Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
ARMAN
E llie is in shock. Marsha has left and, despite interrogation, had nothing else to reveal. She is scared, though. So scared. I know she is hiding it from us and the best idea was to let her go and hope that Luka has his surveillance shit working. We will be listening and have eyes on her and it will be interesting to see what she does next and as soon as she left, Ellie broke down.
I am sitting beside her on the couch in my office and she is finally calming down and as my hand rests across her shoulder she sniffs, “It hurts so much.”
“The truth has a habit of doing that. Sometimes it’s best not knowing.”
“I’m glad I know.” She turns to stare up at me and says softly, “This morning I hated you. I probably still do, but thank you for being here.”
I swear my heart jumps as her tear streaked eyes stare into mine and I hate that I stroke her face and whisper, “I want to be here for you, Ellie.”
“No, you don’t.” She shakes her head and laughs softly. “You want me to be here for you . Remember.”
It makes me laugh.
“The job still stands along with the rules, but you must forgive me if I want to break them a few times.”
“Break them?” Her eyes are red with tears and any remaining make-up has long since streaked down her face. She is like a tragic masterpiece. A thing of great beauty and I could stare at her all day long.
I sigh and tug her down with me, her head resting on my chest and I say huskily, “I can’t have you in the way I want to, Ellie. The job was to keep you here, and I’m struggling with my decision.”
“Why?”
She sounds fearful and I reply gruffly, “Because I don’t have room in my life for emotion. It’s always been business and always will be, and I can’t have any distractions from that.”
“Bullshit.” She sounds so fierce it makes me smile.
“Many men have relationships and still make it to the office each day. I think you’re scared, Arman.”
I shrug. “You’re probably right.”
She stares into my eyes and touches my face lightly with her finger. “Why won’t you let me in?”
“Because I don’t want you there. ”
I am cruel for a reason and hate the light that dims in her eyes and she nods, sitting up and saying with a sigh. “I should get back to work. Whatever that is.”
She stands and I hate the cold air between us and yet I fix my inner bastard back in charge and say gruffly, “We will return to the penthouse. Your job is finished for the day.”
For a moment, she stares at me with a thoughtful expression and then shrugs. “It’s your money.”
She turns away and something about the set to her shoulders and the way she stands proudly causes my heart to sink. She is forming a barrier between us and I’m the one who gifted her the bricks.
Unlike earlier, I direct her to my usual car and yet she still says nothing. Merely sits gazing out of the window at the passing scenery and I wonder what is flashing through her mind as we eat up the distance.
When we return to the penthouse, she exits the car and waits for instruction, but she won’t meet my gaze. I should be happy about that, relieved even, but I’m not. I don’t like her distance. I like it when she smiles at me and even her anger is preferable to this.
“We should eat.” I say, knowing it’s another desperate ploy to keep her with me. What I really need to do is check my emails and schedule because I’m certain I had endless meetings set up this afternoon. My morning schedule was cleared to allow the meeting with Marsha.
“Arman.”
Ellie sighs and something about the tone of her voice sends a prickle of alarm down my back.
“Yes, Ellie.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll skip lunch. You say I’m done for the day, so I would really like to see my living accommodation and grab some time alone. If you don’t mind, that is.”
Again, she won’t meet my eye and I know I am responsible for this. She is right to set the boundaries in place, and I should respect that.
“Of course. I’ll show you to your room.”
She nods and follows me as I head to the guest floor, and I am already regretting my earlier decision. I accept it’s for the best, but why does it feel as if it’s not the best thing for me?
When we get to the rooms she will now call home, her expression is blank and I hate that she is distancing herself from me. For her own self–preservation, pulling away from me.
I leave her alone as per her request and as I walk away, every step I take is heavier than the last as it creates distance between us.
Suddenly, business doesn’t seem as appealing as it did before and so with a deep sigh, I adjust my mood and head to my den where I’ll call Titus and fill him in. Then I will head back to the office and immerse myself in the real reason I’m here and try to forget all about the woman who is unwittingly the mastermind of my destruction.
I reach my den and waste no time in calling my brother, who remains silent when I relay the details of my meeting with Marsha.
“What are your thoughts?” He asks when I finish and I sigh.
“Whatever the mystery is concerning Gabrielle lies in the mind of Boris Fedorov. Marsha assured us he wasn’t the father, but knowing that man, it wouldn’t surprise me to discover he is. It’s obvious Marsha visits Russia a lot and Russia visits her too. When I asked about Nikolai, she assured me he was just a customer of hers who demanded her personal services when he was in the United States. She often flew to meet him wherever he went because he is a private man who has a close circle of people he can trust.”
“That doesn’t explain her desire to purchase Thorn House and her involvement with Veronica Scott-Stanley.”
Titus is exasperated. I can tell by the tone of his voice and I share his concern. We are going around in circles and are going backwards, not forward.
“I questioned her about her visit to London and her desire to buy Veronica Scott-Stanley’s house and she told me she wanted it for sentimental reasons and it was the perfect location for parties. I don’t believe a word that woman speaks, but I do believe her genuine fear for her daughter, so the only thing left to do was to ask her to leave, and hope that Luka can keep close surveillance on her. So far, her story checks out with Nikolai. The recordings tell us that, and it appears he is only using her for sex.”
Titus sighs heavily. “Now we must wait for his meeting with Roden to reveal the real reason he is here and despite what we learned today, it’s as if we are no further forward in discovering who killed our father.”
“What are your thoughts?”
I’m curious because knowing my brother, he will have thought long and hard about this and he replies with an irritated edge to his voice. “I am still figuring that out. Keep me informed and I’ll do some more digging from here. Ana is looking into The Rose Foundation and we must discover what Barinov is up to with Roden. There are many pieces to this puzzle and the picture is unclear, but we will discover every single piece if it takes me the rest of my life.”
“I agree.”
I exhale sharply. “I must go. I have many meetings this afternoon, but the picture is a more positive one after my attendance at the party last night. ”
“I heard.” He sighs. “At least pa’s involvement was a business one. Fucking degenerates.”
“If all it takes is four meetings a year with those degenerates, as you call them to keep the waters calm, I’ll do it gladly, but I’ll do it the same way our father did and leave before the evening turns sour.”
“You weren’t tempted, then?”
Titus sounds amused and I snap. “Of course I wasn’t tempted. Fucking whores against the wall for fun isn’t my idea of a good time. Sometimes I wonder how these men are still in power.”
“We don’t owe them our loyalty, but it helps with our business interests. They need us as much as we need them and now the power has shifted and they know it. Good job, Arman, keep in touch.”
He cuts the call and I wonder what’s running through his mind. Titus keeps his thoughts to himself. He always has, and if I’m considered cold, he is an iceberg.
I momentarily think of Ellie and have a strong urge to be with her now, but I push it aside and focus my mind on business instead. It will always be business with me and I will work out what to do with her when I have my mind back where it should be.