*** *** *** 

"My son," Eleanor's grandfather said again as he stood up from his seat to hug Ryan but he took a few steps back to put distance between them.

"Don't touch me," he warned.

"Hey!" Eleanor yelled. "You can't talk to my grandfather like that!"

"Tell him not to touch me," Ryan replied.

Eleanor was about to say something but her grandfather raised his hand, signalling for her to stop talking.

"It's okay, Eleanor," he said with a weak smile before looking up at Ryan. He stared at him for a few seconds and then bowed. "I'm sorry for my rudeness. I hope you forgive this little transgression of mine."

Ryan kept his distance as he still stared at the old man cautiously. "Just don't touch me."

"Hey!" Eleanor yelled again. "He just-"

"Eleanor," her grandfather called. "I said it's okay. I was at fault in the first place."

Eleanor begrudgingly kept silent after her granddad's warning. She was still mad at Ryan for being rude to him but she knew she had to respect his wishes.

"I think my time is up here," Ryan said as he already started heading to the door.

"Wait!" the old man called. "You just got here."

"You wanted to see me and now you have seen me," he said as he didn't stop walking.

"Please, wait," the man said in a low voice. There was a certain pain in his voice and it broke Eleanor to hear her grandfather talk like that. She closed her eyes as she was beginning to regret bringing this rude guy to him. He only ended up making her grandfather sad.

"What?" she heard Ryan say and immediately opened her eyes to see him back where he was standing earlier but still with a frown on his face. "I suggest you get this over with quickly. You are making me feel uncomfortable.

"I know," her grandfather smiled. "I'm grateful that you decided to heed my request and came back."

"Just say what you want," Ryan insisted.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Ryan?" 

"Your last name?"

"None of your business."

"Hey!"

"Eleanor!" her grandfather hissed. "One more word from you and I would be sending you off to your room. Don't make me play the old man card on you."

"Fine," she hissed and glared at him. "Be polite. He is at least three times your age."

Ryan took one look at her and ignored her, bringing his attention back to the man in front of him. "Is that all?"

"Yes," the man smiled. "I'm just amazed that you look so much like my son."

Ryan stared at the man with no reaction at all as he just stood there with a straight face. "I know my father and you are not him."

"I know," he laughed. "You can't possibly be my son. He should be at least twice your age. He died young and you look just like him before he died. He was also Eleanor's father. It's been just me and her ever since."

"You did a good job raising her," he said stoically and was about to walk away when the man's voice stopped him again. 

"Wait."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he turned around to face him. "What? Aren't you done yet?" 

"I just want to thank you for saving my life back there," the man smiled. "We were seeing my family and my weak heart couldn't take it."

"Understood," Ryan nodded. 

"Can I-" the man started but stopped himself, looking at Ryan with sad eyes. 

Ryan sighed. "What do you want?"

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"Just say it."

"Can I please hug you just once?" he asked. "You look just like my son and my greatest wish has been to give him one last hug before he died."

"You do realize that I'm not your son, right?" Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll pay you anything you want," he offered. "Anything at all. Name it."

"That wasn't the answer to my question."

"Of course, I know," the man replied, seemingly frustrated. "Please just grant me this one wish."

"I want to be out of here after this, that's what I want," Ryan said with a sigh. "And I don't want her touching me."

"Of course," he nodded and made a move to come hug him. Ryan instinctively attempted to step back but soon changed his mind as he let the man grab him in a bear hug. "You smell just like him too."

"You should leave me anytime soon, I get uncomfortable when touched by people," Ryan said as his eyes met with Eleanor's who was staring intently at him. "And please tell your granddaughter to stop staring at me like that."

"Of course," the man laughed. "I could already feel your body go rigid when I touched you."

"Goodbye," Ryan said and turned away.

"Here," the man said, stretching out a card to Ryan. "This is my personal card with my personal number and email. Call me anytime you want or send me a message. I want to be close to you."

"That makes me feel really uncomfortable but maybe I'll try," Ryan said and walked away.

"Wait," I'll take you home," Eleanor said hurrying after him.

Ryan sighed as he waited at the door. He would have preferred to go back on his own but there was simply no other option for him since he had no money and he didn't know the directions out of the estate or where to go from there.

"I should have watched out for the directions here," he scolded himself. 

Eleanor was soon by his side and they went out together. She got in the car which was in the driveway just outside the door and let him in.

She revved the engine and pulled out of the driveway, then out of the compound. She was soon driving through the estate and he made sure to watch out for the direction, keeping note of every turn they made just in case this girl had an ulterior motive for driving him.

"You don't have to be so cautious around me," she said as if she read his mind. "I am not that kind of person and I definitely wouldn't hurt you. I'm just mad at you for the way you treated my grandfather. You should have shown him a little bit of respect."

He stared at her for a few seconds just like he did earlier and just looked away, looking back out the window, annoyed that she made him miss some turns.

"Do you really have to be so cold?" she asked. "You feel and act just like a robot. You showed absolutely no emotion even when my grandfather hugged you."

"Why do I have to show emotion to a person I don't know?" he asked, still not looking at her. 

"What if you do know him?" she asked. "Or better phrased, what if you are related to him?"

"I still don't understand what you mean," he said nonchalantly.

"What if your dad is his son and my father?" she asked. "That is a valid explanation for such uncanny resemblance."

"My father isn't a man-whore who would impregnate two women while living two separate lives," he replied calmly. "You should go find your father elsewhere."

"Tell me about your father," she said.

"No," he replied coldly. "And I'm honestly tired of talking. I'll appreciate it if you drive faster and stopped talking. I have a family to get to."

"Wait," she said. "You are married?"

"I don't see how my personal life relates to you," he replied. "Stop talking to me."

She glared at him before angrily focusing on the road. "I'm gonna skin those stupid private investigators alive," she thought. "How could they leave such a crucial detail out of their report? I clearly said to find out everything about him."

With a few directions from Ryan, Eleanor stopped to drop him off just a few blocks from his house. Ryan alighted from the car and immediately started walking away without a word.

"Hey!" Eleanor said as she drove after him. "Common courtesy demands that you say goodbye at least."

"No, it doesn't," he replied. "I don't know you so I owe you nothing."

"Fine," she sighed and stretched a card out to him. "Here's my personal card. You can call me also just in case you don't reach grandpa on time."

"I don't want it," Ryan said bluntly. 

"What?" Eleanor asked, shocked at the blunt rejection.

"I doubt I will ever call your grandfather and I will never call you," he stated and walked away quietly. 

Eleanor was left stunned with an outstretched arm as she watched him run away. 

"What just happened?" she asked herself once she regained her composure. "Did I just get insulted and rejected at the same time? All I did was try to be kind."

She let out a sigh as she made a U-turn and drove away. "This is just the beginning, Mr Ryan."