No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 649

After playing for about ten minutes, Evelyn came out to find her father already gone. She felt a twinge of disappointment, but didn't make a fuss. Meanwhile, Eleanor returned to her study. Her phone buzzed at her side—a call from an unfamiliar number.

She picked up. “Hello, this is Eleanor. Who’s speaking?”

A warm, energetic woman replied, “Hi! Is this Dr. Sutton? I’m Daphne, Mrs. Ellington’s assistant. Does that ring a bell?”

Eleanor immediately pictured the slightly plump girl she’d met before and smiled. “Yes, of course. Is there something Mrs. Ellington needs?”

Daphne’s tone was eager. “Mrs. Ellington is hosting a charity gala this Saturday evening, a fundraising event for leukemia patients. She mentioned your outstanding work in the field and would love to invite you as a special guest.”

“What time will it be?” Eleanor asked.

“It’s at seven p.m. this Saturday, in the main hall of the City Cultural Center,” Daphne answered, a note of hope in her voice. “Would you be able to attend?”

“I’d be happy to,” Eleanor replied warmly. She genuinely admired Mrs. Ellington’s dedication to philanthropy.

“Wonderful, I won’t keep you any longer, Dr. Sutton.” Daphne ended the call.

Almost immediately, a message popped up from Xavier: “It’s your birthday tomorrow. Any plans? There’s a new place nearby—I can reserve a table if you’d like?”

Eleanor paused, surprised that Xavier had remembered her birthday.

She replied, “Thanks for the thought, but I’m planning to just have a quiet evening at home.”

Birthdays had never meant much to her. If Joslyn hadn’t mentioned it recently and Evelyn hadn’t insisted on having cake, Eleanor might not have remembered at all.

Xavier wrote back, “A night in sounds good too. Happy birthday in advance.”

“Thank you,” Eleanor texted, meaning it.

That night, as she tucked Evelyn in, the little girl was already drifting off but managed to mumble, “Mom, I want strawberry cake tomorrow!”

Eleanor couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s adorable reminder. She kissed Evelyn’s cheek. “Alright, sweetheart. Now get some sleep.”

Evelyn’s eyes fluttered open again. “Mom, can Dad come for your birthday too?”

Eleanor stroked her daughter’s hair gently, her smile tender. “He’s busy with work, honey. I don’t think he can make it.”

“Did you ask him?” Evelyn’s sleepy eyes searched her mother’s face.

Eleanor nodded. “I did.”

Her daughter’s attachment to Ian was still so strong. Even though Eleanor resented Ian, she couldn’t bring herself to ruin his image as a father in Evelyn’s heart.

“Oh, okay,” Evelyn murmured, not pushing further. Eleanor softly patted her back, watching as her daughter fell asleep nestled in her arms.

She pressed a gentle kiss to Evelyn’s hair, her heart overflowing with love.

…

Wednesday.

After dropping Evelyn off at school, Eleanor headed straight to the lab. Today, Joel was away at a meeting at Goodwin & Co.

Her phone rang just as she was typing at her computer. She glanced at the screen—Mansfield’s name flashed across it.

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