Chapter 13

Eleanor's cheeks flared crimson, the color spreading up to the tips of her ears.

Snapping herself out of it, she pulled back quickly from Nolan's hold, forcing space between them.

The faint trace of his warmth still clung stubbornly to her fingers.

"Thank you, Mr. Stewart. I'll be on my way now."Without waiting for his reply, she turned and rushed out the door.

But the second she crossed the threshold, she collided hard with someone.

"Ouch!" Lillian shouted, rubbing at her forehead before blinking in surprise.

Of all people, it was her best friend.

Eleanor stood there flushed bright red, her eyes darting away, her breath uneven.

Lillian's expression lit up instantly, her curiosity bubbling over.

She hooked an arm around Eleanor's, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Alright, out with it! Who's the guy you've been hiding from me? Don't tell me you've gone and found yourself a new man already. Since when?"

She pressed on, "Give me the details-what's he like? Is he some young heartthrob, or are you chasing after another older one this time? Either way, I get first say. I'm not letting you fall for another disaster like Jonny again."

From behind Eleanor, a tall shadow stretched forward as Nolan stepped into view.

His expression remained unreadable, his eyes gliding past Lillian before locking firmly on Eleanor.

Lillian's mischievous grin froze midair, then began to crumble piece by piece. She blinked hard, her mind racing

Impossible!

How on earth had Eleanor ended up tangled with Nolan of all people?

And judging by the tension in the air, it wasn't just casual-they looked like two people caught in the middle of something... something way too intimate.

When had Eleanor's taste taken such a dramatic turn?

Nolan was the kind of man whose face alone could send a room spinning into chaos.

Yet Ryland had sworn to her that Nolan was the coldest, most untouchable man in Elepdon-someone who wore bachelorhood like armor and had zero patience for romance.

Nolan was supposed to be like a star one admired from afar, dazzling and unreachable.

No, this couldn't be happening. Eleanor had just escaped one disaster of a marriage -the last thing she needed was to get caught up with another man who spelled nothing but trouble.

Meanwhile, Eleanor desperately searched for a way to shut down Lillian's runaway imagination before it could spill from her mouth.

Eleanor waved her hands frantically, desperate to explain that nothing had happened. Whatever Lillian thought she saw, her relationship with Nolan was perfectly innocent.

But the panic in Eleanor's eyes only deepened Lillian's suspicions.

Before Lillian could launch into another round of questioning, Eleanor grabbed her hand and tugged her away in haste. "Lillian, it's late already. We need to get to the exhibit hall before Mr. Gill starts wondering where we are."

Nearly stumbling, Lillian allowed herself to be dragged along. Behind them, Nolan stayed exactly where he was,lips curling into the faintest amused smile.

This sly woman-every time she shed another layer of that careful disguise, she revealed something far more intriguing.

The exhibit hall was already buzzing, the excitement lingering long after David's appearance.

When the crowd finally began to scatter, Lillian seized her chance and circled right back to the topic she refused to drop.

"Eleanor, quit dodging. Confess and I'll go easy on you. Deny it and I'll drag it out of you. You and Mr.Stewart, locked in a room, and you came out blushing red like a schoolgirl? Don't tell me the two of you were just talking," Lillian said.

Eleanor's head spun under the assault of questions,her thoughts scrambling for a way out.

How was she supposed to explain that Nolan had simply helped treat her wound? Or that when she stumbled, he caught her to keep her from falling?

She knew better. Any honest explanation would only fuel Lillian's wild imagination-and turn a harmless moment into a story far more scandalous.