CHAPTER 33: ETHAN’S SLEEPOVER

Eleanor returned to her villa around midnight, her heart weighed down by guilt and sorrow. The Grants had revealed so much about her mother that she felt utterly shattered. Her guilt for not respecting or loving her mother had grown exponentially, and she couldn’t even bring herself to hate the Whitmore family anymore. She was mostly angry at herself—for being so naïve, so blind. It was now clear how they had slowly fed her false information, brainwashing her into their puppet. The signs had always been there, but she had failed to see them, blinded by misplaced trust in Jeanne and Jennifer.

As she entered the house, she saw Ethan sitting in a chair, reviewing some documents. He looked up and immediately noticed her frozen in the doorway. Eleanor’s mind was a storm of emotions; she didn’t know what to do.

Ethan put his documents aside, stood up, and walked over to her. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace. He could feel the chaos inside her, the silent scream for comfort. And while he didn’t know what had happened, a simple hug felt like the right thing to do.

It was the first time he had embraced her since their student days. Although he had been officially pursuing her for over five years, their physical contact had never gone beyond holding hands—and even that had been rare.

But this time, she clung to him tightly, seeking warmth and comfort. They stood in silence, hearts speaking in the language of pain and support. While Eleanor found solace in Ethan’s embrace, he was filled with turmoil. What had shaken her so deeply? Not even the traumatic events from six years ago had broken her like this. Though she wasn’t crying, Ethan could feel the heaviness radiating from her like a silent scream.

After a long while, Eleanor pulled away and whispered, "Thank you. I really needed that."

Ethan nodded gently. "Freya’s already eaten and is asleep in her room. Why don’t you take a shower first? I’ll set the table for dinner."

"I’m really not in the mood to eat," Eleanor said tiredly. "I need to sleep. I have a meeting tomorrow morning."

"But I waited for you. I haven’t had dinner yet," Ethan replied. "Just a little food with me? Then you can go to bed."

She hesitated, but eventually nodded, appreciating the fact that he had stayed up waiting for her. Without another word, she headed to her room to shower.

Meanwhile, Ethan set the dinner table himself. The kitchen staff had gone to their quarters hours ago, so he simply warmed the pre-cooked dishes and arranged them neatly. As he waited, he sent a message to find out where Eleanor had gone earlier that evening. The reply came quickly: "Elliot Grant."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "So she went to meet Grant... it must be something about her past. Or more specifically, her mother. But I won’t pry. If she wants to tell me, she will. I just need to be here for her."

His thoughts were interrupted when Eleanor entered the dining room. Ethan stood up quickly, uncovering the dishes and serving her silently. She noticed that every dish on the table was one of her favorites.

"He must have asked the kitchen to prepare all these in case I was late," she thought, a gentle warmth blooming in her heart.

She avoided looking directly at him, afraid that in her vulnerable state, she might confess emotions she wasn’t ready to face. Instead, she focused on the food and began to eat slowly. Unintentionally, she ate more than usual—her hunger was deeper than she had realized. She silently thanked Ethan for convincing her to eat.

As a werewolf, her appetite didn’t come frequently, but when it did, it was intense—far beyond a normal human’s needs. Once full, she could feel Ethan’s love radiating through his gaze. Even without looking at him, she could sense the softness in his eyes. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she hurriedly finished her meal.

"You finish your dinner," she said, standing up. "I’m tired. Going to bed."

As she walked away, Ethan said, "I’ll be in the guest room. If you need anything, just call me."

Her mind screamed in protest. Why don’t you go home? How can I live normally with you under the same roof? But she pushed those thoughts aside and calmly replied, "Okay."

Once inside her room, she locked the door behind her, changed into her sleeping clothes, and lay on the bed. Despite her swirling emotions, the thought of Ethan sleeping in the same house gave her a surprising sense of safety. Her exhaustion finally caught up to her, and she drifted off to sleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

The next morning, Eleanor woke early. She had slept deeply, and all the fatigue from the previous day had melted away. Feeling refreshed, she freshened up, changed her clothes, and headed to her study. She needed to tie up a few loose ends before heading out.

After locking the door behind her, she summoned Ophelia.

"Miss, I completed the task you gave me. Here," Ophelia said, handing over three sealed packets. "Each pack contains hair samples from one person. I’ve labeled them: 1 is for William, 2 is for Jeanne, and 3 is for Jennifer."

"Thank you," Eleanor replied, taking the packets. "Now please call the others."

Soon, all the team members arrived in the study. Eleanor turned to Sebastian. "What’s the result of the interrogation?"

"Mr. Grant’s secretary was appointed by William Whitmore," Sebastian began. "The kitchen girl came through Jennifer Whitmore, and the guard was planted by the MP of Stockport."

Eleanor frowned. "I can understand William and Jennifer’s intentions, but why would a Member of Parliament get involved?"

Sebastian answered, "The guard revealed that Mayor Eliza Grant is planning to run for MP in the upcoming election. The current MP, who belongs to the same party and is rapidly losing popularity, planted spies to dig up a scandal and discredit the mayor before the election in six months."

Eleanor asked, "Did he find any scandal on Uncle Grant?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No, nothing on him. But he did hear that they found some dirt on the mayor’s daughter. She’s currently studying at Caltech. Apparently, they have photos of her taking drugs with some friends in a casino."

He paused, then continued, "They plan to release the scandal just before the nominations. They’ve got someone on the inside... a man in the mayor’s office, in charge of the education support program. Public funds were being funneled to the mayor’s relatives and her neighbors, even though most of them weren’t eligible. They’re planning to pin the blame on the mayor right before the election."

Eleanor frowned as Sebastian added, "They also found out that the mayor hasn’t visited her late husband’s grave in over four years. He was a well-known philanthropist, especially respected for his activism for Black rights in his youth. And considering this constituency has a large African-origin voter base... it could be a major blow."