Chapter 1166

However, one piece of news did catch her attention: after Yeaton Holdings went bankrupt and was liquidated, its profitable overseas assets were acquired by an emerging medical technology company.

Yeaton Holdings would cease to exist, and her father, Roland Yeaton, would have no chance of making a comeback.

At this thought, Vanessa felt fortunate to have latched onto a sturdy tree like Walden Wells, who provided her with support and a place to belong.

She caressed the enormous diamond ring Walden had just given her, which now sat on her ring finger. He might be old, but he could provide her with a life of luxury, and that was enough.

Now, she began to anticipate lan's annual gesture. Though their relationship was tense, the annual gift clause was written in black and white in their contract, and it was legally enforceable.

This time, she needed to think carefully about what to ask for.

She could start by browsing the major jewelry stores, deciding between diamonds or jade.

In the lab's cafeteria, Eleanor had arranged to meet Joel Kingsley. As she carried her tray toward him, she caught sight of two figures walking in her direction out of the corner of her eye.

lan and Gavin were also approaching with their trays. Eleanor paused for a second, wondering what he was doing here.

But she quickly looked away and walked to Joel's table. Just as she set down her tray, lan and Gavin arrived.

lan's expression was neutral, as if he had just happened to find this spot. He sat down beside her with perfect naturalness, while Gavin sat next to Joel.

Just like that, the four-person table was full.

"Mr. Goodwin, Gavin," Joel greeted them, maintaining his composure.

"Dr. Kingsley, Dr. Sutton, you don't mind if we share the table, do you?" lan's voice held a hint of warmth.

"Of course not," Joel said, pushing up his glasses as his gaze flickered between Eleanor and lan.

Eleanor lowered her eyes and quietly picked up her fork. Joel quickly started the conversation. "Ellie, did you see the email I sent you? About I the interference algorithm for neural signals in complex environments? I wanted to get your thoughts—"

Eleanor nodded, which was exactly what she had planned to discuss with Joel. She

laid out her analysis and a few ideas for potential optimization.

lan ate in silence, seemingly not wanting to interrupt, but his deep-set eyes frequently drifted to Eleanor's focused profile. He watched as she looked at Joel the entire time, their easy rapport and mutual admiration pricking at him like an old thorn

buried deep in his memory.

His mind involuntarily flashed back to a night four years ago.

He had come home late and, passing by the study, saw that Eleanor's laptop was still on. She wasn't there, but on the screen was an open chat window. The person she was talking to was Joel.

He hadn't meant to pry-he only wanted to shut down the computer for her-but as his eyes scanned the screen, a few lines of their conversation caught his attention.

Eleanor was confiding her frustration and loneliness in her marriage, her tone more vulnerable than he had ever seen. "He's always busy don't even know what he's thinking. It feels like there's a pane of glass between us that can never be broken. I feel so tired."Content

Joel's reply was full of understanding and gentle comfort. He had even called her Ellie.

Ellie. That was the name he used for her during their marriage.

"Ellie, don't be sad. You deserve to be understood and cherished. Try to think of the good things, like our meeting in Montclair last time. I could tell your smile was genuinely happy then."

That night, lan committed the name Joel to memory. Although he never confronted Eleanor about it, the thorn had been planted in his heart, becoming one of the many factors that created a rift between them over the next two years.

That was why he had been so shocked to see Joel at Drexford Henry Holt's private banquet. He discovered then that Joel was a medical genius from Montclair—young, handsome, and brilliant.