Chapter 45
CHAPTER 45
ELLIE
I am miserably impressed. Is there such a thing? To be so unhappy I would rather lie in a darkened room and shut out the world while I wait for my life to break immeasurably, or marvel at the company I’m keeping in the most palatial home I’ve ever been in?
I am conflicted, excited and heartbroken all at the same time and I’m on emotion overload right now.
We took Arman’s helicopter to The Hamptons, and I was unaware he owned one. I’ve never been in one before and it did the trick of lifting my mood, causing me to forget my misery for a while.
I loved it.
I loved that we sailed above the traffic and ate up the distance to The Hamptons in no time. We made the journey in forty-five minutes, and I swear this is my preferred way to travel now.
When we landed and made our way to the house, I was in awe of it. It rose majestically out of the ground as if it owned the right to be there. Much like its owners really, because Adele and Charles are the power couple of the moment and act accordingly.
“Darling.” Adele heads toward us with a glowing smile on her face and a disturbing glint in her eye.
I wouldn’t mind, but it is directed at me and I long to grasp Arman’s hand for comfort, but he has already withdrawn from me. I realize it’s because he is anxious. I share it too, but right now, heading into a place dressed in imposter syndrome, I wish I had his reassurance to cling onto.
“I’m so glad you could make it.”
She air kisses Arman three times on his cheek as her husband watches with a cool smile. He doesn’t even acknowledge me because to him I am the hired help, which makes me wonder why Adele is so intent on my company.
She turns her attention to me and her husband commands Arman’s attention and I’m surprised when she links her arm in mine and says softly, “Please, indulge me. Allow me to show you around my home.”
I am propelled away before I can even catch Arman’s eye and, as she blocks him from view, I hear Charles say with amusement. “Let the women play. We have much to discuss.”
I stumble after Adele as she points out various items that she believes are of interest to me, and as we round the corner, she says abruptly, “There. Mission accomplished. ”
She drops my arm and says coolly, “Forgive the theatrics, my dear, but we don’t have long.”
“Excuse me?”
I’m distinctly uncomfortable as she propels us through a patio door into a pretty office that she must use for herself.
“Darling.” She closes the door and nods toward a chair set by a glass desk.
“Please, take a seat. I have something very important to tell you.”
I do as she says because I am intrigued by the well - intrigue and as she takes her seat, she slides a photograph toward me.
“Do you know this woman?”
I swallow hard because she is showing me a recent photograph of Marsha and I shrug.
“No. I don’t.”
Her eyes narrow and I face her defiantly because I’m not lying. I don’t know my mother at all because she has never given me the opportunity.
It obviously takes Adele aback a little because she appears confused.
“So, you’ve never met her.”
“She visited Mr. Romanov’s office a few days ago. I met her then, but I wouldn’t say I know her personally.”
Something about Adele raises my guard and her eyes narrow as she peers at me a little closer.
“Tell me about yourself, Ellie.”
I shrug. “There isn’t much to tell and I don’t want to appear rude, Mrs. Kenricky, but I fail to see why you are interested.”
A brief smile plays across her lips, and she cocks her head to one side and studies me for a second.
Then she leans back and says confidently, “I must have been mistaken. I thought you were the daughter of an acquaintance of mine. ”
“May I ask who?”
I act cool but my heart is racing as she nods, turning a silver photograph around to face me that resides on her desk.
I stare at the image and I hold my breath when I see a young Adele, laughing with three other women. Marsha being one of them.
“I noticed the resemblance when we met at the fundraiser the other day, and it took me back.”
She smiles wistfully. “I met these other women in Switzerland and they were happy times.”
She points to Marsha and says with a wry shake of her head. “It was also a time of great trouble.”
“Why?” I edge forward in my seat as she shakes her head sadly.
“Marsha, the one I thought you had a connection to, well, she fell pregnant and was forced to leave.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I peer a little closer and feign indifference as I say flippantly, “What happened to her?”
Adele sighs. “The man involved wanted no part of it. He paid her money to get rid of the baby and washed his hands of her.”
The way she is staring at me with a hard look makes it difficult to control the emotion her words bring, but I seize on every resource I own and say calmly, “Then he was a rogue.”
She laughs out loud.
“He certainly was, you see–” She leans forward and stares at me intently as she says, “He was a powerful man, even back then.”
I swear I’m about to have a coronary because she is talking about my father and this is the first piece of information I’ve ever had about him.
“He was Russian.”
My heart sinks and I swear I’m about to have a nervous breakdown.
“There was no chance he would ever accept either Marsha or her baby because of his position.”
“How, um, did they meet?” I ask, trying desperately to learn more about my father, and she smiles, a soft gleam in her eye as she says wistfully, “We met the men at a party that we shouldn’t have attended.” She rolls her eyes. “You know what it’s like. Girls do reckless things when they are encouraged, and we were in a bar in town when they approached us.”
“I see.” I smile, but my heart is bouncing all over the place as Adele reminisces.
“We had fun. We all did. They were very attentive, and it became a regular thing. They worked together at a Swiss Bank, at least two of them did. The others had jobs I didn’t want to ask too much about.”
“So, your friend, um, paired up with this man who then rejected her when she needed his help.”
I’m angry on her behalf and Adele shrugs as if it was of no consequence.
“Not exactly, darling. He offered her enough money to take the sting out of the request, and Marsha wasn’t the kind to turn the opportunity down. In fact– “ She leans forward. “Marsha wasn’t averse to turning anybody down, if you get my meaning and the child could have been anyone’s.”
I feel sick and say with a deep breath.
“Then I’m glad I don’t know her.”
Adele nods. “Tell me, why was she visiting Mr. Romanov? I’m aware she had links to his father Andrei, we all did, but I’m confused as to why she visited him.”
We all did.
My heart is beating fast and as I stare at the photograph, I ignore her question and point to the other two women.
“Who are they? ”
Adele smiles, but it’s as cool as the ocean splashing on an iceberg.
“This woman–” She points to a pretty blonde. “This is Grace, Arman’s mother and Andrei’s wife.”
I try to disguise my shock as she points to the other woman with a wicked smile. “And this is Veronica, his father’s mistress.”
I stare in horror at the photograph and Adele says airily, “Yes, it was an interesting time and I believe they continued their triangle until quite recently when Andrei died and Veronica suffered a terrible accident.”
“Why are you showing me this?”
I fix her with a blank expression and she leans forward and says softly, “Because Marsha’s baby is of considerable importance to her father and he is desperate to be reunited.”
The room spins and I need oxygen fast because what the actual hell? My mind is racing and my legs are shaking, but somehow I keep it all behind the cold wall I have erected between us and merely shrug.
“I wish I could help, but I can’t. Humor me though, why is he so interested all of a sudden? I mean, he paid this woman to get rid of the baby. It’s a little too late to play happy families now.”
“Not for him, but it could be.” She says enigmatically and then turns the photograph around and shrugs.
“The search continues. I’ll show you back to the party, Ellie.”
As we leave the room, I swear my mind is racing and as we reach the happy laughter of the party that’s in full swing, only one thing concerns me. Andrei Romanov can’t be my father because if my real father is searching for me now, he must be alive, whereas Arman’s father definitely isn’t and I can’t wait to let him know.