Nathan still had that laid–back, careless look on his face. Listening to Logan’s words, he let out a soft chuckle and glanced sideways at him.
“Mr. Eliot, you’re overselling it. I’m just handling things by the book,” he replied lightly. “You were the one who came to me asking for a partnership, weren’t you? This is all you’ve got?”
The words sounded casual, almost throwaway, but Logan could clearly sense the faint, unmistakable hostility beneath them.
Still, he was the one who needed the favor. No matter how irritated he felt, Logan forced it down and replied evenly, “Eliot Group has more than this. Please rest assured. Everything will be handled exactly as you requested.”
Only then did Nathan nod. “Good. I’ll leave it to you, then.”
With that, he didn’t linger. He stood up and headed straight for the door. Logan rose and walked him out.
The moment they stepped into the elevator, Hannah’s call came through again. Not wanting his family drama exposed in front of Nathan, Logan rejected the call and followed him into the elevator.
Then, as if it were idle small talk, he said casually, “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything about your marriage. Are you married?”
Nathan lowered his gaze, his eyes settling on the middle finger of his left hand.
Once, someone had personally slipped a ring onto that finger, smiling as she said that after graduation, she’d move it to his ring finger instead. But before marriage ever came up, she’d already taken the ring back.
The memory flickered through his mind as he answered simply, “No.”
“You haven’t met the right one?” Logan asked.
Nathan replied flatly, “I’m waiting for someone.”
Just then, the elevator reached Bl. The driver was already waiting outside.
“Mr. Eliot, no need to see me off,” Nathan gave Logan a polite nod before getting into the car.
Only after the car disappeared did Logan let out a quiet sigh. He pulled out his phone and finally called Hannah back.
At the hospital, Samuel tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep. It was Hannah’s first time taking care of a sick Samuel on her own, and she was utterly exhausted.
After coaxing Samuel to sleep, Isabella hurried over and massaged Hannah’s shoulders. “Why are you the one taking care of Samuel?” she asked softly. “Your health isn’t great to begin with. You should’ve been resting by now.”
She hesitated, then continued cautiously, “What’s going on with Ms. Lyons? She’s not still sulking over Samuel’s birthday, is she?”
As if afraid of being misunderstood, she quickly added, “Please don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not trying to stir trouble. I just really feel bad for you. Ever since my mom passed away, I’ve honestly thought of you as my own mother. Seeing you this worn out… it really breaks my heart.”
Her words landed squarely where it hurt most. Hannah let out a long sigh and squeezed Isabella’s hand.
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“You really are the one who knows how to care about people,” said Hannah. “If only you and Logan hadn’t had that misunderstanding back then, you’d be Mrs. Eliot now.”
Just then, the hospital room door opened. Logan stepped inside, and caught every word. There was an uncomfortable tightness in his chest he couldn’t quite name, but he still walked in.
The moment Hannah saw him, all the frustration she’d been holding back finally spilled over.
“Logan, what exactly is going on with Eliana?” she stood up and snapped. “She won’t answer my calls, and she hung up the calls when I dialed Sarah. Let me tell you. If she keeps this up, you’re not letting her cry her way back. Got it?”
Logan didn’t respond. He walked straight to the bedside. Looking at Samuel, already asleep, his expression hardened. “What happened? Why is he back in the hospital again?”
After seeing Samuel suffer two days in a row, Logan’s patience was worn thin, and his tone was noticeably sharp. As he spoke, his gaze flicked toward Isabella.
“Logan, I…” Isabella started. Before she could finish, Hannah cut in. “Good thing Isabella came to help today. Otherwise, both Samuel and I would’ve been completely overwhelmed.”
She then huffed, “I don’t even know how Eliana takes care of Samuel. In and out of the hospital every other day… poor kid.”
Hannah’s words made Logan’s frown deepen, but in the end, he said nothing.
The next morning, Eliana woke up when her alarm went off and reached for her phone.
She knew Samuel was in the hospital, and no matter what, she couldn’t help feeling worried.
She also knew healing would take time, so she didn’t push herself. Still, the thought lingered all night, and she hadn’t slept well.
The moment her phone turned on, messages flooded in. Most were from Hannah and Logan. There was also one from Samuel’s preschool teacher, Brenda Todd.
Before she could read them carefully, her phone rang again. Seeing it was Brenda, Eliana hesitated for a second, then answered.
“Hello, Mrs. Eliot,” Brenda said anxiously, “Samuel hasn’t shown up to school yet. Is everything okay?”
Eliana sighed. Clearly, Logan and Hannah hadn’t requested for a leave.
“Ms. Todd,” she replied calmly, “I haven’t been home the past couple of days, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Could you please give Logan a call?”
There was a brief pause on the other end. “I’m sorry, I don’t have Mr. Eliot’s number,” said Brenda. “You’ve always been our point of contact. Maybe you could check in with him?”
Eliana could only agree. No matter how tense things were between her and Logan, she couldn’t take it out on the teachers.
After hanging up, she dialed Logan’s number. The moment the call connected, Samuel’s voice burst through the speaker.
“I have to go to school today! If I don’t, Melvin will take my first place,” Samuel cried. “Grandpa said I can only play if I stay the top. I’m already barely ahead of Melvin. If I don’t turn in today’s homework and get the points, I’ll drop to second!”
Already irritated by the noise, Logan’s mood sank even further. The instant he picked up, his voice turned cold. “So now you
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emember to call, Eliana? I don’t have time to argue with you right now. Come back, pick up Samuel, and take him to
chool
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
