"Maggie, how are you?" At the mention of her name and the warmth in her mother's voice, Magdalene burst into tears.
"I. . . I don't know what to do!" She sobbed loudly, now hiccupping. "He doesn't return my I love you; he barely kisses me; he hasn't slept with me once. Mom I don't want him to marry me if he doesn't love me." She cried into the couch pillow.
"Give him time Maggie, he will come around. And you know the plan, we can meet the girl soon and find a way to get her to do what we want. I've had investigators searching her profile for the past week now and we've found some things on her profile. I can show you tomorrow. But operation take Adam done will commence and you will get to marry him!" She sounded so hopeful.
"I don't want to marry a man that loves someone else!" Magdalene cried.
"Is that how you feel?" Adam walked into the room; shock couldn't begin to describe how he felt right then.
Chapter 23: Unafraid and Thriving
The sky seemed a thousand times darker today and stormy clouds took over the city. It had never been this dark in Clearwater, and the rains would be coming soon. It was nine in the morning and where there had once been a sun, lay a gloomy shadow.
It was Sunday and Josiah decided to go for a run on his day off. He wore his sportswear and began a short jog around the small town. The air began getting cooler and it felt odd to have the possibility of snow right before the start of spring. He shivered as small droplets of water began spraying on him. It was as though God held a bottle of perfume- only it was just full of water- and he was spritzing it down onto the land.
He ran around the tall semi-truck that was parked beside the church and traced the outskirts of town near a lake he never knew had existed. He stopped and took a seat on the rocks beside the edge. The rain pour became heavier and faster as water soaked his face, hair, and clothes. He was drenched as he looked up at the mournful sky.
He was frozen as his socks filled with water. Suddenly, out of what seemed like nowhere, a giant dirt brown crocodile walked out of the lake and snapped at him. It made a grab for his leg, but with quick instincts and an extremely loud scream, Josiah ran off the rock and climbed the short hill. The animal huffed impatiently as he continued to sprint, he wondered how long it had been watching him before deciding to strike. He felt a sigh of relief until panic came again. And suddenly, he realized he had been running the wrong direction.
He realized this when his feet hit a huge puddle that ended up being the lake that he was trying to escape. He screamed when something sharp stabbed his leg and he was dragged under the water.
The rain made the lake's water level grow exponentially as Josiah struggled for air. The water suddenly became red and Josiah was out of sight.
Should've went to church this morning. Was his final thought as he was devoured by the crocodile.
➿➿➿
"Enough." Adam finished, his eyes tracing Magdalene's face, searching for answers. She was mortified, afraid that he would break their engagement.
"I'm sorry," she cried, but it was absolutely true. She did feel neglected.
"No Mags, I'm sorry. I should've given you more attention and treated you better. I... I just need some time. Eleanor's still... I'm still mourning and grieving. Maybe this wedding shouldn't happen, you're right, my heart isn't fully committing and I'm sorry it got to the point where even you noticed it." Magdalene's mouth hung so low, open wide enough for a monster truck to drive into it and back out.
"Are you... breaking our engagement? You don't want me?" The tears from earlier returned as she stared at Adam. She blinked them away, looking so innocent that Adam felt like he was telling a puppy to go away.
"No, Mags, I..." he approached her on the couch, he sat and placed a calming hand on her knee. "I just need a few more months. I wouldn't have proposed if my intention wasn't to marry you." He chucked as she looked at him with murky eyes and glared.
"Intentions mean nothing without actions." She scowled, "I think we need a break... I'm going to be leaving for a while- I still love you Adam, but we might need some time to heal. I still want to marry you." Magdalene stood up and left the room.
Adam took a deep sigh, frustrated that Magdalene could be such a child. She was his age, yet she acted like she was ten. He rubbed his temples then lay his back on the couch. In that moment, a terrible migraine struck his mind as he reached for his phone. He needed to see a doctor ASAP. And he had one in mind.
"Hello Max."
"Yes Mr. Carnegie."
"Can you book me a flight to Oklahoma? Or possibly set the private jets so they're ready for tomorrow. Call Zac and send him with me."
"Mr. Carnegie, I have 2 things to tell you. Permission to speak?"
"Of course, Max, you no longer have to ask anymore." Adam was annoyed by all the chitchat.
"Well first, the pilot is on vacation and we can't get another one on such short notice, the earliest time you can get to Oklahoma is two weeks from now. Secondly, Ally Lawson came by earlier wanting to apologize to you. I told her I would deliver the message."
Ally?! Who the heck was Ally and why did she want to apologize.
"I'm sorry, who?"
"The girl- Eleanor's doppelgänger."
"Right." Every memory pained him. I must find her; I need to speak to Josiah.
"And I think Zac went to Massachusetts for the remainder of the year. He is continuing his education- or something along those lines. I'm unsure- but I can try and contact him. I believe he said something about a daughter and then stormed off."
"Okay, Max, also, if the private jet isn't working, call me back and let me know when the earliest airplane- working class, first class, I don't care, just whenever the earliest one leaves for Oklahoma."
"Sure Mr. Carnegie, will that be all?"
"If you see Ally again, tell her she is forgiven." Adam smiled. Max was glad that Adam couldn't see the eye roll over the line.
"Of course, Mr. Carnegie."
"Okay, good night Max."
"Night sir."
➿➿➿
"I don't really feel comfortable walking around the studio naked." Eleanor declared as she saw the models around her undressing. It was a monthly routine- an attempt to get them to be more comfortable with their bodies.
As soon as the male models took their boxers off, Eleanor did all she could to not stare. And of course, when she did, she compared their privates with those of Adam Carnegie.
The staff must've enjoyed the monthly 'Nude Dudes and Dudettes' as they called them because while all phones were required to be put away, they whistled and chanted. It was funny and a huge confident boost to an already overly confident set of people.
When Eleanor looked through the glass walls, she saw the water above the horizon. The sun gleaming brightly as she confidently held her shoulders back and stood tall. The fell in line and began strutting around the studio in a rehearsed fashion. Eleanor stood in the back to follow along.
Her eyes glanced at the door as a familiar face walked in. She had only seen this girl once before, but her distaste toward her was still there.
"Hi, I'm Magdalene, Adam Carnegie's fiancé. I was wondering if I could speak to Ally Lawson?" Magdalene said as Eleanor was filled with anger.
The men weren't paying attention to the stranger that had just walked in, but after a full five minutes of waiting and watching a bunch of naked people walking around, Magdalene decided enough was enough and yelled the same exact thing she had said earlier.
"That's me!" Eleanor said with a friendly smile as she grabbed a giant T-shirt and quickly placed it over her body. It felt like Adam's old shirt as it barely covered the top of her bum. She crossed her arms as Magdalene, who was very much shorter than Eleanor at a whopping five-foot three-inch height stood beside her. "Did you want to speak to me?"
Stephanie quickly rushed down the stage, interjecting herself between the two.
"Hi, I'm sorry, were doing a routine practice and a quick photo shoot, so you mind co
ming back in, um, say about five hours? My models are all very busy- including our Eleanor here." Stephanie said as Magdalene grew angry.
"Do you not know who I am? I am Adam Carnegie's fiancé! I demand to speak to Ally Lawson at this moment."
"Listen, you entitled twerp, engagements break all the time. I'm not going to say it again. Come back in five hours." It was at that moment that Eleanor realized why Stephanie Cooper was the head of Demeter Modeling Company. She could be all fun and games, but when she got serious, she completely took over the entire room and what she wanted happened. Eleanor had a new respect for this woman, she was proud to call her her boss.
Magdalene's face contorted to all sorts of reds that it looked like she might just explode. She turned on her heel and began to stomp to the door. For the first time in Eleanor's life, she liked being on the other side, feeling like she was the good guy. Life isn't the same after high school. Good people might become bad and vice versa.
"Mrs. Cooper," Eleanor had never referred to Stephanie by that name, which immediately peaked her attention, "I'm going to quickly go see what she wants, I'll be back in a jiffy." Eleanor didn't leave space for argument as she rushed after Magdalene.
"Excuse me," she called as Magdalene turned around.
"Ally Lawson?" She asked, her expression slightly brightened.
"Yes, that's me, is there something you wanted? I only have a few minutes before I need to go back inside."
"Yes, actually." A demonic smile overtook her face. "So, you say your name is Ally Lawson- but the problem is, there is no record of you whatsoever. It's like you don't even exist."
"I wasn't born here, and my family illegally migrated to the US." Eleanor lied smoothly, taking Magdalene into a world of shock.
"Well, there should've been tax records at least, everyone pays taxes. But there was nothing, you work for Demeter, yet your payroll is nonexistent." Eleanor wanted to tell her she had to go back, but she was mortified at what this girl might say next.
"I asked for cash only payments. I never learned how to do taxes and don't need a payroll if I am payed in cash." She countered.
"Understandable," she smirked, but she just kept coming up with new information that Eleanor thought her mind would explode. At some point, she zoned out.
"... and I know that you didn't kill you self-Eleanor Carnegie..."
"What? That's so silly! Let that woman's memory rest in peace. What did you want Miss? I need to get back to work." Magdalene signed.
"I'll tell you what, I'll keep your secret if you do me a favor."
"It's not a secret, I'm not Eleanor. I'm Ally Lawson, an illegal immigrant who doesn't do taxes." Eleanor felt stupid, giving Magdalene more random crap to hold against her.
"Fine!" She huffed, "if you do me this favor Ally, I will get you your citizenship." Eleanor froze, not knowing how to react at that moment. How would an illegal immigrant react to finding out they could have a citizenship? Ecstatic. But she didn't want to do Magdalene's bidding, whatever that might be.
"What? Really? How?" Eleanor questioned.
"I have my people; they'll create the documents. And assuming you've been living here for about ten years, I can have it done by the end of the year." Shocked wouldn't describe it. If Magdalene was able to do that for her, she could travel and move out of the country permanently. Then she wouldn't have to worry about the anxiety of constantly looking over her shoulder and making sure nobody realized that she was Eleanor.
"And what would I have to do in return."
"Listen Ally... it's going to sound kind of trivial, but you look a lot like Eleanor Carnegie- as your brand suggests, anyway. Adam and I need to wed by the end of this year. I have reasons beyond your comprehension, but I need to marry him. So, I'm asking you- woman to woman- if you would start up a relationship with him, get him to love you, then break his heart beyond repair. Do you understand me? He will come to me and we will wed immediately after in hopes of cheering him up." Eleanor's mouth hung open at Magdalene's words. Was this girl mental? She wanted Eleanor to basically replay her life with Adam and crush his heart again. She couldn't do that to him, she just couldn't.
"I will think about it." Eleanor said maturely as Stephanie appeared at the entrance of Demeter Modeling Co.
"If you don't- I will report you to the authorities and have them do what they will with you. Probably keep you hostage at best."
"Or have me deported; I would be fine with that actually. Stephanie can always bring me back if I'm needed. I'll be an international star."
The possibility of being close to Adam again trumped all other possibilities as Eleanor wanted to be with him again. Without the drama, without the stress of a business contract.
"And how would he do it without cheating on you?"
"Not a problem- I'll tell him we need a short break; I'm going to be out of town starting this Sunday until two months from now, so I expect you to work your magic. Understood."
"Look, I haven't exactly agreed to anything yet."
"Then will you please do it."
"What do you get out of it? We've established I get my citizenship, but what about you."
"A husband." She simply said, but Eleanor couldn't help feeling that she was holding back. That she would get way more out of it.
"Okay, I'll do it." Eleanor said, turning on her heel, "only, I don't want any contracts or anything official- you have my word and I have yours." Eleanor had learned the true power of paperwork and did not want to be involved in that again- especially not when her signature could be traced to Eleanor Carnegie.
"Deal." Magdalene smiled a snake-like smile as Eleanor headed back inside, fazed by what had just happened.
Chapter 24: Madness
"Looks like you couldn't stay away," Adam laughed as Eleanor stood by the gate, he couldn't contain the smile that formed when the woman that looked just like his wife stood just a few feet away. He could stare at her forever.
"I just wanted to make sure that the driver delivered my message." She smiled, trying to avoid Adam's eyes. She had to get him to love her- easier to say than to do. And for the stupid reason that Magdalene has given her- or at least tried to threaten, she was afraid and incapable of doing anything but remaining trapped in her own mind.
"Yes, Max did- there won't be any awkwardness between us. In fact, would you like to get a cup of coffee? You can come in?"
"Oh- I don't drink coffee. Tea is fine though." Eleanor spoke, knowing she was playing off what Adam knew of her already.
"You know, my late wife didn't like coffee much either. And I think we've established this, but you look a lot like her." His cheeky smile and warmth radiated from his eyes. The sun never seemed to set in New Jersey.
"Yeah, I get that a lot." She laughed, "Stephanie Cooper even named me after her. What was she like?"
She knew she was milking him for compliments right now but knowing Adam- he wouldn't give her what she expected.
"Uh... I would rather not talk about her anymore, it... hurts. Still."
She nodded, slightly annoyed that he refused to go into a one-hour monologue about how Eleanor was the greatest thing that ever happened to him and how he missed her oh so dearly. Or that she was possibly the worst thing that happened to him, yours to decide.
"So- Mr. Carnegie, how big is this house?" Eleanor asked in the silence, glancing around.
Adam chuckled, "pretty big, why?"
"I was wondering if you could give me a tour." She simply said, feeling breathless as her thoughts encapsulated her. She looked at him with slow breaths as he took a sip of his coffee and handed her tea.
"Sure, Allison." He put his cup onto the marble countertop of their kitchen island where she'd sat so many times before. He noticed her change but didn't mind or say a thing about it. She wasn't sure what Magdalene's intentions were with Adam, but she wouldn't let them happen. If she felt Adam didn't love her, he probably didn't.
"You know Mr. Carnegie, you're pretty cute." El
eanor blurted and then her eyes widened at what she had just said.
"Thank you..." he took a short pause before scratching the back of his neck, "Allison, is there any other reason you came by today? I mean besides making sure you delivered your message- and besides the tour of my home?"
"I... I just wanted to see you." She smiled sincerely, knowing she was following Magdalene's orders yet not caring enough to give a damn.
Adam took a contemplative sigh before turning to meet her eyes once again. They looked too familiar.
"Well, perhaps it's best if you leave now." He sternly said. "Allison, I'll be honest with you. I don't know if you're here for my money, but considering you're a model, that pretty much sums it up. You should know I am engaged and to be married very soon."
Eleanor raised an eyebrow, suddenly embarrassed.
"I understand Mr. Carnegie. I wasn't here for the money, I just wanted to get to know the man who has the biggest heart." Among other things, Eleanor thought.
"Mr. Carnegie, Magdalene is here, should I invite her in?" A welcome interruption came when Max stepped in. He seemed to be taking the role of Adam's right hand man since his father was no longer in the picture.
Adam glanced at Eleanor before nodding at Max. His deep brown eyes at her made her think unimaginable things- things she should definitely not be thinking of. She'd learned that she couldn't stay away- but for how much longer could she pretend he had no history with her, that she didn't have feelings for him.
"Adam!" Magdalene stormed into the living room, screeching as she held a tiny ring in-between her index finger and thumb. "Look, I have waited way too long. Okay, listen I know we haven't been on the best terms lately..." she paused when she spotted Eleanor, an unnoticeable smile forming at the corners of her lips as she realized the girl would oblige to her plan.
"Maybe I should get going." Eleanor glared at Magdalene as Adams eyes shot between the two beautiful women.
"No- wait, you don't have to go." Magdalene gave her a warning look and a sideways glance to Adam. A gesture meaning stay and fulfill our plan, or else.
The Girl that Fled (Bliss Book 3) Page 13