Chapter 2 The Familiar Stranger

They let me out sooner than I expected. Timothy’s grace had something to do with it. The grace had also extended to him, arranging a car to pick me up from the facility and bring me to the small apartment in Capitol Hall.

For the first few weeks, I had done what I was expected to do. I kept my head down and stayed out of sight. Even when I wasn’t doing much else, I kept one eye on Timothy. There were no dramatic confrontations or explosive revelations. Only quiet and careful watching.

I set up Google Alerts under fake names to catch any news about him or his businesses. I followed the company’s press releases, skimmed through social media accounts of people connected to him, his lawyers, business partners, even his private driver’s niece, who posted a little too often. But I got nothing concrete. No scandals, no secrets. Only the polished surface, Timothy wanted the world to see. And for some reason, there was no news about me. It was like I didn’t exist.

Months had slipped by since I signed those divorce papers. The monthly stipend Timothy promised? It stopped arriving weeks ago. No calls, no texts, no explanations. Just nothing.

I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the latest electric bill. My fingers traced the faded numbers, and I swallowed hard. How am I supposed to pay this? The savings I had were almost gone, and every day felt like I was running out of time. I needed a job.

The idea felt foreign, almost shameful. I had been groomed for a certain kind of life. Glamorous, effortless, provided for. But the bastard had chewed me up and spat me into a world where job boards were my new social feed.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through job listings, mostly ignoring them. But then, something caught my eye.

Personal Assistant – CEO’s Office – Worth Enterprises.

The name Worth Enterprises sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it immediately. I tapped the listing open and read the description:

“Seeking a highly organized, discreet personal assistant to support the CEO of Worth Enterprises. Must have excellent communication skills and the ability to manage complex schedules.”

I bit my lip. A personal assistant? To a CEO? Considering my academic qualifications, I’d be overqualified for the role. The position was beneath me.

My thumb hovered over the “apply” button in hesitation. Something in the back of my mind told me they won’t even consider me. But the bills didn’t care about my doubts. The empty fridge didn’t care about it either. I still deserved better, though.

I scrolled down to see the company’s website. Worth’s Enterprises was a major player in the city's technology, real estate, and investments. And the CEO? The name caught me off guard. Surely it couldn’t be–

Anderson Ellsworth.

Something stirred deep inside me. I hadn’t heard his name in years.

“No,” I whispered to myself. It couldn’t be him. He was probably still abroad. His family owned Worth Enterprises? Wow! Talk about expanding wealth. Last I heard, his father had been ill.

You are wasting your time. I thought bitterly. There was no way they were going to hire someone like me. Not if they find out who I truly am.

I stared at the screen for a long moment. This could be the chance I’ve been waiting for. This wasn’t about knowing my worth in the corporate world or beating myself over the position I was overqualified for.

Then I clicked.

Days passed by like slow-moving shadows, each one stretching longer than the last. My phone buzzed early in the morning which made my heart leap and freeze at the same time.

“Miss Campbell? This is Rachael from Worth Enterprises’ HR. We’d like to invite you for an interview. Are you available tomorrow morning?”

“Yes.” I cleared my throat. “Yes, tomorrow works.”

Standing before the Worth Enterprises headquarters, I looked at my reflection. Blazer that wasn’t in fashion, concealer over my dark circles, hair straightened until my arms ached. I looked composed on the outside. Inside, I was shaking.

At the reception desk, I gave my name.

“Miss Campbell? They are expecting you. Please have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly.”

I sank into the leather chair with a hunched posture. Minutes crawled by as my eyes were fixated on the glossy floor, trying to steady my breathing.

Then a woman appeared with a clipboard. “Miss Campbell?”

“Yes,” I answered, my voice steadier than I felt.

“Mr. Ellsworth will see you now.” She said with a practiced smile.

My pulse quickened as I followed to the lift that led to the top floor. We passed through a gleaming hallway, and I scanned the area. Sleek lightning. A firm executive silence that could crack a stone. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I had known wealth. Had grown up with it. Yet something about this place reminded me I was no longer part of that world.

We stopped at a large oak door. She knocked lightly and pushed it open. “Your eleven o’clock is here, sir.”

I stepped in.

And froze.

He was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, his hands in his pockets, and his back to the room. Broad-shouldered. Clean lines. Charcoal gray suit tailored to an infuriating degree. His posture hadn’t changed. Still arrogant in the way only someone born into wealth could be. Still calm, like the world had never tilted for him.

Time had sculpted him into something formidable.

When he turned, I stopped breathing.

It was really him.

Junior.

He didn’t flinch. No recognition sparked in his eyes. He looked at me like I were a piece of paper on his desk. Something to assess, not remember.

“Take a seat,” he said simply, gesturing to the leather chair across from his desk.

“Thank you, Sir,” I said, seating myself, keeping my eyes lowered.

“You may leave us,” he directed at the woman who led me to his office. She gave a casual nod and strutted out.

He was actually back. After all these years.

He seated himself in his chair and opened a folder on his desk. He glanced down at the paper, then looked up at me with a steady gaze. “Elaine Campbell,” he began, using my formal name from the application. “Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. You went to Harvard Business School. Internship at Galacorp. But there is a three-year gap after that. No recent work experience listed. Can you explain that?”

I looked at my knees and thought of a reply. “After my internship,” I started, glancing up slowly, “I had to step away for family reasons.”

“What family reason, Miss Campbell?”

“After my father’s passing, I spent those years managing personal affairs and trying to stabilize my family’s business.” That was partly true. After the death of my dad. I was only able to manage the business for like a year. The rest I spent in the psychiatric hospital, and well, no longer in charge of anything.

He nodded slowly. “That explains the gap. Can you tell me how your experience managing family affairs translates into the responsibilities of this position?”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “During that time, I handled complex scheduling, coordinated with legal and financial advisors, managed confidential communications, and oversaw daily operations for both the household and the remaining business interests. That, i-i think, are skills that are essential for this role.”

I waited for him to ask further questions, but he didn’t. He only watched me with skepticism.

Did he really not recognize me?

“Well,” he blurted, breaking the silence. “Your educational background is remarkable, but I don’t think you are the right person for this position.”

My eyes widened in alarm. “May I ask why, sir?” Of course, I knew the why. I was simply overqualified for the job. I waited for him to give me the answer I knew he was going to say anyway.

His eyes studied me like he was trying to piece together a puzzle he hadn’t realized was missing.

“I saw your application,” he said after a moment. “I wanted to see the Elaine Campbell who applied to be a personal assistant in my company,” the thin line of my brows jumped in surprise as I gawked at him.

His eyes darted to the door, then back at me. “Did you notice there was no one else here for the interview?” he paused in several beats. “The look in your in face tells me you didn’t. You are the only candidate.”

I blinked in surprise. “The only one?”

He nodded. “No other candidates, I made sure of it.”

My heart palpitated. “Why?”

He smiled, a little sadly. “Because your name… It’s familiar. Too familiar to ignore.”

“Junior,” I whispered loud enough for him to hear the nickname I used to fondly call him. Technically, it was his name.

“No one has called me that in years. Ten years, is it?” he let out a sigh. “That’s a long time.”

I bobbed swiftly as I leaned forward, unable to hold it in anymore. “You really do recognize me.” Tears welled in my eyes. “I can’t believe this. It’s actually you. You are back.”

“I got back about a month ago.” his brows furrowed slightly as he looked at me again. Closer this time. “I must say you’ve changed quite a lot. I mean, I could barely recognize you.”

“So have you,” I said with a brittle smile. “I mean, look at you. You are no longer the sixteen-year-old boy who walked with his nose in the air. I get it. Ten years does things to people.” His furrow deepened. I knew that wasn’t what he wanted to hear from me. The change he meant was entirely different from what I let out and made him believe that it was.

He leaned back into his chair, visibly thrown. “You applied for this position knowing I was here?

“Maybe,” I admitted. “When I saw Anderson Ellsworth without the Junior, I couldn’t come to any conclusion yet.” Liar. “I thought you were still in Switzerland or hiding from the world.”

“That makes it worse. Applying here, knowing you could face my dad must be nerve-wrecking.”

“I know, right?” mirthed.

A beat passed. “You are in luck because he passed shortly after I got to Switzerland,” he revealed.  Aah, the reason why he had left without a word all those years ago, shattering my heart into pieces, was dead all this while. I felt sorry for him. Just a little bit. I wasn’t going to lie and say the man wasn’t a pain in the butt. He hated my guts. And so did I. There was no impressing him. There was nobody good enough. Even his son wasn’t good enough for him.

“I heard he was sick, but I didn’t know he had died. I’m so sorry about that,” I breathed. I had no words of comfort left to say. It was understandable because I’d been deprived of it myself.

“I’m sorry about yours, too,” he murmured.

“What?” I asked, recollecting myself. “Yeah, right.” I had momentarily forgotten I had lost mine as well.

He chuckled. “The old man loathed me,” he said as a matter of fact.

It was a two-way thing. Our families hated each other. The flame of rivalry has been blazing for generations, and they wouldn’t let their offspring let it die. Never.

“He did,” I agreed. Silence stretched between us.

He cleared his throat, “What happened to you, Elaine?” he asked. I’d been expecting it. The conversation was going to lead to that very question, and there was no escaping it. “Why aren’t you running your father’s company? Why are you here?”

A flicker of pain darted through my chest. I masked it with a shrug. “Life happened.”

His eyes softened a little. “What does that mean?”

I looked at him squarely in the face. “It means I trusted the wrong people,”

He frowned, “I don’t understand, weren’t you already running the company?”

“Well,” I cut in with a smile too bitter to be sweet. “There is a lot you don’t know and haven’t heard. You’ve been out of the loop, Anderson.”

He studied me again, this time like a man trying to confirm a ghost was real. “I asked around, you know,” his voice was gravely low. “And I heard things.” His eyes didn’t leave mine. “Elaine, you and I both know you didn’t come here for the job.” He leaned in, his voice a notch lower.

“Tell me why you’re really here.”

I said nothing.