Chapter 28 Who Wouldn't Be Confused?

Eleanor's heartbeat skipped a beat as she locked eyes with Aaron. He spoke calmly, "Aunt mentioned you haven't been back to the Family Ancestral Home for a few days. She misses you."

"I'll take you home," said Edward.
Eleanor shook her head, her eyes catching Aaron's fingers as they played with his silver rings. "Thanks for tonight, but there's one more thing I need to ask you."

Edward didn't want her to stand on ceremony with him. "Shoot."

"Don't tell Grayson about tonight. I don't want his temper screwing up his training, especially since I'm fine," Eleanor responded with an easy, candid smile.

Edward nodded. "Go get some rest, you'll be more at ease by your mother's side."

There was little chance of that, Eleanor thought. Her mother was more likely to give her grief than comfort.

But Edward didn't need to know that.

At the hotel entrance, Edward drove off first.

"Hey Aaron, it's still early, and I'd really like to visit the Family Ancestral Home to see Grandfather," Vincent cajoled.

She tried to stay close to Aaron. Fumbling in his coat pocket, he pulled out a cigarette case. She reached to link arms with him, but he then retrieved a lighter, leaving her grasping at air.

The man stood tall and statuesque at the mouth of the alley, lighting up with one hand. The flame flickered, casting a seductive aura on his chiseled profile.

Vincent's heart raced; this man totally captivated her .

She hadn't planned on settling down so soon, thinking to play the field a few more years before getting serious. Yet, laying eyes on Aaron, she couldn't wait to marry him—what woman wouldn't be drawn to such a man?

Aaron exhaled a cloud of smoke, his voice cool. "Grandfather wasn't feeling well today. He went to bed early. You wouldn't be able to see him even if you went now."

"I miss Aunt then."

"My mom's had a long day taking care of Grandfather; she went to bed early too," Aaron said, flicking ash from his cigarette.

"So you're heading back?"

Aaron's brow furrowed imperceptibly, his tone becoming noticeably heavier. "Today's the fifteenth."

Vincent paused, then remembered that today was the fifteenth on the lunar calendar, a day when Aaron would always stay at the Family Ancestral Home, as per the Quinn family tradition.

Eleanor, since getting accepted into college at eighteen, hadn't stayed at the Family Ancestral Home again, an outlier not strictly bound by the family patriarch's rules.

"I'm about to become a Quinn soon too," Vincent said, her cheeks flushing with a bashful grin.
Aaron pulled the cigarette away, the flickering orange glow barely competing with the haughtiness in his smirk. "So eager to get yourself over to the Family Ancestral Home, huh?"

Vincent's heart raced. Aaron's slight smile bore a dominance that felt almost tangible.

"I'm sorry, Aaron. Don't be mad," she said, vulnerable for a moment. "It's just that we're almost engaged, and I've only been to the Family Ancestral Home once."

Eleanor, fed up with Vincent's charade, didn't hide her disdain as she descended the steps and got into her car without a backward glance.

Vincent was being painfully naive, clinging to Aaron in a desperate bid to tag along, unwittingly playing into his possessiveness. It wasn't about her joining him at the Family Ancestral Home; he simply couldn't stand seeing her with Edward.

The realization made Eleanor scoff at the ridiculousness of it all, yet a knot of tension tightened within her, shortening her breath.

Vincent bristled as Eleanor ignored Aaron completely, a bold rejection which, for a moment, felt like a slap to Vincent’s own face. She never dared to show such audacity towards Aaron. Eleanor was playing the game masterfully, keeping the men on their toes.

"I mean, thank god nothing happened to Eleanor," Vincent said, her eyes welling up with concern. "I wouldn't know how to explain it to you."

Aaron tapped the ashes into a trash can and slid one hand into his pocket. "What would you need to explain?"

"Eleanor's your sister," Vincent reminded him, though failing to slip her arm through his. Nevertheless, his proximity imparted a sense of security.

"Edward was her knight in shining armor, right on time," Vincent said with a snicker. "They look good together—Edward’s young and handsome. And Yan, did you see how she nestled up to him like a little bird?"

She sneaked a glance at Aaron's silent profile and continued, "When Edward said he was Eleanor's boyfriend, it was so... manly. You should have seen the way everyone's heads turned. Eleanor must have been touched by his gesture. Right, Aaron?"

Aaron shot her a look colder than the night air. "Firth don't have a history of force, and even if Eleanor was drop-dead gorgeous, they wouldn't dare overstep."

Vincent's face shifted with discomfort.

Aaron chuckled coldly. "She's a Quinn, remember that. And drop whatever little scheme you're brewing."

The car rolled up, and Aaron flicked his finished cigarette away. "Take her home in her car. I'll drive myself."
"Aaron!" Vincent clenched his teeth in the dark, his face a mix of dejection and defiance.

Aaron got into the car, circling around the hood, while Wesley approached Vincent. "Miss Thompson, let me give you a ride home."

Vincent wanted to reach out to Aaron, but Wesley stood in her way.

She moved left, and so did he; she shifted right, and he mirrored her. Intentional or coincidental, it was hard to tell.

By the time she pushed past Wesley, Aaron had already driven off.

Vincent stomped her foot in frustration and shot Wesley an infuriated glare!

Ever the gentleman, Wesley offered politely, "Miss Thompson, your car keys."

Vincent, agitated, fished out her keys from her bag and tossed them at him, hard!

...

Eleanor didn't drive back to the Family Ancestral Home. Aaron had said Victoria wanted to see her, but Eleanor suspected it was a ruse. Otherwise, why wouldn't Victoria call directly instead of sending a message through Aaron?

You might fool others, but not her.

The new car was breaking in nicely, yet the traffic was a nightmare at this time on this road. Not the most confident behind the wheel, Eleanor moved in stops and starts, until she passed the overpass and crossed the junction. Only then did the traffic finally ease up.

Edward had dropped her a message on Facebook, letting her know he was at the fencing gym.

At a red light, Eleanor took the moment to reply.

Out of the corner of her eye, a car pulled up beside her.

She felt a presence and turned her head.

The trees along the road were shedding their leaves, the crisp sound of them hitting her window.

Aaron held the steering wheel with one hand, his fingers pale and well-proportioned, joints sharply defined yet exuding a steely hardness.

The streetlight's orange glow fell on his profile. His lips were slightly pursed as he turned his gaze towards her slowly.

Eleanor's heart skipped a beat, just like it used to when she was younger, tugging painfully at her heartstrings.

From the moment she learned about Aaron's engagement until now, she had been desperately trying to suppress her feelings which now seemed to break through the surface, invading her being with insidious intensity.

Pain brought tears to her eyes in an instant.

A honk from behind snapped her back to reality; the light was green. Panicked, she quickly shifted gears and accelerated away.

After the turn, in a stretch with few cars, Aaron easily forced her to a halt. She was driving slowly; he blocked her effortlessly.

"Come here," he said, just two words.

Eleanor stayed in her car, motionless, while Aaron, patient, did not press her further.

She started the car, intending to reverse.

"Need your foot?" he asked.

The question rippled through Eleanor's heart.

How did he know her foot was injured?
Despite her best efforts to stay hidden, Edward was none the wiser.

Aaron gripped the steering wheel with one hand. The streets were deserted, with only the occasional car passing by. Other than that, the sound of the wind sweeping up fallen leaves was all that filled the silence.

His voice merged with the night, dangerous yet seductive: "Come here."