Chapter 688

Eleanor kept her head lowered, as though deliberately avoiding Robert’s gaze. Her face remained calm, composed to the point of indifference, yet her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, beating with no rhythm she could control. The disguise was gone. There was no Susan anymore—no mask, no buffer between them. Now it was just the two of them alone in the enclosed space of the car. The realization made her uneasy. Stripped of all pretense, she felt as though she were pinned beneath Robert’s cool yet piercing stare, exposed and defenseless. This was a face-to-face encounter after four long years, and she was utterly unprepared for it. Mechanically, Eleanor wiped her damp hair with the towel clutched in her hands, her movements stiff and repetitive. She didn’t dare lift her head. Robert watched her in silence, saying nothing, yet his presence pressed in on her from all sides. The air between them thickened, heavy with words left unsaid and emotions carefully restrained. His gaze burned