But the emotional hurdle in her heart hadn't been fully cleared. Especially now, with their newly redefined relationship, too many intertwined interests would only make her future path harder to choose.
Whenever it came to work, it seemed every multiple-choice question Ian offered her only ever had one answer.
Ian watched her slightly furrowed brow, his somber gaze resting on her face as silence filled the car.
"Do you feel like accepting the partnership with Meridian Dynamics means you're accepting me?" Ian asked suddenly, seeing right through her.
Eleanor remained silent. She didn't know exactly when it started, but looking back now at the constant flow of resources he had directed her way, she realized every single one of her achievements was inextricably tied to his influence.
Ian reached out, gently covering her hand resting on her knee, his warm and firm palm wrapping around hers.
Eleanor froze slightly, but she didn't pull away.
"Eleanor," he said, his voice soft yet perfectly clear. "I admit I have my selfish motives. But more than anything, I want to see you stand at the very top, to receive the applause and glory you deserve. I owe you that."
She looked up, a lump forming in her throat. Between them, who owed whom had long become a blurred line. If they counted his very first investment in her father's lab, then technically, the Suttons had owed him from the start.
Just then, Ian unbuckled his seatbelt. As Eleanor's eyes widened in surprise, his broad frame leaned over, blocking out the light from the window.
She instinctively pressed back against her seat as his masculine scent enveloped her. His lips brushed against hers—a light, tentative touch, filled with restraint.
Her eyelashes fluttered. Looking at his handsome features so incredibly close, she saw that his eyes were open, his deep, predatory gaze reflecting her own image.
He didn't pull away immediately. Instead, he drew back just a fraction of an inch, their noses almost touching, their breaths mingling.


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