Husband With Benefits
Chapter 224: Someone Lost

Chapter 224: Someone Lost

"Uncle Alexander.", Eleanora almsot winced at the high sound of her own voice and gave him a strained smile. Had the older man heard the entire conversation? That would be so embarrassing...

"Eleanora. I thought I was late. Good thing, I found you here. Let’s go. I’ve heard the labyrinth is beautiful and there might be treasure if we reach the end of the maze."

Eleanora grinned widely, relieved that the man had not heard her making a fool of herself and placed her hand on his arm, letting him guide her. She actually liked this man out of all the Sterlings after Dora of course. She was incomparable. But her uncle... Even though Alexander Sterling rarely visited her and only ever asked about her health, he made her think of a father. This is what her father would have been like. Or had been like and she did not remember.

"Yes. But we won’t be able to get to the treasure because it is being guarded by leprechauns and they will only drop some gold to lure us before taking away our money as well." Eleanora answered the man seriously.

Alexander Sterling laughed indulgently and shook his head," So, Dora has been messing with you as well. She has quite an imagination, my little girl."

Eleanora smiled at this," It’s not messing, uncle. I like Dora the most."

"The most? I would think Dora would be the only one likeable in our family with Evana always being catty, your grandmother rude and your aunt is so caught up in trying to maintain peace that she hardly ever has time for anything else."

Eleanora smiled at the apt description agreeing silently but still shook her head," I don’t think you should say that, uncle! That is very rude of you!"

"Honesty is sometimes rude."

"So, how is your memory? And your dreams? Are they still torturing you? What did the doctor say?"

"You already know, uncle. The doctor told me at the very beginning that even though we would have patient-doctor privacy, she would be reporting my health to you."

"Hmm. She’s told me that you should not be rushed."

Eleanora nodded. That was what the doctor had been telling her as well. Finally, they’d reached the centre of the maze, and Eleanora could not help but gasp while even Alexander Sterling could only look around in awe. Dora had been talking about the beauty of the place but even he had not expected this.

No one could have believed that Demetri Frost, the man known for his ruthlessness would be able to create something like this.

"Uncle Alex, it’s really like a treasure. I think we need to take Dora more seriously now."

"You are right." Alexander Sterling agreed as he stared in a particular direction.

Finally, Eleanora, who’d squatted down to study the pretty flowers closely, asked," So, what did you want to talk about, Uncle? You even stopped me at the meeting... and then told me to come here"

Alexander Sterling smiled and glanced at the girl on his side," You are an astute girl. And quite direct. While I miscalculated today."

"Miscalculated? How?"

He sighed," Eleanora, you’ve been living here for almost a year with no memory of the past and no warmth in the present. Your cousin has kept her distance from you only taking jibes at you when you do meet, your grandmother made no move to welcome you, always trying to make you feel inferior. I had thought, foolishly but quite wrongly, as I now know, that you would want to take the chance to ascend to the throne if the possibility arose. If not out of greed then out of anger towards those people who have wronged you."

"That really was foolish of you, Uncle Alex. I barely can take care of myself, why would I want an additional burden? Besides, I’ve been listening to Dora and she adores Evana always talking about her achievements and how she never has time but is always kind to her. I can’t blame Evana for not warming up to me when I have made no such effort either. However, I’ve heard and read enough to know that Evana would make a great leader to Estania. So why would I contest this?"

"There you go. Being perfectly logical. But politics and logic do not go hand in hand. There are people who want to disrupt the balance of power here in Estania. And since they have not been able to do this directly until now, they need someone who would be the face of their rebellion. And you coming to Estania has been a blessing and a boon to them."

"So, they want to use me to protest Evana’s ascension to the throne? And you..."

"I’d like it if you would seem agreeable to this proposition... so that..."

"So that those rats would come out of their hiding places and approach me? And then you would have a clear idea of who is on which side."

"Yes. Eleanora, are you sure, you do not have your memory?" Alexander Sterling asked sternly while Eleanora smiled and answered," Uncle, I’ve lost my memory not my mind."

However, even as she said this, she turned away, hiding her thoughts. So, she was to be used as bait to lure the bad people out. But what after that? She was already losing hope that her memory would return. How then would she find her husband...

"Uncle Alex?" Crossing her arms in front of her, she looked down at her gloved hand and questioned," Once those people have been discovered, will you let me go to where I came from?"

"Eleanora, you are not a prisoner even now. I know your movements are restricted but that is because of threats to you. However, you can go wherever you please. Tell me where do you want to go? I will arrange it right away."

Eleanora turned back to her uncle and sighed," I don’t know where I want to go. That is the problem."

As the older man nodded, Eleanora finished in her heart," All I know is that I need to find someone... that I have lost..."

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.