Chapter 27

The adrenaline pumped through my veins, making me more aware. So did the pain that followed, although I could barely feel my legs at this point. My gaze was still fixed on the metal, only a few inches from my head. Drops of blood fell onto my hair and face.

Greg's blood.

My lips trembled as I called his name. But no sound came out of me, no sound in my head except for a loud buzzing. Hot tears quickly wetted both my cheeks, making my vision slightly blurry. A drop of thick liquid fell onto my cheek, mixing with my tears.

Greg's blood.

If Greg hadn't thrown himself in front of me, that piece of metal might have pierced my head by now. But Greg sacrificed himself for me, and now he was dead because of me.

The pain, the trauma, and the shock made it hard for me to breathe, and slowly my consciousness began to fade.

***

"Eleanor."

My eyes snapped open, my breath racing as if I had just run a long distance.

Nick. I heard his voice calling my name.

The light blue ceiling of my room greeted my eyes. For a moment, I felt confused. How did I end up here? I blinked a few times to focus my vision. But the scene in front of me didn't change; I was still in my room. For the next five minutes, I just sat there on my bed in silence.

How did I get here? My head throbbed painfully.

I pulled back the blanket covering my body and looked at my legs and hands; there were no scratches on my skin, no pain. Was it all just a nightmare?

I got out of my bed and walked to the door, my hands shaking slightly as I opened it. Part of me hoped to see Lana and Greg sitting on the couch chatting like every morning before. But as I walked out, there was no one. My steps were slow, now heading towards the kitchen. I could see Lana's back standing in front of the stove.

She turned, smiling when she noticed me. "Hey, want some coffee?" she asked, turning back to the stove. My heart was beating harder than before; the confused feeling that had hit me when I woke up returned, this time with added panic.

"I was just about to wake you up. Are we having lunch with your boss's boyfriend today?"

I didn't answer Lana's question. My head started to ache more than before.

Lana turned off the stove and turned to face me, a worried expression on her face. "Ella, are you okay?"

"Where—" my voice sounded hoarse, like it hadn't been used for days. "Where's Greg?" My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my own ears.

Lana looked at me with a strange expression, then furrowed her brow. "Who's Greg?" Then she looked at the expression on my face and panic flashed across hers. "Ella? What's wrong with you?"

I stared at Lana blankly for a full half minute. Was I dead? My thoughts raced in all directions at once.

"Ella?" Lana repeated, her expression growing more worried. "You look pale..."

I raised my hand slightly, trying to smile. "Just lack of sleep, I'm fine." I replied, turning back and walking back to my room. I heard Lana calling my name, but I ignored her. I closed the door to my room and leaned against it. Slowly, my body sank to the floor until I was sitting, hugging my knees tightly trying to remember what was happening.

Greg.

Tears fell without me realizing, wetting my cheeks. What happened? But the more I tried to remember, the less sure I was of what happened yesterday.

The incident didn't feel like a dream. I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand and tried to stand up again. I walked to my laptop on the desk and turned it on. My hand reached for my phone on the table as well and looked at all the contacts in it. Desperately, I typed his name several times in the search contact section. But no matter how many times I tried, his name didn't appear.

This time I typed his name on the internet. A quarter of a second later, a row of results appeared. I looked for the latest news related to his name, he attended a money laundering trial... yesterday morning. A photo of the courtroom was included in the article, Nicholas stood next to his client with his cold expressionless face. He was wearing a black suit and a blood-red tie.

Everything looked normal.

What about Greg? The confusion, pain, and shock made it hard to breathe, and my consciousness began to fade.

For the umpteenth time, I asked myself, what happened?

***

"Eleanor?"

I jumped from my seat and looked up. "Yeah?" I replied, trying to smile at Mr. LeBlanc. He returned my smile, his brow furrowing slightly, "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine."

He still looked at me somewhat skeptically. "Okay. Ellie asked me to ask you if you're having lunch together or not."

"Yeah, of course." I replied with a broader smile. I waited for him to turn and leave before turning my attention back to the computer screen in front of me. Because I didn't want to worry Lana, I decided to go to work today. No one asked where I had been the past two days, as if no one in the office noticed.

There were only two possibilities behind all this... Nick erased people's minds around me, or all of this was just a long dream for me. How could he erase so many minds? I stared at the screen in front of me with a blank stare. For the past half hour, I had been searching for news about the recent accident, but none of the articles mentioned the crash... or Greg. My memory of Greg's blank stare and the blood dripping onto my shirt made my heart race.

When dessert arrived, I could only manage to finish a quarter of my dulce de leche cheesecake. Lana kept glancing at me with a hidden worried look.

"You know, you two look alike." Lana suddenly said. Ellie raised her eyebrows inquiringly. "Hair color, voice, even your height... you look similar. I almost thought you were siblings." Lana chuckled softly. "Even your names sound the same, Ella and Ellie."

"Well, maybe I and Ella are related." Ellie replied with a smile. This time I turned to look at her with a questioning look. "Thomas used to like you before, maybe that's why he ended up choosing me. Because we look alike." She smiled again softly. Thomas is Mr. LeBlanc's first name.

"Mr. LeBlanc likes you because you, not because you look like me, Ellie." I quickly replied, not wanting to misunderstand her. "Besides, our relationship is not like that."

"He also said the same thing to me." Ellie replied with a teasing smile.

"Oh, damn! I have to go back now, or my boss will kill me." Lana stood up in a hurry and took out some money. "Nice meeting you, Ellie! Sorry I couldn't chat longer. Ella, do you mind stopping by Liu's Cuisine on the way back from the office? Dinner tonight is Chinese food.

I continue to hide behind the cubicle, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. Nick's whispered instructions to stay put and not move send a chill down my spine. The footsteps draw closer, echoing in the dimly lit room. I hold my breath, trying to control the fear that threatens to overwhelm me.

Suddenly, the footsteps stop. The silence is deafening. I strain my ears, trying to catch any sound that might give away the intruder's location. Minutes pass like hours, and I begin to wonder if I imagined it all.

Then, I hear it—a faint creaking sound, like someone shifting their weight. It's coming from the cubicle across from me. I grip my phone tighter, my knuckles turning white.

"Eleanor, listen to me carefully," Nick's voice breaks the silence, urgent and low. "I need you to stay calm and follow my instructions. There's someone in the building, and they're dangerous."

I nod, even though he can't see me. "What do I do?"

"Wait for my signal. When I tell you to, you need to make a run for it. Head towards the stairwell and get out of the building as fast as you can."

I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "Okay, I understand."

The minutes tick by agonizingly slow. Every creak of the floorboards sends a jolt of fear through me. Finally, I hear Nick's voice again, barely a whisper. "Now, Eleanor. Go now."

I don't hesitate. I burst out from behind the cubicle and sprint towards the stairwell, my heart racing. I can hear footsteps behind me, getting closer. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I reach the stairwell door and push it open.

I take the stairs two at a time, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The sound of pursuit echoes behind me, spurring me on. Finally, I reach the ground floor and burst out into the lobby.

I see Nick standing near the entrance, his eyes scanning the room. He spots me and waves me over, relief evident on his face. I run towards him, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over me.

"What happened?" I gasp, trying to catch my breath.

Nick shakes his head, his expression grim. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get you out of here."

He leads me outside, where the cool night air hits me like a welcome embrace. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

"Are you okay?" Nick asks, his voice filled with concern.

I nod, still trying to process everything that just happened. "I'm fine. Thanks to you."

He smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Let's get you home. We'll talk there."

As we drive away from the building, I can't help but feel grateful for Nick's quick thinking and bravery. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't been there to guide me.