Chapter 359

After what felt like an eternity, Nolan finally climbed into his car.

He grabbed his phone, jaw clenched, staring at Jonny's hidden snapshot before forwarding it to Erick with a grim look.

"Find out everything you can about this guy," Nolan ordered flatly.

On Erick's end, his heart sank the moment he saw the picture.

This spelled trouble-serious trouble.

First,Eleanor had walked out on Nolan after the chaos he had caused, and now she was spending her evening with some attractive young stranger.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

···

Nolan sat alone in his car for what seemed like ages,lost in thought, before finally hitting the road again. He drove with no real destination in mind, eventually parking outside the Brooks bar.

Inside, Ryland tended the counter, nursing a glass of whiskey,worry etched into his face.

Due to Nolan's recent mess, Betsy had been giving him the cold shoulder.

When Nolan dragged himself inside, Ryland didn't react and just arched an eyebrow, poured another drink, then slid it over.

With both men weighed down by their own troubles,they sat together in heavy, wordless silence.

Two men sat in gloomy solidarity, sharing their misery in silence.

Nolan couldn't wrap his head around how everything had fallen apart so quickly.

Life without Eleanor seemed unthinkable now.

But she had lost all faith in him, and winning her back felt impossible now.

Ryland, tipsy but still perceptive, finally broke the silence with some straightforward advice.

"Nolan, I heard from Besty that Eleanor's supposed to be at a business gala with David soon. GGo to that party, put your best foot forward, and maybe you'll have another chance of getting her back."

Time was running out. If Nolan didn't act fast, he would be left with nothing but regret and a life of solitude.

Meanwhile, Ryland wasn't doing much better,especially with Betsy giving him the cold shoulder and Nolan's mess only making things worse.

Besty had been his first, and she was the only woman he would marry.

If she refused to marry him, he would spend the rest of his days alone.

Nolan latched onto Ryland's idea as if it were a lifeline.

If he could just see Eleanor face-to-face, maybe he could finally make things right.

He had won Eleanor's heart in the past by constantly staying close, never letting her forget he was there.

If he had to start from scratch, he was ready to chase after her all over again.

That thought flickered through Nolan, driving away some of the hopelessness.

He grabbed his glass and tossed back the drink in one gulp.

The alcohol burned on the way down,leaving his head spinning.

Ryland watched as Nolan slumped forward onto the bar, far too drunk to continue.

Calling for a staff member, Ryland started to issue instructions."Help Nolan get-"

He stopped himself mid-sentence.

Sending Nolan home would only give Elora a chance to create more trouble.

"Actually, scratch that. Bring him over to the Stewart family's estate instead."

Maybe Norwood needed to see his grandson like this for a wake-up call.

Who knew? Maybe Norwood could actually help straighten things out.

Half an hour later, Nolan was dragged into the Stewart family's residence, with Norwood scowling at the sorry spectacle before him.

Nolan, utterly wasted, continued to mutter in a slurred jumble of words. "Eleanor... please don't go. I can't let you slip away." Norwood watched in disgust, unwilling to accept that this was the grandson he had spent years preparing to lead the family.

It was an embarrassment to the Stewart family.

With a deep scowl, Norwood signaled to Hector, the longtime butler. "Get him out of my sight and up to his room."

Hector quietly complied, guiding Nolan upstairs with practiced efficiency.

Once the room emptied, Norwood slumped into the nearest chair and exhaled heavily, weighed down by disappointment.

Nolan ended up letting Eleanor slip through his fingers.

She would have been the ideal partner.

Now,who knew what new suitor might catch Eleanor's eye?

Norwood doubted Nolan had what it took to win her back.

With Elora still lingering around, the odds of reconciliation seemed impossibly slim.