Chapter 20
Wex Vanusell and what you… Merlagh and naughty preige, Tely, and proceed to… should you presume the consequences of pissing him off are not what you were summoned into vile inns. After a long pause, she finally sighed and mumbled, “Maybe it’s for the best.” For now, she had to contend with his mood, dark and threatening. But she could bide her time and figure out how to get out of this mess soon enough.
Tyler flashed her a satisfied smile and said, “Huh, more like it.”
Eleanor said nothing, only banishing with silent fury. A monstrous kitchen. This humor was a nuts-and-bolts shank, and even if she could have conjured a decent salad, the risk of Tyler again entering the kitchen and sabotaging her efforts was too great. The greasy, filthy utensils strewn around were practically unusable; she felt she might collapse.
“You only made this alone?”
“Yeah, what else was I supposed to do?” Deanu shot back, an edge of irritation in her voice. “Look at this kitchen. There’s barely anything here. Considering what I had to work with, I did the best I could.”
Tyler scoffed and talked back, “Even the homeless have a better…”
“How do you know that? Are you homeless or what?” Eleanor retorted, her voice sharp. “Besides, I don’t think you’re some gourmet expert.” Tyler opened his mouth, but his retort choked in his throat. The truth hit him, and it made him furious. He glared at Eleanor, his eyes filled with hate.
Eleanor wasn’t intimidated. With a defiant glare, she simply said, “This is all we have here. Eat it or stay hungry. It’s up to you.” With that, she grabbed her bowl, marched back to her room, and slammed the door shut.
The tension between them hung heavy, the argument dissolving into an uncomfortable silence. Eleanor locked herself in her room and scarfed down the salad. There wasn’t any tuna or sauce in the kitchen, so she made do with only assorted vegetables. But after eating, at least the burning pain in her stomach eased a little.
Eleanor took a deep breath and leaned back, trying to think of a way out of this mess. First, Dominick had forced her into this marriage and completely ignored their past. Any feelings he had for her were long gone—there was no point in trying to work with him.
Her life was completely ruined because of Dominick, and she needed someone to pull her out of the hole he’d dug for her. After all, she had come back here for revenge. She couldn’t afford to falter now, not when she was so close to making her move.
Eleanor knew she couldn’t go back to Rachel for help, and she started to consider who else could help her.
Just as Eleanor’s mind spiraled in frustration, she was interrupted by a knock at the door. At the same time, Tyler’s cold voice echoed through the room: “Eleanor, get ready. We’re going back to Reed Villa now!”
“What! Why?” Eleanor said flatly. “I’m not going back.”
“You have no choice,” Tyler shot back. “You have to visit Reed Villa. You don’t have a choice.”
Eleanor furrowed her brows and replied, “Why not do it yourself? Don’t drag me into it.”
Tyler let out a mocking laugh and added, “What if it was Mr. Vanderbilt’s order?”
Her heart skipped a beat. She shot up from the bed, wide-eyed.
Tyler repeated, “Mr. Vanderbilt wants you… wants you to go back.”
Eleanor’s mind went into a whirlwind. Dominick ordered this? But hasn’t he made it crystal clear that he doesn’t care about her anymore? Why does he want her to do this?
Her expression shifted between confusion and anger. Finally, she rejected the idea, her voice firm. “I already said…”
Tyler’s voice grew colder. “This isn’t up to you. Do you really want to go against Mr. Vanderbilt’s orders?”
The blank crush… Tyler grinned, undeterred, and pressed his advantage. She couldn’t defy Dominick. With a sigh, Eleanor reluctantly agreed. “Fine. I’ll go back with you.”
She reluctantly changed into the outfit he picked for her. It was drab, ugly, and made her look like… but Tyler played the Dominick card again to force her. She felt disgusted wearing the shabby clothes, but she had no other option.
Eleanor stepped out of the car, and she was spotted by Eric. Seeing her cheap and worn-out outfit, Eric paused for a moment before a look of disdain crossed his face. He walked toward her, his voice loud and mocking. “Hey, get out of here. This is Reed Villa, not some street corner where you can beg for scraps.”
Eleanor didn’t hesitate. She quickly recovered and retorted, “Open your damn eyes and see who I am. If you really can’t recognize me, maybe it’s time you retire.”
Eric’s face paled. He managed an insincere laugh. “Ah, Ms. Reed. My bad, Ms. Reed. You’re wearing such shabby clothes, and I didn’t…”
Eleanor sneered. “You didn’t recognize me because you didn’t want to. Don’t try to cover it up with some fake apology. Stop wasting your time with Jennifer and Alexis, and maybe it’ll make you more professional.”
She wasn’t interested in wasting time with Eric; all she wanted was to get this “homecoming” task over with and get out as soon as possible. Every inch of this place made her skin crawl. “Take me inside, Mr. Reed.”
Eric shot Eleanor a cold look and led her into the villa with a slight bow. Everything in the house was as lavish as ever. Eleanor knew the Reed family didn’t need her; without her, things might even improve. She’d long accepted that fact, but there was no way she could just walk away and let the Reed family prosper without her.
Eleanor couldn’t help but curl her lips into a bitter smirk as she followed Eric into the living room. Gregory was sitting there, looking as stiff and pompous as ever. When he saw Eleanor, he snorted and snapped, “What are you doing here, you…”