Chapter 1648

Eleanor's head was spinning from staring at documents for so long. Standing up, she practically melted into his chest. Ian's long arm instantly wrapped securely around her waist. Sweeping his other arm beneath her knees, he lifted her effortlessly and carried her straight to the master bedroom.

The moment he kicked the door shut, his mouth crashed down on hers.

Outside, the night deepened, but inside the room, the lights remained on, casting a warm, golden glow. The man had a strange obsession with keeping the lights on. Eleanor had protested multiple times, but he simply refused to compromise.

Spring was in full swing, breathing vibrant new life into everything.

The calendar flipped to May, bringing bright, sunny weather.

Everything was perfectly on track.

Mrs. Vaughn's condition was strictly managed, and she had officially been discharged to recover at home. Last week, Eleanor, lan, and Evelyn had visited the Vaughn family, and Eleanor even cooked a massive dinner for everyone.

Fantastic news also arrived from Sophia. Following the integration of her new neural chip, her motor responses exceeded all expectations. During their video call last week, she had managed to stand unassisted for a full minute.

In the video, Sophia looked radiant, her life finally steering back toward a beautiful horizon.

Eleanor turned around, her eyes landing on an invitation letter sitting on her desk. It was from a prestigious academy in Montclair, inviting her to participate in an exclusive one-month academic program. The teams attending were world-class, and collaborating with them could spark massive breakthroughs in her research.

lan had fully encouraged her to go, even though it meant they would be apart for an entire month.

Eleanor walked over to her laptop, replied to the email, and officially locked in her itinerary.

That night, she broke the news to her daughter. Evelyn was thrilled for her mother's opportunity, constantly saying how incredibly proud she was.

May 18th. Ashford City International Airport.

lan walked her right up to the boarding stairs of his private jet, refusing to let go of her hand. "Call me the second you land."

"I know, I know," Eleanor nodded.

"And FaceTime me."

"I will."

"Take care of yourself."

Eleanor laughed and shook her head. "I'm not a toddler, lan. Stop worrying!"

The ruthless, cold-blooded corporate shark of Goodwin & Co. was currently acting like an overprotective father.

lan leaned down and pressed a deep kiss to her lips. "Once I clear my schedule, I'll fly out to keep you company."

"Just focus on your work. And make sure you take care of Evelyn," Eleanor reminded him. Because he was there holding down the fort she had the freedom to chase her ambitions without a single worry.

lan tightened his grip on her waist, leaning in for another kiss.

Eleanor quickly put a hand against his chest. "People are watching!"

"Let them look," lan murmured, capturing her chin and kissing her breathless anyway.

By the time he finally let her go, Eleanor's face was flushed red. She quickly spun around and hurried onto the plane.

Sitting in his car watching the jet take off, lan immediately regretted his decision.

A month suddenly felt like an agonizingly long time.

lan had planned her trip down to the smallest detail. The moment she stepped off the plane, a team of bodyguards was waiting for her, For convenience, she was booked into the presidential suite of a five star hotel right next to the academy.

The next morning, Eleanor met with top-tier scholars from around the globe. Her

days were packed with intense lectures and lab observations.

The first week flew by.

After spending her days deep in academic exchange, she made sure to video call lan every night when she returned to her hotel.

Because of the time difference, it was always the dead of night for him, yet he always stayed up waiting for her call.

She would tell him about her

classes, the labs she saw, and even

the mundane details of what ske

ate because lan dermanded to

know everything

"It's really late over there. You need to get to sleep," Eleanor urged, looking at the man on her screen.

"I just want to hear your voice a little longer."

"Only three weeks left. I'll be home before you know it," Eleanor said, packing her

bag since she was about to head out for a guest lecture.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion ripped through the air outside her window. Eleanor gasped, her eardrums ringing from the concussive force.