"I have to get going." Eleanor said as Mrs. Carnegie gave her a confused look.
"Where are you going dear, do you need help getting a flight to England?" Eleanor contemplated this for a minute, it sounded like a pretty damn good idea.
"I was going to buy a few things. Mrs. Carnegie I can't ask you to do that for me, you've already done so much." Eleanor smiled humbly.
"Well at least have Max drive you. He is parked out front, you might want to finish before noon, or you will end up having to pick Adam up from the airport as well. And put some clothes on first dear," Mrs. Carnegie chuckled as Eleanor blushed and headed upstairs quickly.
"Noted." Eleanor grinned. She headed outside, toward the limousine and before she could command Max and tell him where she wanted to go, she realized that as Elena, she didn't know him.
"Are you Max?" Eleanor asked.
"Eleanor?" He asked, his eyes widening before he turned to look at her. Eleanor's heart seemed to pause momentarily. How had he recognized her so easily while Adam himself hadn't?
"No sir, my name is Elena." She lied again as Max walked out and opened a door for her.
"Okay Elena was there somewhere you wanted to go?"
"Any nearby drug store will suffice." She replied, her English accent accentuated as she pronounced each word.
"Right then, off we go." He drove for what seemed like hours as they approached the airport.
"Why did you drive all the way out here?"
"It makes my job easier." He shrugged, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
Eleanor raised her eyebrow, awaiting an explanation but none came. He parked outside a nearby drug store and waited patiently. She rushed inside, grabbing as many green colored contracts as she could afford and picking up a tank top and shorts and a hairbrush. She paid and changed in the restroom, fixing her wig and removing the black from her face.
She glared at her green-eyed reflection, she looked too pretty to pass as a homeless girl. She grabbed the eyeliner and wore it above her eyelids only this time, leaving a small wing that made her face more prominent.
She looked like a completely different person now, Eleanor never wore eyeliner.
She quickly walked into the parking lot to see a still waiting Max. She sat inside the limousine and waited for him to start it.
He didn't.
"Miss Elena," he began, "I can't help but feel the need to ask you if you are somehow related to our dearly departed Eleanor."
"No, I never met her. I've heard about her, how she went to a charity and helped people out! She was incredible, such a shame she did that to herself, such a rash decision." Not a complete lie actually, there was never a time she met herself, she was just born as Eleanor Hays and married Adam Carnegie, then became Eleanor Carnegie.
"Right then, I suppose I planned a bit too early; Mr. Carnegie's flight won't land for another thirty minutes. However, we can head to the airport and wait for his arrival or I could drive... actually there isn't time to take you back to Mr. Carnegie's home Miss Elena."
"It's absolutely fine. Mr. Max, we can keep each other company while we await and. Carnegie's arrival." She replied as Max began his drive to the nearby airport.
It took about fifteen minutes to find parking before Max left with a sign and came back ten minutes later with a ridiculously handsome Adam Carnegie at his side. They seemed to be arguing, but as soon as they came within 10 feet of the car, they stopped talking.
Eleanor watched with wide eyes, her breathing becoming shallow as she struggled to control it.
"Hello Elena." Max smiled, shutting the door behind Adam and walking over to the driver's seat.
This must be how Nancy felt when Adam ignored her on every flight. She was his assistant, but he never gave her a damned second thought. Eleanor's eyes repeatedly glanced in his direction yet neither of them said a word. She wanted his attention, she wanted his soulful eyes on her, she wanted to kiss him and tell him she loved him- for the billionth time in New Jersey- she again regretted her decision.
At least it wasn't as awkward as last night when she had fallen, and he had glanced and walked right past her. He didn't even apologize- a total asshole move.
She felt humiliated then. Eleanor glanced awkwardly his way, notching Max's laugh as he saw her giving Adam sideways glances. Eleanor calmed herself, wanting so badly to reach over and hold his hand.
And so, she did.
Chapter 12: Dishonesty
Max knew what was up- or at least attempted to piece the puzzle together. He sensed her by the glint in her eye when she was lying; the second she lied about not knowing he was the driver. Anyone could see that by the way he was dressed, but that wasn't the only dead giveaway.
He could tell that it was Eleanor because of the way she furrowed her eyebrows when she thought of a lie, maybe lots of people did that though. Her voice was almost identical to Eleanor with a hint of a British accent. Her teeth weren't as white as Eleanor's either, her teeth were sparkling, but a light beige seemed to cover them- enough to realize this girl wasn't rich enough to have her teeth bleached regularly.
But she played her role well and would hide her true identity to the best of her ability. Max contemplated flat out asking this girl if she was Eleanor again and asking for an honest answer. He didn't want to seem like a creep, however.
No matter how hard he tried to push away the fact that Eleanor Carnegie was dead, his mind kept wandering to how similar the name Elena was to Eleanor and that they may be related, perhaps long-lost cousins. He glanced at her through the rear-view mirror. She was as stunning as Eleanor with the same perfect nose and jaw, but this woman had green eyes instead of blue, this woman was British instead of American. Maybe a long lost relative perhaps. Or merely a doppelgänger.
They weren't very different, but what did he know, he was just a driver.
Max slowed to a stop as traffic picked up. They were about an hour away from home and Mr. Carnegie was deliberately being standoffish. For a second Max missed the old smiling Adam Carnegie. The one who hadn't pushed everyone out of his life and became a merciless, uptight businessman. He was almost as bad as his father, but no, Adam was soft, he was a kind man. He was...
But that Carnegie died along with his wife- and father. He had lost too much, becoming a shell of himself was the only other option left. And he became awful. He now looked like the tall brooding womanizer that everyone had assumed would become of a gentleman like Adam Carnegie- but he had only ever been with 3 women, including his most current Magdalene.
Adam sat now beside a beautiful girl who called herself Elena, yet he wouldn't dare glance in her direction. They'd picked him up and he hadn't spoken another word to either of them.
Eleanor's fingers suddenly landed on his and his brain finally registered that simple fact moments later. She was touching him, the soft sensation of warmth on his hand made him glance down.
He looked at their intertwined fingers for a second, the feel of her fingers on his hand reminded him of Eleanor. Her long lean fingers, soft to the touch rubbed against his skin. He had hope that she was still alive. He felt a strange spark- a tingling in his spine and his heart started to race. He felt a weird connection to this girl and knew it would be best to avoid it. He had Magdalene to worry about.
He moved his eyes from her hand to the face of the green-eyed woman beside him. She was pretty, her cheeks were slightly sunken, and her eyes were a brilliant green. But the only eyes he wanted to see were Eleanor's ocean blue ones staring into his own. He scanned her just-brushed red hair, the color made her blushing cheeks look redder.
He pulled his hand away. He didn't want to slip up and be caught cheating on Magdalene somehow. There were bound to be cameras hidden at any location he went. He had seen her around the house recently but hadn't bothered to ask why she was there.
He had too much on his plate already.
Adam looked at her for a second longer, forcing his eyes to move away from her lips. Sof
t lips that weren't too big or too small reflected in his mind. Eleanor's lips. He couldn't push the thoughts away- the memories away- as the girl began to speak.
"Hi, I'm Elena." Her voice sounded eerily familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He had a barrier in his mind as the images and the screams he heard that night replayed in his mind. How could one girl remind him so much of the woman he loved- the woman who killed him. She had a thick English accent that seemed to accentuate her lips when she talked. He suddenly felt the urge to kiss the stranger across from him, but quickly concealed it and turned away. He couldn't put a finger on why this stranger made him feel all sorts of crazy.
Magdalene flew into his mind as he tossed her away. He felt out of control as he looked at the redhead in front of him.
Damn, she was beautiful.
"Have we met before?" He gazed into her green eyes.
"Last night." She smiled, showing familiar white teeth that he had seen smile on multiple occasions, but thousands of people had perfectly shaped white teeth, nothing special. Her contagious smile had him grinning back, it felt like forever since he had last genuinely smiled and he was grateful that this girl existed.
Eleanor couldn't believe her eyes as she stared at the love of her life, her husband, Adam Carnegie and realized that he was so close yet so damn far. She flinched at the thought as he laughed softly, a hearty growl that was so very sexy escaped his lips.
She felt weak in the knees, grateful that she was seated.
"I'm sorry about that. I should've helped you up. I've just had a lot on my mind, I apologize." Hot guys only apologize to hot girls. Eleanor thought. Perhaps he didn't get a good look at her yesterday.
Eleanor nodded; she couldn't wipe the embarrassing smile from her face as she continued to stare at him.
"Let me make it up to you?" He suggested, taking out a couple twenties from his pocket. "I think that's about enough to help you fly home?" He said, "maybe your family in England can help if you broke your butt or something." He chuckled then went silent.
Eleanor wished for nothing more than for the conversation to flow like it had way back when. Unfortunately, It wasn't happening as she and Adam silently leaned back. Their fingers remained near each other and neither dared move them. Max glanced at the rear-view mirror- and then he knew. With a smug grin that he failed to hide, Maximilian Killian had figured out the biggest secret of the century. Of course, he wasn't absolutely sure, but by the look of them, it was definitely Eleanor and Adam.
Eleanor usually wasn't nosy, but at this moment in time, she was curious as to what he had been doing this morning. She said nothing the rest of the ride; Adam seemed lost in thought.
~??~
Was Josiah dreaming or was the actual president of Carnegie Hall, a bazillion dollar company, in his office.
"I'll be right back. Hold tight." He told Adam, stepping outside to catch a few breaths. The only thought on his mind was Bree- Eleanor. He wondered what she had told him, if she had told him.
But wouldn't any new discoveries be on the news? Literally everything about their lives was publicized for the reason that Adam was Mr. Carnegie.
He headed into his office, opening the laptop and searching in Adam's name. A small biography flashed on the screen. His birthday was December 28, Eleanor went to New Jersey to give him the ring back and that must have ticked him off. It gave him an idea and the light bulb certainly flashed in his mind.
He didn't know what Eleanor had done to be in hiding like this, but he didn't trust Carnegie. Nobody ever trusted a Carnegie; they'd always get stabbed in the back.
Josiah was curious however and glanced at an image of the same man in his office on the computer screen. All that did was confirm that that was Mr. Carnegie, now-owner of a billion-dollar business, Carnegie Hall, since his late father's passing.
There were no magical answers to what to do about this situation. Bree- Eleanor had left him cold and he was struggling to figure out whether he should protect her for not. Being an understanding person also meant he realized he would have done the same thing, perhaps for both their safeties. He realized that if he were in her shoes and someone found that she was the famous well-known Mrs. Carnegie, he would flee also.
Josiah left the office and headed back to the room.
"So, what's the matter Mr. Carnegie?"
"I need answers." He folded his arms over his chest and a shallow smirk formed.
"Treatment I can give but answers aren’t exactly what a doctor does."
"You filed Bree missing, did she know Eleanor in any way?"
"Look, I refuse to talk about this, your friend the detective has already stolen from me and knocked me out cold, so I don't want to bring up that topic."
Damn it Zac! Adam thought, feeling enraged as he carefully untied his arms from each other and placed them on the table behind him. He leaned on the table with his arms while crossing his ankles casually. He wanted to appear as calm as possible because when he was calm, he got what words he needed.
Adam missed the olden days with Eleanor. He missed it so much that it hurt.
"Dr. Matthews right," Adam felt bad for what he was about to do, but he didn't care, "I'm warning you now, tell me what you know, or all your hard work will go down the drain," Adam hissed quietly. Josiah's eyes widened, confused by what Adam meant. Clearly it was a threat- he didn't know how to react.
"I..." Josiah didn't know what to think, what to say. He stared straight ahead. Thoughts of Eleanor filling his mind. It was either his job or her.
Chapter 13: Feel the Hurt
"Bree was my girlfriend. She left me one morning, I guess she got sick of me. That's all I know and why I filed her missing. She is probably found by now, that girl can take care of herself." Josiah's southern accent seemed to deepen with every word he spoke, nerves embedding themselves on his whole heart as he lied for Eleanor. He was probably never going to see her again, but with what hope he had left, he decided to keep her secret. "I have no regrets about it, she was perfect, but she chose her own way and I can't change the past. She made her choice and I can only decide to do better and not be a workaholic to my future girl."
"Thank you." Adam replied, hopping off the table, "for your honesty." He dropped a small wad of cash where he had been sitting and walked out. He couldn't help the burning feeling that kept arising inside him. Perhaps Josiah wasn't telling the full truth, but he pushed the thoughts away as he walked out. He was chasing after a cloud.
Maybe there were people in this town that might have known her. He headed around, seeing the smiling faces of the small town.
Lavela's Bakery
He entered, his stomach grumbling. This town seemed like one of those places where everyone somehow knew each other. A small town with a small population, a perfect place to expand Carnegie Hall And Industries Company, a new addition could be added here. It would bring more people to this small town for sure. But it was almost legitimately in the middle of nowhere.
"Hey darlin' welcome to Lavela's. I'll be right with you in a second handsome." An older woman said, wiping her dough covered hands on her apron. The place was quaint, there were wall stickers decorating every inch of the bright tinted cafe. It looked straight out of a fifty’s diner.
It was vivid with sunlight as the smell of cookies filled his nose. The small smile tugging at his lips wouldn't disappear as the lady appeared in front of him.
"You must be Lavela?" He asked, his tone professional.
"Yes sir-e, and you ain't from 'round here I presume. " She smiled warmly, a thick accent coating every word.
"You presume correctly."
"Right, what can I get you?"
"Is there a Bree Walker here?"
"Whose asking?"
"Just a friend." Adam replied coolly, the sun striking his eye as he shifted his body away from it. His suit seemed to tighten around his figure as he took a seat.
"Boy-oh-boy, that girl sure knows how to pick them. Bree went with the
good doctor to New Jersey, came back a week later and Jo- I mean Dr. Matthews was so upset. He wouldn't talk about it, but everyone had just assumed she left him. It's a shame, she was such a great girl, could bake up some pretty darn good cookies at that." Lavela said. Adam groaned; this was a dead end. Whoever this Bree was must have kept herself quiet in this town as well.
Bree was basically a nobody who seemingly had no affiliation with Eleanor. He didn't find it worth his time to continue searching for this girl, especially since there were thousands of Bree’s, and anybody could walk up with a gift and lie about their name. But they had footage of her. Her face was so familiar to him, but it only showed for a second. And how did she have Eleanor's ring?
"Did Bree west a ring?" Adam interrogated, seating himself by the doorknob before Lavela strutted behind him holding a cookie.
"Would you like one? It's my last batch of the day and I don't think nobody is coming in to buy them." Adam shook his head. The scent reminded him of how Eleanor had always told him she wanted to be a baker- she would've loved to come here if she was alive. Adam's mood sunk.
"They look delicious, but I just ate." He lied. Something seemed off and he couldn't pretend not to notice.
"Suit yourself dear." She smiled, the dark teeth beneath her lips clearly portrayed that she loved her cookies far too much. "But yes, Bree had a shiny expensive lookin' ring on her left hand. I thought she was a married lady when I met the gal, 'Nd I thought she was a-cheatin' in her husband. Poor man, but I asked her. And you know what she told me? She said that it was an old family heirloom. Boy, if I had a family that had a ring like that, I'd have sold the darn thing and bought myself a car." Lavela's hearty laugh filled the cafe as she took a bite of the cookie. "It's delicious, are you sure you don't want one?"
"No thanks, I just ate. And thank you, I appreciate the information." Adam smiled, waving as he left and walked out to the bright sun light. This place was amazing. He could imagine a life here if he didn't have all the duties of being the only Mr. Carnegie- alive.
The Girl that Fled (Bliss Book 3) Page 7