Chapter 23

San Francisco has never looked as gloomy as it does now. Or more accurately, my mood has never been this gloomy before. For the umpteenth time, I sighed while staring out the window of my office. Being an assistant manager afforded me some perks, one of which was having my own office, albeit very small, but still better than sharing cramped cubicles with other employees.

Today marks exactly one week since I met Nicholas. Today, I should give him my answer. I couldn't close my eyes at all last night, and this morning, Mr. LeBlanc's tasks diverted almost all of my thoughts away from Nicholas. At the very least, I should call him tonight to tell him my answer. But until this moment, I still don't know what to say to him.

I can't ask Lana for advice. It seems Lana is suffering just as much as I am. Ever since we returned from Manhattan, Lana always changes the subject whenever I mention Gregory Shaw. So far, Gregory hasn't shown his face again. I don't know whether to feel relieved because he's not involved with Lana anymore, or angry because he made Lana sad. One thing's for sure, this week has been rough.

Mr. LeBlanc held all the employees until 9 p.m. to work on the looming year-end audit. I already told Lana I have to work late tonight. My feet stepped into the deserted elevator, and Mr. LeBlanc's voice sounded, asking me to hold the lift. I smiled at him as he joined me in the elevator, he returned my smile and then glanced at his watch. "Hopefully, tonight is the last time we have to work late. I'm running late again."

"Are you waiting for someone, Mr. LeBlanc?" I asked politely, although I didn't really care. He grinned broadly beside me, "Just dinner. Ellie has to wait for me in the lobby right now."

I smiled again, this time more genuinely. Mr. LeBlanc is a good man, much more pleasant than Mr. Newman, my previous manager. Our elevator stopped in the lobby a few seconds later. A woman sitting on the lobby sofa looked up as she heard our footsteps, then smiled at Mr. LeBlanc.

Now I understand why Mr. LeBlanc grumbled; he had to make a woman as beautiful as her wait in the lobby for him. If I were a man, I might fall in love with her too. Her reddish-brown, wavy hair framed her face perfectly. Her high cheekbones made her even more graceful, and an elegant aura surrounded her perfectly.

Slowly, her brown eyes shifted to me, "Is Marcus making you work late again?" Her pleasant voice made me return her smile.

"Ellie, this is my assistant, Eleanor. Ah... your names sound similar," Mr. LeBlanc said as he introduced us.

Ellie extended her hand to me, "Hello, Eleanor. Nice to meet you, my name is Elizabeth." I shook her hand still smiling, even her way of speaking was elegant. We chatted for a while before I excused myself, and Mr. LeBlanc helped me hail a taxi. I waved to the couple then closed the taxi door. Mrs. LeBlanc might arrive soon.

***

My apartment and Lana's are on the second floor. There are only three apartment units on our floor: mine and Lana's, Mrs. Fitzergald, who is 67 years old, and Mr. Osbourne, who is rarely seen. We rarely interact with the other neighbors.

I unlocked my apartment door but found it still locked. I frowned at the door in front of me. Lana should have been home by now. I took out my keys and unlocked it, as I walked in, I heard murmuring and the TV sound.

I was about to call Lana, but my eyes caught a glimpse of what was happening behind the TV room wall and the apartment door. Lana was standing with her back to me, so she couldn't see me. In front of her was Gregory Shaw... kissing her. His hands were on Lana's face, and I could see part of her face and her closed eyes.

I was frozen in place, too shocked to move, then Gregory's eyes suddenly opened, catching my gaze. But he didn't stop kissing her. Gregory just looked at me for a quarter of a second before closing his eyes again and resuming the kiss, going even deeper. I turned my body with a flushed face then walked out of the apartment again.

My assumption was wrong; that man hadn't left Lana.

I leaned my back against the apartment door and sighed, today was really a very long day. Suddenly, Mr. Osbourne's apartment door in front of me opened. I looked up at him, but it wasn't the 50-year-old man who came out from behind that door.

A tall man wearing a dark blue suit stood in front of the door, his eyes the same color as his suit, staring at me. Suddenly, my stomach felt like it was being churned.

Nicholas was standing across from me.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish, "What—How—"

My surprise lasted only for a moment. The door I leaned on suddenly swung wide open, almost causing me to fall backward. Lana looked at me with a shocked and panicked expression, while Gregory just smiled faintly. "Ella? I— I thought you wouldn't be back for another hour."

I looked at the three of them alternately for a full half-minute. "What's going on here?" I finally asked.

Gregory tried to suppress his smile, which seemed like it was about to turn into laughter. "Nice to meet you, neighbor. I just introduced myself to Miss Morrel," he said with a playful tone.

I would have scoffed at his answer if my shock hadn't turned into confusion.

"Neighbor?" I repeated, hoping I misheard. I turned my gaze to Nicholas, who was frowning at Greg. "He's joking, right?" I asked him, pointing at Gregory.

Nicholas just looked at me and sighed. He wasn't joking. My mouth hung open wide, along with my panic. Gregory Shaw as a neighbor? I'd rather find a new apartment than have to see his face every day. "Wait... Lana, did you know he was planning to move?"

"Well..." She bit her lip.

Traitor!

"Since when did he move?" I asked slowly, trying to contain my anger.

"A week ago," she replied almost inaudibly. No wonder Gregory hadn't contacted Lana during this time, because they met in person. I felt like the biggest fool right now. "Lana..."

"Eleanor, stop." This time Greg looked at me with a frown.

"Stop?!" My voice raised higher. I clenched my fists in anger.

"If you weren't too busy forbidding her from associating with me, maybe Lana wouldn't have hidden this from you," he said coldly, looking at me with disdain. "You can't stop her from meeting other people."

His last sentence stabbed me as painfully as when he bit me. "I don't want Lana to get hurt," my words came out of my mouth with difficulty.

"I won't hurt her," Gregory replied curtly, running his hand through his black hair.

I snorted at his answer. "Of course, you won't hurt her, because you will erase her memory afterward." I muttered under my breath, but I'm sure Greg could hear me. He looked at me with an expression of disbelief mixed with anger. We stared at each other angrily; I almost couldn't believe this man had ever attacked me. He didn't look as intimidating as he did when we first met.

"If you hurt her, Shaw, even a little—"

"Shaw isn't just me, Eleanor," he interrupted, shifting his gaze briefly behind me. The angry expression on his face had disappeared again.

"It seems like you both need some time to talk," he continued, looking behind my shoulder again, "I would really appreciate it if you could help her think more clearly tomorrow morning, Nick." Gregory pulled Lana, who was looking at me with a guilty face, and then closed our apartment door in front of me. A second later, I heard the sound of it locking from the inside.

"Did he just lock me out of my own apartment?" I asked angrily, turning around to look at Nicholas.

"Greg won't hurt Miss Morrel, Eleanor," he tilted his head slightly toward the door behind him, motioning for me to come inside. I blinked at him, my anger quickly turning into panic. He just returned my gaze with his calm face. I wasn't ready to give him my answer. Not now, and not this week. But I knew I couldn't avoid it now; slowly, my feet followed him into his apartment. Then he closed the door behind us, being in the same room with him only made me more panicked.

I didn't know he would come to San Francisco, well, I should have guessed it. Nicholas wouldn't want to hear my answer over the phone.

One thing I'm sure of... Whatever my answer after this, everything has its consequences. And Nicholas will be part of it.