No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 792

Eleanor accepted the menu, her fingertips tightening just a fraction as she lowered her eyes to scan the options, making a conscious effort to ignore the presence of the man beside her.

She ordered two simple dishes and slid the menu over to Ian, who picked it up and added four more, all equally plain and straightforward.

“Ian,” Simone asked, “how’s the prep work going for the civilian project?”

“It’s all in Joel’s hands now. He makes the calls on everything.” Ian lifted his cup and took a measured sip of tea.

Simone nodded. “Joel’s the right person for the job. The project’s in good hands.”

“It only got off the ground thanks to Eleanor’s early research,” Ian said, his gaze lingering on the curve of Eleanor’s cheek.

“Just doing my job,” Eleanor replied calmly.

Simone, sensing the shift in mood, quickly changed the subject. “By the way, Eleanor, is your little one in elementary school now?”

“Next September,” Eleanor said with a gentle smile.

“Time flies. Hard to believe she’s starting school already,” Simone remarked with a sigh.

Just then, Ian’s phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen, his brow drawing together for a moment, before declining the call.

The conversation shifted as Simone brought up repairs she was having done on her cottage. Eleanor listened and chatted with her, when Gavin’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, shot a quick look at Ian, and at a subtle nod from Ian, excused himself to take the call outside.

A brief, uncomfortable silence settled over the table. Eleanor lifted her cup, taking a sip of tea. This time, Ian’s phone vibrated again, this time with a text. He glanced at the screen, his expression tightening almost imperceptibly.

“Professor Langley,” he said abruptly, “I have an urgent matter to attend to. I’ll have to excuse myself.”

Simone nodded knowingly. “Of course. Work comes first.”

As Ian stood, his gaze lingered on Eleanor for a moment. She kept her eyes on her phone, her expression unreadable.

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