No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 931

Through the glass window, he could see the scene inside the collection room.

As Vanessa extended her arm for the nurse, her eyes were fixed on Ian, her expression one of delicate vulnerability. Ian, however, merely stood to the side, hands in the pockets of his trousers, his posture rigid. He watched the procedure with a detached focus, his presence feeling less like support and more like silent supervision.

Ten minutes later, the door opened. A nurse supported the pale-faced Vanessa, who seemed to radiate a fragile aura. Ian followed them out, one hand still in his pocket.

"Ian, can I rest for a bit before I go?" Vanessa asked, clearly in no hurry to leave.

"The car is waiting. Go home and rest," Ian said, his tone final. He walked past her and headed down the hall in the opposite direction.

"Miss Shannon, let us walk you out," a nurse offered gently.

Vanessa's frail posture instantly straightened. "That won't be necessary. I can see myself out," she said, her voice laced with a hint of disdain. The two nurses, sensing her dismissal, took a step back.

Vanessa picked up her purse and headed for the elevator to the main lobby. She smoothed her hair, and though her face was pale from the blood draw, she maintained her elegant composure.

As she stepped out of the lobby, Gavin met her. "Miss Shannon, I'm here to take you home."

Vanessa accepted the courtesy without protest, though she settled into the car with an obvious air of displeasure as Gavin held the door for her. He, in turn, drove her home with professional diligence.

Back at the lab, Eleanor was heading to an upstairs laboratory. She had just stepped into the elevator when a long arm blocked the closing door. She looked up as Ian strode in. At six-foot-two, his presence made the space feel instantly smaller. He glanced at her cold profile.

"I'm sorry about what just happened," he said in a low voice, referring to Vanessa's behavior in the collection room.

Eleanor acted as if she hadn't heard him. The elevator chimed and the doors opened. She walked out.

"We need to find a time to talk. Properly," Ian insisted, his eyes locking onto hers, filled with a grim determination.

Eleanor's brow furrowed. "The only relationship we have is as Evelyn's parents. That's it. I have zero interest in your past or present dealings with Vanessa. Now, move."

But Ian's arm remained, barring her way. His deep-set eyes held her captive, a storm of clear yet complex emotions churning within them: urgency, frustration, pain, and an almost obsessive persistence.

"We're more than just Evelyn's parents," he said, his voice low and raspy, yet filled with an undeniable force. "We have never been just that."

Eleanor's patience was wearing thin. Her voice rose, sharp and impatient. "Ian, I'm asking you to get out of my way."

"I know you don't believe me, and I know you don't care, but I have to say this," Ian said, practically gritting his teeth. "There has never been anything romantic between us. Not in the past, not now, and there never will be. Everything I've done for her has a price tag. It's a clean ledger."