Held Against My Will by Mr. Billionaire

UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Elena racked her brain all day, trying to piece together the previous night’s event. Her memories of the handsome stranger in the bathroom and her confrontation with Alexander at the exit were vivid, but everything after that remained a complete blur.

“Hello, are you my new Mommy?”

A tiny voice caught Elena’s attention. She spun around to see a little boy, six years old at most. “Whose child was he?” She wondered.

She was sitting serenely on one of the mansion's patios enjoying the cool breeze. The kid was standing a few meters from her, he held a teddy in one hand, and a feeding bottle in the other. He was a very handsome boy with dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Is he Alexander's child?” She wondered.

Elena approached the child with a warm smile and knelt down to his level, “What is your name, sweetie?” She asked.

“I am Bryan.” The little boy replied.

Curious, Elena asked, “Where is your Daddy?”.

Bryan stared at her for a while before replying, “he is at work, but he will be back soon.”

“Can you play with me till he comes back?” He added.

“Of course, buddy.” Elena said, with a smile.

They spent some time playing with the teddy bear, and Bryan grew fonder of her by the minute.

On a curious whim, she asked about his father. “What's your Daddy's name, dear?”

Bryan mumbled, “Alexander Ford.” without lifting his gaze.

She had anticipated that response. Her eyes lingered on Bryan's face and she couldn't deny the kid's good looks, clearly inherited from Alexander. However, she struggled to find any familial resemblance to Alexander. Perhaps he resembled his mother, she speculated.

“Who’s Bryan's mom?” The question swirled in Elena's mind. “What was she like? Beautiful? Kind?”

Elena pushed the thoughts aside, wondering why she was so invested in knowing about someone she didn't know.

“Who are you, and why are you with my son?”

Elena heard a woman's voice say, authoritative and familiar, carrying a mix of pride and irritation that seemed to command attention. Though Elena had heard the voice before, she couldn't quite place it.

As Elena stood up, her eyes met the woman’s piercing gaze. The resemblance to Bryan was unmistakable, especially in those eyes. The woman's raven black hair cascaded down her back, and her elegant attire seemed to radiate an air of refinement.

However, her scowl marred her otherwise striking features. The nanny standing beside her looked like she was on the verge of tears, her eyes red-rimmed and anxious.

“Mummy!” Bryan exclaimed, rushing to hug the woman, who returned the embrace half-heartedly before gently handing him I over to the nanny.

“Go with Emma, darling.” she said, her voice, a mix of affection and detachment.

As soon as the nanny and Bryan were out of sight, the lady claimed the chair Elena had occupied, her movements deliberate. Without preamble, she turned to Elena and snapped, “Are you stupid, or just playing dumb? I asked you a question.”

The pieces clicked into place. That voice, it was unmistakable. The same voice that had spoken to her in the restroom, that asked her that same question. It was the voice of the person that had been somewhat intimate with the handsome man in one of the stalls, if her instincts were correct.

“I'm Elena Ramirez, a guest of Mr. Ford.” she replied, her tone neutral, recalling a staff inquiry about her that led Mr. Hart to introduce her as such.

“A guest?” The woman scoffed, her voice full of contempt. “Let's be honest, you are just sleeping with him. What's your price, and when are you getting out of here?”

Elena wrestled with the woman's words. The insinuation about s*x was a lie: pending when Alexander decides to, but the part about payment….. that wasn't entirely wrong. Money had exchanged hands; her father was paid for her to live with Alexander: was that what this was? A transaction for a s*x slave?

Elena’s legs felt like jelly as these thoughts raced through her mind, and she instinctively reached for a chair. But before she could sit, the woman's voice cut through the air, “who said you could sit?”

“I haven't been feeling too well,” Elena said, her voice a little shaky as she clung to the chair for support.

“When are you leaving?” the woman said firmly, “my son doesn't need to be around the likes of you?” She added.

“Likes of me?” Elena asked, finally recovering from her previous shock.

“Obviously, you are a prostitute. Don't let that title of a guest fool you.”

“Don't make assumptions about people you don't know,” Elena stated firmly. “I'm not a prostitute.”

The woman’s face twisted in a scowl, and Elena braced herself for the worst, but before she could utter a word, Hart strode in, his sweaty brow, a testament to his frantic pace.

“Good to see you, Ms. Isabella.” Hart said, swiftly composing himself. He had been tasked by Alexander to keep Isabella and Elena apart, but it seemed he arrived too late. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards Elena - dealing with Isabella’s toxic behavior was never easy.

“I was starting to think you had died, Hart. I didn't see you around when I arrived.” Isabella said, visibly irritated by Hart’s interruption.

“That's why you need to check with me first so I can make necessary preparations.” Hart said, with a forced smile.

Isabella ignored the butler and turned her icy gaze to Elena, who had been happy about the shift of attention from her.

“Come here!” She commanded

Elena refused to move an inch. Fear gnawed at her insides, but her determination held firm, fueled by exhaustion at being tossed around like a pawn by Alexander and now his ex-fiancee.

“You wrench!” Isabella spat, her voice venomous. “I'd claw your eyes out if you think you can disregard me.”

She closed in on Elena, her anger palpable, her face twisted in a snarl as she loomed over her.

Elena first saw Isabella's hands rising in a threatening motion, she caught Hart's swift gesture to shield her from the impending blow.

She steeled herself for impact, eyes squeezing shot, when a low commanding voice cut through the air from behind her - a voice she never thought she’d be so glad to hear.

“Don't you dare!”

Isabella's eyes snapped to Alexander, standing in the doorway, his piercing gaze rendering her motionless, her face frozen in a mixture of anger and shock.

Hart exhaled slowly, grateful for Alexander's intervention. He couldn't help but wonder about what would have been his fate if he had restrained Isabella.

Alexander walked up to Elena, his gaze sweeping over her, searching for any sign of harm, and finding none.

“Are you alright?” He asked her, his voice softening slightly.

Her voice barely above a whisper, Elena's gaze remained downcast, her eyelids fighting to hold back tears as she murmured, “I'm fine.”

“Caring for your prostitutes now, Xander?” Isabella sneered.

Alexander’s glare cut across the room. He detested her entitlement - the way she thought she could just waltz back into his and their son’s life, stirring up chaos whenever she pleased.

“She's not a prostitute,” Alexander said, his voice cold and final. “She's my girlfriend, and you will speak to her with respect, Isabella.”

Elena’s breath caught. “his girlfriend?” The words hit her with physical force. Beside her, she saw Hart's mouth hanging open, but Elena could only stare at Alexander, thunderstruck by his bold, public declaration.

Isabella’s composure crumbled as Alexander’s words hung in the air, her gaze fixated on his firm grasp of Elena's hand, a gesture that spoke volume, and for a moment, she was left speechless.

Ethan’s smooth voice cut through the tension as he strolled in, his eyes locking onto Isabella with a charming smile, “looks like someone jumped ship before the chopper touched down - guess you have the effect on people, Isabella.”

Elena recognized the voice at once. She turned and found herself facing Ethan - the man with the tousled hair who had saved her from falling. Confusion struck her. What was he doing here?

“Hello dear.” Ethan said, beaming at Elena with his trademark charm, “I see you've met my sister.”

“Sister.”

Elena's mind scrambled. No. It replayed her memory. The restroom, Ethan emerging from the stall. And from behind that same stall, Isabella’s voice. The pieces clicked into place, forming a picture, so monstrous, it couldn't be real.

“Are these siblings sleeping with each other?”