Eleanor's Demise ✔️

Chapter 28: A Master Manipulator

We hit number ONE! Thanks everyone for reading- here's your promised update!! Also if there isn't another update in the next 28 days, either private message me or comment on this chapter! I've just started college again so it's hard to find the time to update- anyway, Off you go! <3

Adam Carnegie, Missing in Action
-M Times Newspaper Article, 2023 Catalogue, Book 3, et. al. Ve.

About a month ago, Mr. Adam Carnegie went on a what-his-fiancé calls a "business trip" with Allison Cooper, the popular Demeter Modeling Co. Association model. They were seen together entering a private jet near Carnegie's home and neither have been spotted since. No one has filed the couple missing, but sources say he is on a rendezvous with this new Eleanor look-alike. So- the question we must ask is, is Adam Carnegie cheating on Magdalene? The esteemed daughter of Mags and Hags' company. More news on that later.

———

Life had become boring. And yet, it was still a mystery to be discovered.

When he looked over his shoulder, Eleanor thought she had actually lost her breath. A gasp so loud escaped her lips that he had to turn around completely and chuckle as she began to now-hiccup. They were so sweet to each other. Were.

And now they couldn't bother to look at one another, forced to live under the same roof because Eleanor couldn't put her checks into a bank since Allison didn't have a social security number- or even exist. Adam paid for it all.

Each morning waking up to the empty bed and having a mini-heart attack like he had done so many times before. This morning, however, he realized it was fine, he was still in love with the wench that lived almost a room away. But how do you fall out of love, one may ask. Space? Time apart? Adam had had all of that- and yet, every time he looked at her, his heart clenched just a bit and he couldn't hide that his heart and slid to his sleeves.

He went into her room, the time was five in the morning and she was sound asleep. Unable to sleep, Adam sat at the edge of her bed, the sudden movement woke her and the silent lights flickered into the room as the curtain was pushed by wind. The sun was barely rising and a dew-filled morning was what the moisture-filled air held. Indeed, Adam sat, contemplating the events of the past year of his lie- his life.

"Adam?" She wiped the sleep from her eyes as he continued to sit and stare at the floor silently. "What are you doing in here?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard her as if she had yelled the words. She sat up, reaching for a muscular arm that was unclenched and not flinching by the time her warm fingers touched it. She was cozy and he was in love.

"Do you remember..." he began, staring into the dark night, "on our first night together- when we were just married- and you refused to sleep in the bed with me because you didn't like the idea of marrying for a business partnership," he chuckled, "you even made an effort to try and sleep in the bathtub until I turned the water on and got you wet." He smiled at the memory. She sighed, her heart rate rising for no apparent reason as the room suddenly felt smaller.

She nodded silently, unsure where he was going with this memory. His back to her and his heart on still lay on his sleeve, Adam continued to sit and stare at the wall. After a few peaceful moments, Eleanor removed her hand from his body and he turned to face her.

"It never hurt me that much to feel unwanted as it does now." He finally turned, facing her racing heart as their eyes met. The look of shock that overtook Eleanor's face lasted for a slight second before her lips curled into a kind smile.

"You're not unwanted Adam." She muttered, turning on her side and making room for him.

He didn't move as she waited patiently. When she realized he wasn't going to wrap his arms around her and sleep beside her, she pushed the blanket over herself and shut her eyes. They had too many problems- so many that any show of affection wouldn't be able to fix. They could talk it out, but that typically ended up in an argument. As time passed, Eleanor grew dreary.