Chapter 352

After Norwood stormed off, Nolan dragged his weary body back into the study.

His brow furrowed, his mind spinning without finding any answers.

He had planned everything so carefully, wanting to surprise Eleanor, so how had it all gone so wrong?

Elora started to follow him inside, but the butler stepped into her path with practiced firmness.

"Elora, you've been through enough for today. You should rest."

She hesitated, then forced a smile and nodded."Alright. You rest too."

Inside, Nolan reached for the flashy little romance guidebook he hadn't finished.

He couldn't sit still any longer. The thought of losing Eleanor gnawed at him.

He flipped through the pages, but the words blurred,none of them giving him the solution he needed. Just then the door burst open, and Erick and Fannie came rushing in, both looking anxious.

They had heard whispers about Norwood storming in earlier, and neither of them could sit still until they checked on Nolan themselves.

However,the first thing they noticed was the book in Nolan's hand.

Erick was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat as he stepped forward. "Boss, forgive me, but isn't this overthinking it? Just send Miss Guyton away.That alone would solve half your problems. No need for gimmicky guides."

Before Nolan could answer, Fannie jumped in, saying,"Erick! That's not fair."

She hurried closer, planting herself at Nolan's desk,her words spilling out fast. "Elora's already been through so much. You can't just throw her out like she doesn't matter. And yes, everything's a mess right now,but don't pin it all on her. This... this is on Nolan!"

Slowly, Nolan raised his head, his eyes locking on his sister.

Fannie had idolized Eleanor long before anything was official.She used to push them to tie the knot without delay. So why was she defending Elora now?

Could Elora really be blameless in all this? Or had he overlooked something?

For the first time, doubt began to creep into Nolan's thoughts.

He shut the book with a quiet thud and spoke in a measured tone. "I'll handle this myself. You have classes in the morning, Fannie. Go back to school."

She opened her mouth to argue but knew from his tone it would be useless.

With reluctant steps, she turned and left, though the worry in her eyes lingered.

Nolan then shifted his gaze to Erick. "Look into it."

Erick shook his head, his expression torn. "No need,boss. I've already been digging since the first cracks showed between you and Ms. Warren. On paper, Miss Guyton is spotless."

He hesitated, then leaned in a little, lowering his tone."But my gut says there's something off about her."

Nolan's expression hardened instantly. "Ridiculous."

Yes, everything seemed to trace back to Elora, but wasn't the real problem his own reckless decisions? Without hard proof, he couldn't put all the blame on her.

Seeing his boss shut the door on the idea,Erick kept the rest of his thoughts buried. Safer that way.

If his boss wanted to play it this way, so be it.

Neither of them realized that just outside the study,Elora had heard every damning word.

Her face drained as she staggered back to her room.With trembling hands, she locked the door, then snatched up her phone and dialed Ady. "Nolan's starting to question me," she whispered. "He even asked Erick to investigate-"

Ady's sharp, cutting voice interrupted her mid-sentence. "Pathetic. Can't even keep a simple handle on things?"

The sting in those words brought tears to Elora's eyes,but she swallowed them down,biting her lip.

Ady's cold laugh slithered through the receiver."Enough sniveling. If you want to end things between them once and for all, you need a bigger play.Seduce him."

Elora's breath caught. "What did you say?" "Stage it," Ady pressed. "You don't have to actually go through with it. Just make it look convincing. If Eleanor sees it with her own eyes, explanations won't matter. No woman alive could forgive that picture."

Elora's knuckles whitened around the phone.

Her silence stretched long and heavy until finally she forced herself to answer. "Okay."

If she wanted to cut ties with her past and prove her worth, she had no choice but to turn her back on Nolan.