Chapter 64

Eleanor collapsed onto her bed, exhaustion pulling her into a deep sleep almost instantly. Unsurprisingly, she was soon trapped in a nightmare, her mind replaying the chaos of the past few days.

When she woke, half of her pillow was damp with tears. The first light of dawn was breaking through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. She sat up, her mind still foggy, and reached for her phone.

She had expected a flood of messages and missed calls, but to her surprise, there were none. Not a single notification. She quickly checked the news and social media, but there was no trace of the scandal she had feared. Even within their social circle, there wasn’t a whisper of what had happened.

Olivia, Isabella’s best friend, would have been the first to gloat if she had caught wind of it. But Olivia had been silent. This could only mean one thing: someone had suppressed the news. And the only person with the power to do that was Nathaniel.

Eleanor shook her head, dismissing the thought as soon as it crossed her mind. Nathaniel? No, that couldn’t be possible. He had no reason to protect her, not after everything that had happened between them.

For the next few days, she kept an eye out for any rumors, but nothing surfaced. Instead, she stumbled upon another piece of news: Julian and Isabella were getting engaged.

The headline caught her off guard, and she stared at her phone for a moment, processing the information. But it didn’t take long for it to make sense. With Eleanor out of the picture, Isabella was the Swanson family’s only option for a marriage alliance. And the Whitaker family had been hinting at a union for months, so the engagement wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Still, Eleanor couldn’t help but feel a pang of something—disappointment? Resentment? She wasn’t sure. She had learned about the engagement online, so she wasn’t entirely convinced it was true. But before she could dwell on it, her editor, Caroline, messaged her. The printing house had finished her books.

Even though her latest project had been discontinued, the publication plans for her previous two works were still on track. She would need to sign the copies once they arrived, which meant she had no time to waste on distractions.

Just as she was about to order takeout, her phone buzzed. Julian’s name flashed on the screen.

Her hand froze. They hadn’t spoken since she had bluntly rejected him. In truth, Eleanor would have liked to remain friends with him, but it was clear Julian didn’t share the sentiment.

The call ended while she hesitated over whether to answer. She let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Julian called again almost immediately.

“Do you have time? I’d like to take you out for a meal,” he said without preamble when she answered.

Eleanor couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but there was a coldness in his voice that reminded her of Nathaniel. It sent a shiver down her spine.

“Sure,” she agreed after a moment’s hesitation.

They arranged to meet at a high-end restaurant in Coppersville. Julian had reserved a private room, and by the time Eleanor arrived, the dishes were already laid out. There were a few homestyle dishes and, to her surprise, a dessert. She paused at the sight, her mind racing.

“You’re here,” Julian greeted her casually. “Have a seat.”

The table was large, easily five feet in diameter. Sitting directly across from him felt too formal, so she chose a seat two spots away. Julian’s lips twitched slightly, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he rotated the dessert toward her.

“This is one of their signature dishes. Try it,” he said, his tone light but with an edge she couldn’t quite place.

“Okay. Thank you,” she replied politely, picking up her fork.

Julian watched her for a moment before forcing a smile. “What’s with you? Since when have we become so distant?”

His attempt at levity fell flat, and even without Eleanor pointing it out, he knew how strained it sounded.