Reclaimed By Love

Three

The air in the hotel room crackled with tension.

Ellie kissed Alex, her lips clumsy and insistent, more like nibbling than kissing. But the contact sent a jolt through him. Her face, a mirror of the woman who had haunted his dreams and fueled his anger, was both a torment and a temptation.

His heart pounded. For a moment, Ellie's features seemed to blur and merge with hers. The woman who had vanished years ago.

Ellie, oblivious to his inner turmoil, clung to him, trying to convince herself this was a fair trade. Her body for his help. He was a business genius, desired by countless women. She shouldn't resist.

The drug amplified her surrender. Resistance crumbled, replaced by a hazy acceptance. She was in over her head, but there was no turning back.

Alex, his eyes cold, saw not Ellie, but Isabelle. Beg me, Isabelle. Beg for mercy.

The temperature in the room soared.

He imagined Ellie as Isabelle, the woman he had once loved with a passion that now burned as fiercely as his hatred. He tormented Ellie, his actions fueled by a confusing mix of desire and vengeance.

Ellie, lost in the drug-induced haze, obeyed his every command, her laughter echoing through the room. But her dazed compliance only tightened Alex's grip on her, both physically and emotionally.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with a desperate plea. For the company… for Sterling…

The night stretched on, a blur of passion and pain. From the bed to the windowsill, from the bathroom to the sofa, they left a trail of sweat and surrender.

Ellie woke to the harsh light of morning, disoriented and alone. The unfamiliar room swam into focus, and she sat up, a wave of nausea washing over her. The soreness between her legs was a stark reminder of the night before.

Alex…

Her eyes fell on the used condoms in the trash can, the remnants of their encounter scattered like fallen soldiers. But where was Alex?

She climbed out of bed, ignoring the ache in her muscles, and scanned the room. He was gone.

Had he just… left? After everything?

Damn him!

As if summoned by her anger, the bathroom door opened, and Alex emerged, a towel slung low around his hips. Ellie, naked and vulnerable, gasped.

"Ah!" She scrambled for the discarded quilt, clutching it to her chest.

"A little late for modesty, wouldn't you say?" Alex smirked, his eyes flicking to the condoms in the bin.

Ellie's cheeks burned. But he had already seen everything, and they were bound by this… arrangement now. There was no point in hiding.

"What you promised…" she began, her voice hoarse.

"Come to the Ramsey Industries headquarters this afternoon. The contract will be ready." Alex's voice was cold, his expression unreadable.

"Good."

"Once you sign, there's no backing out. But I'll keep my word." He turned and left without another glance.

Ellie let out a shaky breath.

She showered and dressed, the pain in her lower body a constant reminder of the night's ordeal. But Sterling would be saved. That was all that mattered.

For the company, she had paid the ultimate price.

As Ellie stepped out of the hotel room, her phone buzzed. It was Madison.

"Ellie, what happened? Tell me you didn't actually…" Madison's voice was filled with worry.

"Alex agreed to help me," Ellie said, avoiding the details.

"Really?" Madison's relief was quickly replaced with suspicion. "How could he just agree like that? Did you… did you really…"

Ellie sighed. "Maddy, you know I'm not exactly… business savvy. I don't have your connections, your friends. I had no one else to turn to. Sterling is a huge company, and Alex was my only hope. If it meant… if it meant doing what I did to save my parents' legacy, I'd do it a hundred times over."

"But Alex Ramsey… he's not a good man, Ellie. He's a notorious playboy." Madison regretted suggesting Alex. She hadn't anticipated his… demands. Taking advantage of Ellie's vulnerability… what a despicable man!

Damn it! I should have snuck in and taken pictures. I could have used them to blackmail him!

"Maddy, it's okay. Really. I'm… I'm okay with it." Ellie tried to sound cheerful. "Besides, wouldn't you rather sleep with a handsome man like Alex than some… some ugly creep? And technically, I was the one who…" She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Oh, Ellie…" Madison's concern softened. "Well, I guess if you put it that way… and you did take those pills… he has to help you now. He can't just back out."

Ellie chatted with Madison for a few more minutes, then hung up.

She returned to her empty house, the silence echoing around her. She changed, showered, and tried to rest, but sleep wouldn't come.

At noon, she headed to Ramsey Industries.

The moment she stepped into the grand lobby, a receptionist stopped her.

"May I help you, Miss?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Ramsey. Alex Ramsey."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Appointment?" Ellie frowned. "No, but… he told me to come this afternoon."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ramsey doesn't see anyone without an appointment."

"But I… we had an agreement." Ellie's heart sank. Surely, Alex wouldn't just ignore her? He wasn't that kind of man, was he?

"Perhaps you could call him? Tell him Ellie Vance is here… to sign the contract."

"Sign a contract?" The receptionist's eyebrows shot up. "That's a new one. I've heard of signing contracts, but not… signing contracts." She eyed Ellie with disdain, assuming she was just another woman chasing after the elusive CEO.

As if any of us had a chance.

And the one thing Mr. Ramsey hates is this kind of desperate attention.

"I really am here to sign a contract," Ellie insisted, her cheeks reddening.

It was a contract, in a way. Just not the kind the receptionist was imagining.

The receptionist smirked and turned to the security guard. "Another one, Tom. Please escort her out."