Chapter 644

Chapter 644

When Eleanor and Clarence had initially arranged this meeting, the agreement was that both Eleanor and Lucas would be present.

But now, the private room clearly held only Eleanor.

Clarence cut straight to the point. "Ms. York, I trust you're not planning to leave me with a first impression of someone who breaks their word."

Eleanor smiled. "Of course not. I have great respect for Secretary Fisher, and I truly value this opportunity to meet with you."

"Then I assume you understand that the current situation doesn't quite match what we agreed upon."

He glanced at the conspicuously empty seat beside Eleanor, his tone loaded with meaning. "I've also heard certain rumors circulating... Divorce? Ridiculous. Utterly childish. I won't be fooled by such obvious theatrics."

He was, of course, referring to the gossip that had been spreading like wildfire—that Eleanor and Lucas were in the middle of a divorce.

But Clarence clearly had a different take.

He spoke with sharp clarity. "You and Mr. Collins have known each other for years. Your companies are practically inseparable. I don't buy this nonsense about divorcing over 'irreconcilable differences.'"

"You're business people. Compared to a marriage certificate, I'd say the partnership factor matters far more."

Eleanor smiled slightly, not denying it. "You're absolutely right. Lucas and I are very compatible business partners. He's the best teammate I've ever had."

Clarence shook his head, his tone mocking but laced with dissatisfaction. "Yet from what I'm seeing now, you can't even keep your 'best teammate' in line."

Someone like this...

If Eleanor couldn't handle Lucas, Clarence would have to reassess her value entirely.

He stated bluntly, "I'm not interested in taking on unnecessary risks. If you can't deliver on my requirements, then I think we need to reconsider our collaboration."

Clarence hadn't even sat down.

His attitude toward Eleanor was distinctly distant.

Even colder than he'd been on the phone.

Having said his piece, he gave Eleanor a curt nod. "I have other matters to attend to. I'll be going now. Perhaps we can talk another time."

He was actually going to leave.

Clearly deeply disappointed by what he'd walked into.

Eleanor frowned, rising to say something.

But just then, a hand settled firmly on Eleanor's shoulder, pressing her back down. A steady voice came from above. "Secretary Fisher, I've heard so much about you. I'm glad we finally have the chance to meet."

Lucas had suddenly appeared.

Clarence's expression darkened as he looked at them both.

He raised an eyebrow, testing. "Mr. Collins, seems like your work keeps you quite busy—letting your wife arrive alone?"

Lucas gave a soft laugh and apologized as he gestured for Clarence to sit. Then he placed a briefcase he'd been carrying beside Eleanor.

He explained to Clarence with a rueful smile, "Some of our materials were with her, but we left them in the car. I went back down to the parking garage to grab them."

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I hope you'll forgive the delay."

Clarence narrowed his eyes, studying them both carefully, as if trying to determine whether this explanation was genuine.

In his view, Eleanor and Lucas only held collaborative value when they were together.

If they'd truly fallen out, he'd have difficulty working with either of them individually.

Because that would mean their personal drama and asset disputes would create massive complications.

Clarence wanted a partnership, not to get dragged into their mess.

After Lucas sat down, he casually draped an arm around Eleanor's shoulders, murmuring something to her in a low voice.

They both smiled at each other with tender affection.

They looked every bit the picture-perfect power couple with flawless chemistry.

Clarence's doubts lessened considerably.

He nodded faintly and, after sitting, remarked to them both, "You two seem quite close. I'm starting to wonder if whoever's spreading those rumors needs glasses."

His words sounded like casual observation.

But they were still probing the nature of their relationship.

Lucas clasped Eleanor's hand tightly and said to Clarence, "Secretary Fisher, you're not married yet, are you? For me, my wife is the most important person in the world. Even our child—"

Mentioning the child, both Lucas and Eleanor's expressions dimmed simultaneously.

Lucas quickly added apologetically, "Sorry, I shouldn't burden you with personal matters. Let's talk business."

Clarence studied their reactions closely.

As if, beneath their current show of affection, he could glimpse what a happy, complete family of three they must have once been.

He finally let go of his reservations entirely, no longer testing whether their relationship was stable.

He set his briefcase aside, abandoning any thought of leaving, and nodded. "I did come here to discuss a partnership with you both."

He got straight to the point. "What you both need to understand is this—since we're talking about collaboration, I have my own interests at stake."

His presence here today meant he wanted something too.

This wasn't purely altruistic—he wasn't simply helping Lucas and Eleanor get their child back out of the goodness of his heart.

Eleanor and Lucas nodded, indicating they understood.

"I'll admit I'm curious about your child, but in my view, no research—no matter how valuable—should use an innocent infant as a test subject."

That was the fundamental difference between him and Bodhi.

And what he found most reprehensible about Bodhi.

Speaking of this, Clarence couldn't hide his disgust. "Bodhi may seem concerned about the child now, but from where I stand, what he actually cares about is the experimental results. Once he has reliable research data, he won't give a damn about the child's safety."

This man with only years left to live had already lost his mind.

If someone put a choice in front of Bodhi—the experimental findings or the child—he would choose the experiment without hesitation and abandon protecting the child's safety.

Though they'd been mentally prepared for all this, when Eleanor and Lucas actually heard it stated so bluntly, they couldn't hide their fury.

They both clenched their fists, gripping each other's hands tightly, offering comfort and support.

Clarence's expression wasn't much gentler either.

He spoke with barely contained anger. "It's because of scum like him that the medical field has let this gray-market industry run rampant. I won't let something like this happen under my watch."

This point was Clarence's condition.

He needed to use Eleanor, Lucas, and their child as leverage—a means to attack Bodhi and completely crush his filthy ambitions.

At the same time, it would help advance his own career.

Since Bodhi was willing to sacrifice an innocent child's health for personal gain without a second thought, Clarence's goal was to take him down—killing two birds with one stone.

After hearing all this, Eleanor and Lucas exchanged a glance.

Lucas spoke gravely. "Secretary Fisher, you must realize that many things aren't as simple as you make them sound."

"I'm not saying it's impossible," he said, frowning slightly as he thought it through, "but changing Bodhi's mind... I don't think a stubborn old man like him will give up that easily."

If he could be swayed, he wouldn't have taken the child away multiple times already.