Eleanor and lan walked through the gates with Evelyn between them, the principal immediately stepped forward, extending a hand. "Mr. Goodwin, Mrs. Goodwin. Good morning."