Chapter 75

Eleanor Thompson no longer had the chance to be with the one she loved either.

To begin with, she barely slept a wink last night, leaving her utterly exhausted. Now, lying in bed, she tossed and turned restlessly, unable to find any semblance of peace.

Eventually, she gave up and sat by the window, staring blankly outside. The view from her apartment was far from spectacular—just rows of tightly packed buildings and the occasional laundry fluttering on the neighboring balcony.

Eleanor sighed and returned to bed, closing her eyes once more. Just as she began to drift into a light slumber, her phone buzzed insistently beside her.

She ignored it at first, but the sender was relentless, bombarding her with a flurry of messages that kept her phone vibrating incessantly.

When Eleanor finally reached for her phone to check the messages, Isabella Morgan called. Every time Eleanor rejected the call, Isabella would immediately dial again. Frustrated, Eleanor blocked her number.

It didn’t take long for Isabella to call back using a different number.

Tired of the endless back-and-forth, Eleanor finally answered. "What do you want?"

"Eleanor Thompson, you conniving witch!" Isabella screeched without preamble. "Did you spend the night with Nathaniel last night? How dare you show your face to him? Why don’t you just disappear forever?"

"It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t manipulated Nathaniel into negotiating with Dad on your behalf, I wouldn’t be the one forced into this marriage!

"You’re doing this to keep me away from Nathaniel, aren’t you? You’re a vile, scheming woman. Nathaniel was supposed to marry me!

"I’m the one who grew up with him, and you stole him from me. This is all your doing! Why don’t you just drop dead?"

Isabella’s venomous tirade continued unabated, her voice cracking with hysteria. Eleanor could hear her sniffling, clearly on the verge of a complete meltdown.

Amid the barrage of insults, Eleanor caught a crucial detail. "Wait, did you say Nathaniel negotiated with Edward? What exactly did they discuss?"

"Stop playing dumb! If you hadn’t put Nathaniel up to it, he wouldn’t have given up the profits from a major project just to stop Dad from forcing you into a marriage of convenience.

"You’re nothing but a curse! Wasn’t it enough that you ruined Nathaniel’s life for two years? Why can’t you just leave him alone?"

Eleanor didn’t wait to hear more. She hung up, her mind racing.

The tangled web of her relationship with the Thompsons was becoming increasingly convoluted. Her actions the other day had effectively severed any remaining ties with Benjamin Hughes, and he hadn’t reached out to her since.

What surprised her most was that the incident hadn’t made waves in their social circle. Initially, she had assumed Edward had suppressed the news, biding his time before arranging another match for her. But days had passed with no word from him.

Now, thanks to Isabella’s outburst, Eleanor finally understood why. Yet, she couldn’t comprehend Nathaniel’s motives. Why would he go to such lengths for her?

More importantly, she couldn’t decipher her own feelings. Was she happy? Not exactly. If anything, she felt... conflicted.

Eleanor's mind was in turmoil. They were already divorced. Even during their marriage, Nathaniel had never gone out of his way for her. So, why was he doing all these things now? What did they signify?

As she sat there, lost in thought, her phone buzzed again. It was a message from Nathaniel. "Come over."

The simplicity of the command left her even more perplexed. She stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Should she reply? Should she go? The questions swirled in her mind, each one more confusing than the last.

Eleanor sighed, running a hand through her hair. She knew she couldn't ignore him. Despite everything, there was still a part of her that couldn't resist his pull. She grabbed her coat and headed out the door, her heart pounding with a mix of apprehension and something she couldn't quite name.

The drive to Nathaniel's place was a blur. She barely registered the streets passing by, her mind preoccupied with what awaited her. When she arrived, she took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. The familiar sight of his mansion loomed before her, its grandeur as imposing as ever.

She rang the doorbell, and within moments, the door swung open. Nathaniel stood there, his expression unreadable. "You came," he said simply, stepping aside to let her in.

Eleanor nodded, stepping inside. The air between them was thick with tension, and she could feel his eyes on her as she walked past him. She turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest. "What do you want, Nathaniel?"

He didn't answer immediately, his gaze lingering on her face as if searching for something. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and steady. "I need to talk to you."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

Nathaniel hesitated, a rare moment of uncertainty crossing his features. "About us."

The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Eleanor felt her breath catch in her throat. "There is no 'us,' Nathaniel. Not anymore."

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Maybe not. But there could be."

Eleanor shook her head, taking a step back. "You can't just waltz back into my life and expect things to go back to the way they were."

"I don't expect that," Nathaniel said, his voice firm. "But I do expect you to hear me out."

Eleanor stared at him, her heart racing. She wanted to turn and walk away, to leave all of this behind. But something in his eyes held her in place, something that made her want to stay, to listen.

"Fine," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Talk."

Nathaniel took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving hers. "I made a mistake, Eleanor. A big one. I let you go, and I shouldn't have. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong."

Eleanor felt a lump form in her throat. She wanted to believe him, but the wounds of the past were still fresh. "It's not that simple, Nathaniel."

"I know," he said, his voice softening. "But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it right. To make us right."

Eleanor looked away, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. She didn't know what to say, what to feel. All she knew was that standing there, in the presence of the man who had once been her everything, she felt more vulnerable than ever.

"Give me time," she said finally, her voice trembling. "I need time to think."

Nathaniel nodded, his expression unreadable. "Take all the time you need. But know this, Eleanor—I'm not giving up on us. Not this time."

Eleanor met his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't know what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, she felt a glimmer of hope. And that scared her more than anything.

Without another word, she turned and walked out the door, leaving Nathaniel standing there, his eyes following her every move. As she drove away, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to change in ways she couldn't even begin to imagine.