Chapter 1625

Eleanor remained silent for a few moments. Magdalen's collection was the

culmination of a lifetime's dedication. The antique porcelain, the ancient calligraphy, the jade artifacts—every single piece was museum-quality.

After some thought, Eleanor said, "Let's just keep it safely stored for now. Later on, we can pass it down to Evelyn and let her take over."

lan looked at her and smiled. "Then I'll have a private museum built just for you two. We can hire specialists to manage and preserve everything."

Eleanor was taken aback and looked up at him. "A private museum?"

lan nodded. "Many of my grandmother's pieces are classified as first-tier historical artifacts. Standard storage simply isn't secure enough. Building a dedicated facility for 'The Magdalen Collection' is entirely necessary. And later, if you find pieces you like, we can add them to the exhibits."

Eleanor truly knew nothing about the art world, so she simply nodded. "I'll leave the logistics to you, then."

Just then, Evelyn walked in holding a beautifully wrapped bouquet. She happily trotted over to Eleanor. "Mommy, look! I made this for you."

Gina followed closely behind, greeting them warmly. "Eleanor, you're here. Please, stay and have dinner with us tonight."

Eleanor took the flowers from her daughter and nodded at Gina. "Thank you, I will."

"Serena should be home shortly, too."

They had dinner at the manor. Afterward, Evelyn didn't want to leave, and Serena deliberately coaxed her little niece into staying over, subtly trying to give her older brother and Eleanor more alone time.

Serena had already noticed the undeniable shift in their dynamic; the chemistry between her brother and Eleanor was heating up again. At this rate, she'd probably have to start calling her 'sister-in-law' again very soon.

Since her daughter insisted on staying, Eleanor didn't object. Ian had a crucial video conference scheduled for eight-thirty that evening, so he arranged for Gavin to drive Eleanor back to the house first.

While Eleanor was on the road, Joslyn sent her a text asking for the night off.

Eleanor agreed. By the time she arrived at the sprawling, brightly lit villa at eight- thirty, she was alone. She brewed a cup of tea and headed up to the second-floor study to get some work done.

Princess, the dog, lay obediently at her feet, acting like a fiercely loyal little bodyguard.

After organizing a few files and reviewing the latest lab data, Eleanor initiated a video call with Joel to discuss some complex metrics.

They brainstormed intensely until

nine-thirty. Eleanor, wearing her Bluetooth earbud, walked

downstairs to refill her tea. She was deep in thought, actively debating a point with Joel, when Princess suddenly bounded toward the front door with enthusiastic tail wags.

lan's towering figure strode into the entryway. Eleanor glanced at him and pointed to her earbud, signaling that she was on a call.

lan narrowed his eyes in a knowing smile. He didn't interrupt, simply bending down

to affectionately roughhouse with Princess.

At that moment, Eleanor caught a discrepancy. "Wait, Joel, could you elaborate on that last proposal?"

Those words caused the man petting the dog to abruptly freeze.

Eleanor was taking a sip of her tea, completely focused on Joel's explanation; when a pair of stronge masculine arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind heavy chin rested on her shoulder. She shot him a sideways glance, silently telling him to stop messing around.

lan nodded slightly but made no move to let go. Instead, he pulled her flush against his chest.

Eleanor shifted awkwardly in his

ет

embrace, but Joel was right in the

middle of breaking down ascritical data point. She turned slightly and pushed at lan's chest.

The man stubbornly refused to budge. Worse, his large hands began to roam, tracing the curve of her waist with an unmistakable, highly possessive intent.

Eleanor glared at him and mouthed, *Stop it.*

lan raised a perfectly innocent brow and mouthed back, *I'm not doing anything.*

But the very next second, he dipped his head and pressed a deliberate, lingering kiss against the sensitive skin of her neck.

Furious, Eleanor shot him another warning glare, demanding he behave.

Forced to back off, lan released her. But as he stepped away, he casually announced, "I'm going to go take a shower."

His voice wasn't a shout, but the deep timbre carried perfectly through the microphone to Joel on the other end.

Dead silence fell over the line for a solid five seconds. Finally, Joel cleared his throat awkwardly. "Am I... interrupting your evening?"

Eleanor sighed internally. Ian had said that out loud entirely on purpose.