Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
ARMAN
I ’m tired. Not physically, but mentally. I’ve always been a workaholic but since my father died, I’ve become worse. It helps fill the void, knowing that he was taken from us so easily and I don’t want to dwell on the fact it could be any of us next.
As I head back to the penthouse, there is only one thing on my mind. Ellie. I missed her today.
I am fascinated by her. When she dropped to her knees before me, I became obsessed with her, which is why I pushed her so violently away.
There is no room in my life for obsession. I must not be distracted from the task at hand, but I can’t let her walk away either and the job was just fabricated to keep her with me. A tantalizing glimpse of what could be mine if I lowered my guard. If I opened my heart to let her in and if I allowed myself to feel.
As I head into the penthouse, I fling my jacket on the couch and fix myself a shot of bourbon. Vodka is replaced by whiskey in America and if I’m honest with myself, I prefer the taste.
“Arman.”
A soft voice freezes the glass midway to my lips and as I turn, I stare at the beautiful apparition before my eyes.
Ellie looks so beautiful I can’t tear my eyes away. She is wearing the red dress I ordered and the ruby and diamond choker grasps her neck with its possessive fingers. She stands tall on black louboutins and her hair gleams as it hangs to her shoulders, her eyes bright as she stares in my direction.
“You look tired.”
I down the shot and set the glass on the table, reluctant to tear my eyes away from her, hating the urgent need within me to pull her into my arms and never let go.
She nods toward the couch.
“May I?”
“Of course.”
I don’t move a muscle as she drops onto the soft leather and gazes at me with a quizzical expression, as if waiting for something.
I say nothing and she nods toward the clock on the mantlepiece above the stone fireplace.
“Luka told me to meet you at seven. Was he wrong?”
“No.”
I feel like a fool. Of course, I have reservations and I need to shower and change.
“I’m sorry. My meetings took longer than I anticipated.”
I glance at the time. “There is no time to change. The reservation is for seven-thirty.”
“You look fine.” She reassures me and yet I’m aware I don’t. I’ve been wearing the same shirt all day and I need to freshen up.
“Wait for me. I won’t be long.”
I head to the door and then stop when she says with hesitation.
“Um, I’m sorry, but I have something to tell you.”
I turn slowly. “What?”
She fidgets with her fingers and then says, slightly guiltily, “I didn’t order anything.”
“Order what?”
I’m confused, and she says quickly, “Luka told me to order stuff with your credit card but I got distracted.”
“Doing what?”
I don’t like the worry in her eyes, as if she’s done something I won’t like, and she glances down and whispers, “I shopped for information instead.”
I head back to her side and drop into the seat beside her.
“What information?”
The color on her cheeks tells me I’m not going to like it and she says with a huff, “Well, what was I supposed to do? You ruined my day by introducing me to my mother and, well, what the hell were you thinking, Arman? I wasn’t prepared for that and I’m still cross with you.”
“Cross?” I raise my eyes, pushing away the soft smile that threatens to betray my feelings.
“Anyway. Something she said didn’t add up, and so I did some digging.”
“Where? ”
“The records office in Idaho.”
Her eyes shine as she says with animation, “She mentioned a car crash that killed two people. The story rang a bell, and I wondered if someone had lied to her and said it was my grandmother and me.”
“What did you discover?”
“It’s true, but we both know it wasn’t me or my grandmother, so it got me thinking. You see, in the article, the occupants are unidentified and it was reported that their dental records weren’t found. It’s filed as still open, so who told her it was me?”
“She mentioned the cops.”
“Or did she use the story to her advantage?”
“What are you thinking?”
I note the excitement in her expression and I experience a huge urge to kiss her right now. If I imagined she would be broken by what happened today, I was wrong. She is animated and says in her soft sweet voice, “That she doesn’t want my father to find me, which means he’s still around.”
I say nothing because despite our extensive investigations into her life, the identity of her father has never come up.
“Think about it, Arman.” She is so excited and whispers, “What if he is here now? In New York. Why was she so scared that he found me? Is it because she never told him I existed and what do you think he would do if he knew about me?”
I smile. “It’s a possibility. I will ask Luka to investigate.”
“You will?” She appears so grateful, and I’m surprised when she leans forward and kisses me softly on the cheek.
“Thank you. I had a good afternoon despite the devastating morning and I’ve realized something important.”
“What?”
“I want to help.”
Her eyes shine with hope. “I am your assistant and you need help in finding out who killed your father. I can help. ”
“How?” It amuses me to think she can get any further with this than my own brother, not to mention my team and the rest of my family.
“Because I possess my grandmother’s diaries and there may be something in them that can help us.”
“Where are they?”
“At my apartment. There is a box of stuff that I can’t bear to open.”
Her eyes swim with tears and she brushes them away and sighs. “I miss her so much, Arman. I came to New York to escape the memories.”
I reach for her hand and link our fingers together.
“I understand. I came here for the same reason, telling my family business was my priority. It is to an extent, but being home with my family was too painful because our father wasn’t there. I hated it.”
She nods and whispers, “It hurts like hell losing someone important. Almost as if there’s a hole inside you where they used to be.”
I grasp her hand tighter and once again wonder what is happening to me because every minute I spend in this woman’s company is worth more than any hours, days or weeks spent with anyone else.