Chapter 4 Shelter In The Storm

Lucas took Eleanor's clothes out of a cupboard and handed them to her. He had a rushed look on his face because he knew they had to finish up quickly. "Eleanor, please get ready right away. I am very hungry. Since you are okay now, I will drop you off at your place. After that, I can finally eat the food I have been yearning for hours." Lucas's stomach growls as he looks at her. "I've been starving for hours." Eleanor, still holding her clothes, looked at Lucas with a sense of gratitude and pride. "You've already paid my hospital fee. I can't take any more favors from you." Lucas couldn't hide his confusion. "Are you out of your mind?" His question caught Eleanor off guard for a moment because she wasn't expecting such a strong response. Lucas kept going, and his voice showed worry. "It's raining outside, and you don't have your phone or bag with you. That means you can't call an Uber, and you don't have any money for a ride. Please quickly change, because I'm not leaving without you." Eleanor smiled. She liked that he cared, but she also wanted to be independent. "Don't worry, I'll survive, and for your peace of mind, I know how to deal with this kind of situation." Lucas wasn't going to give up. He said, "And for your peace of mind, you can pay me back the hospital fee." Lucas wanted to ensure Eleanor left the hospital with him, not only out of fear that she might not report against him but also because he genuinely cared about her well-being and wanted to make sure she was safe in the pouring rain. Lucas asked, "Where should I drop you off?" as he drove. Your home or place of work?" Eleanor looked at him, not quite sure what to think about the question. "Workplace?" Lucas gave a small nod. "You're wearing a uniform, so I thought maybe you were on your way to work." Eleanor shook her head, and her eyes showed a little sadness. "I no longer work there." You can drop me off where I live. Eleanor gave Lucas directions to her house, and as they drove there, there was pure silence in the car. Lucas finally got his car close to Eleanor's house, and she thanked him for his help. However, their quiet moment was cut short when David's car sped right past them and stopped right in front of Eleanor's door. David jumped out of his car right away and started banging on Eleanor's door. Lucas was shocked by the quick change of events and asked, "Who the hell is he? Why is he being so rough with your door?" Now that Eleanor was scared, she closed her side of the car door and told Lucas to drop her off a few blocks from her house. "What will you do after I drop you off a few blocks away?" Lucas asked, still not sure what to do. With a shaking voice, Eleanor said, "I'll wait until he's gone." Lucas offered his help because he wanted to help. "If you need any help, I can..." As Eleanor faced the challenges in her life and the difficult circumstances she found herself in, she assumed that Lucas's life was similar to hers, marked by powerlessness and a constant struggle to make ends meet month after month. "We can't fight against them, Lucas. They are so powerful." Lucas knew what he was capable of and how different he was from someone like David, but he decided not to tell Eleanor the truth about himself. He let her see him as someone who might be having problems like she was, and he offered to stay at his place without meaning to hurt her. Still feeling uneasy, Eleanor said, "But I don't know you." Lucas laughed, and his tone was friendly and comforting. "And you know that guy, right?" He pointed at David to make the point that she was in much greater danger than he was. With a nod, Eleanor agreed that what Lucas said was true. "Then you shouldn't be afraid of me," Lucas said next. Eleanor asked, "Do you know him?" because she was interested. He shook his head. "No, but I know many like him." He was very careful not to talk about his background or any violent activities he had been a part of. "But why are you willing to go this far to help me?" Eleanor asked, surprised that he would help a stranger. "You have no idea who I am." Lucas tried to explain, and his voice was full of seriousness. "That's right, this is my second chance in life to prove that I'm a good person. So, Eleanor, please let me do a good thing if I get the chance." Lucas's words and offer to help moved Eleanor, and she made a tight line with her lips and nodded to show that she agreed. "All right." She was slowly letting this random act of kindness from a stranger into her life, thinking that it would make things better and safer for her. While Lucas was driving, he couldn't help but worry about Eleanor. He asked her, "Where is your phone?" because he wanted to help her and learn more about what was going on. When Eleanor looked at him, her face showed that she was upset. "When I'm in my work clothes, I don't carry my phone. Someone did something at work that made me forget to get my things and change my clothes. It was important for me to leave that place." Lucas asked more questions because he realized the situation was more difficult than he first thought. "That jerk worked with you?" She told him he was wrong, and her tone was tense. "That jerk owned the place where I worked." Lucas, who was getting more worried, gave some advice. "You should contact the authorities if he is harassing you." It was clear that Eleanor was angry and frustrated in her answer. "People like David Bernard keep the authorities in his pocket." Lucas kindly asked her, "I'm not trying to be nosy, but do you have any plans for how to deal with what you called... David?" Eleanor let out a sigh of frustration."To be honest, I don't know what I'm going to do. That accommodation was provided through my job, and now I have no job, which means no place to live. So basically, you're talking to a homeless person." Lucas stopped his car to the side when he heard this. "What happened?" Eleanor asked him as she looked at him in shock. Lucas showed them a building to the left. "That's my place." In shock, Eleanor asked, "Your house is in this building?" Lucas could tell she didn't believe him, so he changed the subject because he didn't want to talk too much about his own life. "This is also from my work." After that, Eleanor and Lucas climbed out of the car and went to a lift. When they got close to his penthouse, Lucas was glad that he was hiding his real self because of recent events and living a low-key life. Eleanor couldn't help but notice that the elevator was only going to Lucas's apartment. This made her wonder how much money he had. That woman couldn't have known that she was with the city's most suitable bachelor and many girls' dream guy. Lucas, on the other hand, felt at ease with Eleanor because she treated him like he was just another person, not aware of his public image. As they rode up to his penthouse, they were both lost in their thoughts. They each had their secrets and loads to carry. Lucas took comfort in the fact that, at least in Eleanor's eyes, he could be a normal person, even if only for a short time. Eleanor valued Lucas's help and kindness.