006: Meeting Eleanor

Anastasia's POV

Leon picked me up at exactly noon the next day and I had spent the entire morning trying on every outfit I owned before settling on a simple navy blue dress that looked somewhat presentable. My hands would not stop shaking and I checked my reflection in the mirror at least twenty times.

When his black Mercedes pulled up in front of the bakery, I took a deep breath and walked outside. Leon got out and opened the passenger door for me like we were actually dating and not two people who had signed a business contract yesterday.

"You look nice," he said as I slid into the passenger seat.

"Thank you." I smoothed down my dress and tried not to think about how expensive his car was or how out of place I felt in it.

The drive to the Hart estate took forty minutes and Leon spent most of it going over the cover story. We met at a charity event four months ago and hit it off immediately. I owned a bakery called Sweet Seasons. He thought I was beautiful and smart. We had been dating ever since. The lies rolled off his tongue so easily that I wondered how many times he had practiced them.

"Just relax and be yourself," he said as we turned onto a long private road lined with trees. "My grandmother is going to love you."

"What if she doesn't?" My voice came out smaller than I intended.

"She will." Leon glanced at me and his expression softened slightly. "Trust me."

The Hart mansion appeared at the end of the drive and my breath caught in my throat. It was massive and intimidating with white columns and perfectly manicured gardens that probably cost more to maintain than my entire bakery. This was where Leon grew up and suddenly I understood just how different our worlds were.

Leon parked in the circular driveway and came around to open my door again. I stepped out on shaky legs and stared up at the enormous house. I felt like I was about to meet royalty instead of his grandmother.

"Ready?" Leon asked and he offered me his arm.

I took it because I did not trust my legs to carry me to the front door on their own. "As ready as I'll ever be."

The front door opened before we reached it and a woman stepped out. She had white hair pulled back in an elegant bun and kind blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. She wore a cream-colored sweater and pearls and looked exactly like what a billionaire's grandmother should look like.

"Leon!" she said warmly and then her eyes landed on me. For just a second, her expression was strange. She looked at me as if she was surprised to see me, but it was gone so quickly I thought I imagined it. "And you must be Anastasia."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hart," I said and my voice only shook a little.

"Please, call me Eleanor." She pulled me into a hug that surprised me with its warmth. "Any friend of Leon's is family."

When she said the word family I felt guilt twist in my stomach because I was not family and I was not even really Leon's friend. I was an employee pretending to be his girlfriend for money.

Eleanor ushered us inside and the interior was even more impressive than the exterior. There were high ceilings, crystal chandeliers and art on the walls that probably belonged in museums. I tried not to stare but it was impossible not to feel completely out of place.

Lunch was served in a formal dining room with a table that could seat at least twenty people. A woman in a uniform brought out course after course and I had no idea which fork to use for what. I decided to watched Leon and tried to copy what he did.

"So Anastasia, Leon tells me you own a bakery," Eleanor said as we ate some kind of fancy salad I could not identify.

"Yes, Sweet Seasons. It was my mother's bakery originally and she left it to me when she passed away."

Eleanor's expression softened. "I'm so sorry for your loss. When did your mother pass?"

"Nine years ago. I was nineteen." The words still hurt to say even after all this time. "She and my father died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver."

Something changed in Eleanor's face and her hand tightened around her fork. She looked pale suddenly and her eyes got this distant look like she was remembering something painful. The moment stretched too long and Leon looked between us with confusion.

"I'm so sorry," Eleanor said quietly and she reached across the table to squeeze my hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong. "Losing a parent so young must have been devastating. But you're family now, Anastasia. You always have a place here."

I felt so guilty I almost choked on my food. This sweet woman was welcoming me into her family and I was lying to her face. I was not dating her grandson and I was only here because he was paying me. The weight of the deception felt heavier than I expected.

"Thank you," I managed to say. "That means a lot."

The rest of lunch passed in a blur of questions about the bakery and my recipes and how Leon and I met. I stuck to the cover story as best I could while Eleanor watched us with such genuine happiness in her eyes that I wanted to confess everything right there.

After lunch, Eleanor showed me around the estate and told stories about Leon as a child. He looked embarrassed when she mentioned the time he tried to bake cookies and nearly burned down the kitchen. It was strange seeing this softer side of him again after yesterday's cold business meeting.

"I should get going," Eleanor said eventually. "I have a phone call scheduled. But please come back soon. It's been wonderful having you here, Anastasia."

She hugged me again and I returned it even though the guilt was eating me alive. Leon and I walked back toward the front door while Eleanor headed toward a room on the side.

I was about to step outside when I realized I had left my purse in the dining room. "I'll be right back," I told Leon and hurried back through the house.

As I passed the room Eleanor went into, I heard her voice. I should have kept walking but something made me stop.

"Yes, I know," Eleanor was saying into the phone. Her voice sounded tired and sad. "The cardiologist said I have maybe a year, possibly less if the condition worsens. No, I haven't told Leon yet and I don't want to worry him."

I stood frozen in the hallway at what I just heard. Eleanor was sick and she was dying and Leon had no idea.

"I just want to see him happy and settled before I go," Eleanor continued. "This girl, Anastasia, she seems perfect for him. Maybe there's still time."

I felt like someone had punched me in the chest because she thought Leon had found someone who made him happy. But it was all fake and when our contract ended after she gave him the family fortune, she would think he was heartbroken and alone again.

"Yes, I'll call you next week for the test results," Eleanor said. "Thank you, Doctor."

I heard footsteps and panicked. I turned to run but the door opened and she saw me standing there. Our eyes met and I saw the exact moment she realized I had been listening.

"Anastasia." Her voice was gentle but sad. "How much did you hear?"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was just getting my purse and…" The words tumbled out in a rush.

Eleanor held up a hand to stop me. She looked tired suddenly and older than she had during lunch. "It's all right. But I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"Don't tell Leon." She stepped closer and took my hands in hers. "Please. He worries too much as it is and I don't want him spending what time we have left treating me like I'm fragile. Can you promise me that?"

I wanted to say no because keeping secrets like this felt wrong. But looking at Eleanor's pleading eyes, I found myself nodding. "I promise. I won't tell him."

"Thank you, dear." She squeezed my hands and then released them. "You're good for him, you know. I can see it. He's different when he looks at you."

The guilt was suffocating now because I was not good for him and this was all pretend and in a few months I would be gone. But I could not tell her any of that.

"We should go," I said quietly. "Leon's waiting."

Eleanor nodded and I hurried past her to grab my purse before practically running to the front door. Leon was standing outside by his car and he looked concerned when he saw my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I lied. "I'm just tired."

He looked at me like he did not quite believe me but he did not push. We got in the car and drove away from the mansion in silence.

I stared out the window and thought about the massive web of lies we were all tangled in. What had I really gotten myself into?