No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 873

"I won't keep her long," Ian said to Xavier, then turned his gaze back to Eleanor, his voice a low plea. "Can we?"

Eleanor glanced at the time. "Come on up."

A faint smile touched Ian's eyes. He turned to Xavier. "We're heading up, then."

"Thanks for the ride tonight," Xavier said to Eleanor.

"Don't mention it. Of course," she replied with a small smile. "Get some rest."

As Xavier watched the two of them disappear into the elevator, a bitter and helpless feeling washed over him. He had tried for so long, yet he could never truly get close to Eleanor's heart. In contrast, even two years after their divorce, Ian was a constant, inescapable presence in her life in a way he could never be.

Inside the elevator, Eleanor stared blankly at the changing floor numbers, making no move to speak. Ian stood a slight distance behind her, his eyes fixed on her back. Just then, her phone rang. She frowned, glancing at the screen, where the name "Mr. Secretary of State" was displayed.

Eleanor's eyes widened in surprise. From behind her, Ian used his height to his advantage and easily saw the caller ID. His expression instantly became dark and unreadable.

She watched the numbers climb, unwilling to answer the call in front of him. When the elevator dinged, she turned to Ian. "Go on into my apartment. I need to take this."

With that, she walked down the hall toward a small balcony, took a deep breath, and answered the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Ellington."

"Eleanor, I hope I'm not disturbing you," came Garth's steady, yet gentle, voice.

"Alright, I'll let you know if I hear anything. And if he calls you, please inform me right away," Garth said, his voice laced with the weariness of a worried father.

"Of course. I'll let you know immediately," Eleanor promised.

He hung up, but Eleanor remained frozen, one thought replaying in her mind: *Mansfield is missing. Mansfield is missing on an overseas mission.*

As she thought about his visit and her cold dismissal, her eyes suddenly burned with tears of guilt. She paused to collect herself, drawing a steadying breath before turning toward her apartment.

But as she rounded the corner from the balcony, she looked up and saw that Ian hadn't gone inside. He was leaning against the wall in the shadows a few feet away, waiting for her.