No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 305

The atmosphere in the conference room was so tense, it felt like you could choke on it.

Ian sat at the head of the table, his long fingers tapping a slow, deliberate rhythm. His sharp gaze swept over everyone present, settling briefly on each member of Byron’s team. Every face was grim—after all, the data Juliette’s lab had just stolen was the very heart of their work.

“Can anyone explain this?” Ian’s voice was cold as steel. “Why is our core algorithm being unveiled at someone else’s press conference?”

No one quite knew what to expect from Ian’s temper; Eleanor herself had never seen him truly angry.

The silence stretched for a heavy ten seconds.

Faye was the first to speak, her tone carefully measured, threaded with uncertainty. “Mr. Goodwin, this is… highly unusual. Our team spent three months developing that system, and now—”

She trailed off, words caught in her throat.

Joel jumped in, voice low and tense. “Faye, don’t make accusations unless you have proof.”

“Proof?” Faye replied, her meaning unmistakable. “Even if there was any, it’s probably been wiped clean by now. But I do know someone on our team has been awfully chummy with Juliette’s lab lately.”

She didn’t have to name names. Everyone’s eyes turned, knowingly, toward Eleanor.

A low murmur swept the room. Eleanor could hear the whispers just behind her.

“No way, Miss Sutton’s one of our own.”

“She’s the one who came up with our main theory.”

“Still, at the last conference, she was awfully friendly with that Juliette group.”

“And she’s friends with their lead, Xavier.”

Eleanor listened, her expression unreadable, as the murmurs circled around her.

Joel was quick to defend her. “You can suspect anyone but Eleanor. She’d never betray this lab.”

An engineer spoke up, voice tight. “Then how do you explain that their demo today matched our configuration settings, down to the last detail?”

Ian raised a hand for silence, his eyes locking onto Eleanor with professional detachment. “Eleanor, do you have anything to say?”

She took a steady breath. “I need to review the actual data Juliette’s lab released today. A presentation alone isn’t enough to prove they used our algorithm.”

“Still making excuses?” Faye’s voice rose, sharp and accusing. “We all know how close you are with Xavier, and you—”

“That’s enough.” Ian’s interruption was sudden, his authority absolute. “I’ll handle this investigation myself. Until the facts are clear, the project is suspended. Everyone is to sign a non-disclosure agreement. No one breathes a word of this outside these walls.”

His gaze lingered on Eleanor. “Eleanor, stay. The rest of you are dismissed.”

Simone and Joel exchanged worried glances with Eleanor as they filed out. Faye couldn’t quite hide the hint of a smirk at the corner of her mouth.

When the door closed behind the last person, Ian walked to the window, his back to Eleanor. “Anything you want to say?”

“I didn’t leak anything.” Eleanor’s answer was cool, but firm.

Ian turned, his expression complicated. “If you want me to trust you, start by explaining your relationship with Xavier.”

Ordinarily, Eleanor would have refused to answer such a question. But with confidential data on the line, her reputation at stake, she met Ian’s gaze. “We’re just friends. Nothing more.”

They held each other’s eyes for a moment. Then Ian picked up his suit jacket and headed for the door. He paused before leaving. “Eleanor, I hope you’re telling me the truth.”

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