Reckless Billionaire’s Ruthless Claim (Obsessed Billionaires, Cherished Brides #4)

Chapter 6 A Deal

Ellie entered the Stark house with a loud yawn, her stomach growling in protest. It had been a long, exhausting night. She hadn’t even had dinner yet. After literally running away from the restaurant, she came straight home.

“Ada, I’m so hungry! Please, give me anything to eat, I’ll literally eat these walls…” she trailed off, but then screamed and jumped back, dropping her bag to the floor as her heart raced in her chest.

“Jenelia?” she gasped, blinking quickly as her pulse hammered in her ears. "Wh-What... are you doing here?"

On the couch sat a woman who radiated sophistication, her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes were cold, staring directly at Ellie like she was an annoying fly that had buzzed into her house uninvited.

Ellie immediately turned around, making a dash upstairs to hide. "You must be here for Sawyer, right? I’ll leave you—"

"Get back here!" Jenelia snapped coldly.

Ellie halted in her steps, her heart jumping once more. Forcing a fake smile onto her face, she slowly turned around and walked toward Jenelia.

The woman was Sawyer’s sister, barely a few years older than him, but one look from her made Ellie feel like she might wet her pants. She was terrifyingly cold, and sharp and the way she stared at Ellie almost made her feel as if she should disappear from this world. Like Jenelia would snap her fingers, Thanos-style—but instead of half the world vanishing, it would be Ellie snapping in two like a twig.

With her best forced smile, Ellie stood in front of her. "I’m here. How are you? What are you doing here so late at night? You should be at home. It’s not safe to roam around other people’s houses this late."

"Shut up," Jenelia growled, clearly annoyed. Her cold eyes bore into Ellie. "You know Olivia is back, don’t you?"

"...yeah. I saw her," Ellie answered, keeping the forced smile on her face.

"Then it’s time for you to get lost," Jenelia snapped. "My brother only brought you into this house because he was upset over Olivia leaving. Now that she’s back, there’s no reason for someone like you to stay near him."

She slapped a document onto the table.

"Sign this agreement. It states that you can’t reveal anything about our family or Sawyer to anyone outside. Sign it and leave my brother right now."

Ellie glanced at the document. The words ‘Confidentiality Agreement’ were printed in bold at the top of the page. Then, she looked at Jenelia, who sat with a pen in her hand, staring at Ellie with growing impatience.

'These people are so damn heartless,' Ellie thought bitterly. 'First her brother, and now his big sister. The moment Olivia came back, I became useless to them. They can’t even wait a single day before kicking me out. Seriously, they’re a businessman’s family through and through—ruthless to the core.'

When Ellie made no move to sign the paper, Jenelia narrowed her eyes and let out a sharp breath. Then, she pulled a check from her purse and tossed it onto the document.

"Here. That’s two hundred thousand dollars," Jenelia said coldly. "It’s probably more money than you’ve ever seen, even on paper. Take it and get out of my brother’s life immediately."

Ellie’s eyes widened the moment she saw the check. In the next second, she rushed forward to grab it, but in her haste, her hand knocked into Jenelia’s. The check slipped from Jenelia’s grasp and fluttered to the ground—right along with Ellie, who lost her balance and fell with a thud.

Scrambling up quickly, her breath hitched as she propped herself up, her fingers trembling against the polished wood. A soft, choked sob escaped her lips dramatically, and a lone tear slipped from the corner of her eye, splashing onto the confidentiality paper beneath her hand.

“I know you don’t think I’m worthy of Sawyer,” she whispered, her voice quivering. Another sob wracked her body, shaking her shoulders as she wiped at her wet cheeks. “But I love him too much. How can your money buy my love for him? How can you just throw cash at me and expect me to walk away? That’s not fair.”

Her sobs grew louder, harsher, as she wiped at her tears. Then, with a determined sniff, she straightened, standing in front of Jenelia with an air of fragile defiance.

Jenelia’s jaw clenched, her sharp gaze piercing into Ellie. “You know what I’m saying. Don’t force me to do things I’d rather not just to get you out of our lives.”

Ellie didn’t flinch. Instead, she inhaled deeply and, before Jenelia could finish her sentence, she lifted her hand, spreading her fingers wide.

“Five hundred.” Ellie cut her off before she could finish. “Five hundred thousand dollars, and I’ll disappear. I promise. I won’t show my face to your family again. I’ll leave right now.”

Jenelia’s mouth fell open as she stared at Ellie, dumbfounded. Just a second ago, she had been crying, her face red and soaked with tears but now—there she was, standing tall, palm open, five fingers displayed.

"Okay? Deal!" Ellie chirped, then bolted upstairs.

Without waiting for an answer, Ellie spun on her heel and ran upstairs. Within five minutes, she was back, her suitcase in hand. Jenelia hadn’t even fully processed the situation before Ellie rushed forward, grabbed the check off the ground, and slammed it down on the table, thrusting a pen into Jenelia’s hand.

"Here." She panted slightly. "Price of my love. Quick, sign in this place. Right here."

Jenelia’s fingers tightened around the pen, her expression thunderous. Her glare alone could have set Ellie ablaze. “I knew it,” she spat through gritted teeth. "I knew it! I knew you were only after my brother’s money!"

Ellie beamed, completely unbothered. She patted the check, then shoved it back toward Jenelia. “Sign, big sis. Write five hundred thousand in bold letters.”

“I am not your big sis! Don’t call me that!” Jenelia growled, snatching the check from Ellie’s hands. Then, with barely restrained fury, she scrawled her signature across the paper, the pen nearly breaking under the pressure.

The second Jenelia lifted the pen, Ellie snatched the check up, inspecting it with a bright grin. She looked up, met Jenelia’s furious gaze, and nodded. “Alright, Jenelia. I got it.”

Jenelia’s rage boiled over. “You—”

But before she could finish, Ellie grabbed her suitcase and bolted toward the door. “I’ll leave now. Thanks, Jenelia!”

"GET LOST!" Jenelia’s roar echoed through the Stark estate as Ellie skipped out of the house, a victorious grin on her face.

Clutching the check tightly, Ellie stepped out of the Stark house. She took a deep breath, basking in the freedom, almost skipping a few steps with a bright grin on her face.

“Excuse me, madam.”

A voice interrupted her blissful moment. Ellie turned to see a young man on a bike pulling up beside her.

“Are you Ellie Madden?” he asked, balancing a large food delivery on his handlebars.

“Yeah.” Ellie flashed him a carefree smile.

The boy handed over the food delivery package. “Here, Mr. Stark sent this for you from Machoman Inn.”

Ellie’s eyes widened in delight. “This night just keeps getting better!” she squealed, eagerly grabbing the bag. “Thanks!”

She placed the bag on top of her suitcase, securing it with one arm before striding away from the Stark house. The city buzzed around her—cars honking, neon lights flickering, and the night sky stretching endlessly above.

Just as she was basking in her newfound freedom, her phone rang. Without glancing at the screen, she picked up, her voice lilting into a cheerful sing-song. “Hellooo—”

“Ellie, set up the dinner table. I’ll be home in ten minutes.” Sawyer’s deep, casual voice came through the receiver, the faint sound of honking signaling he was already on the road.

Ellie froze. Her lips parted in shock before she cursed under her breath. ‘Damn it! Why the heck didn’t I check the caller ID before picking it up?!’

Thinking fast, she spoke in the most exaggerated, high-pitched, robotic voice she could muster. “The number you’re trying to dial is no longer in service. Please refrain from calling this number again if you don’t want to end up in jail. Ting!”

“What?! Hello?” Sawyer called out, sounding confused.

Ellie immediately hung up and blocked his number. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she stared at the red ‘Blocked’ notification, a triumphant smile on her face.

“This is for the best, Narcissistic Stark.” she declared, lifting her chin. “Before you throw me out of your life and your house, I’ll take what I can and leave first on my own. You can enjoy your perfect little life with your high-nosed childhood sweetheart. At least I’ll have half a million to live off of for a while.”

Huffing out loud, she shoved the phone back into her purse, but her fingers brushed against something—a piece of paper. She pulled it out, and her smile faded.

It was a photograph.

Two children—a boy in a green striped pajama set and a girl in pink—stood hand in hand, grinning at the camera. But while the girl looked straight ahead, the boy’s gaze was locked on her, as if she were his whole world.

Ellie inhaled sharply, her thumb tracing the worn edges of the picture. A lump formed in her throat.

“This is the only proof I have that I had a family before I lost my memory. It’s been so many years already. I don’t know who this boy is or how long it’ll take me to find my family.” she murmured. “He must be someone very close to my heart. Even when I was burning, I still held onto this photo like a lifeline.”

She stared at the image, the faintest trace of warmth flickering in her chest.

A sudden blare of a car horn jolted her back to reality.

Ellie shook her head, frowning at the picture before stuffing it back into her purse.

"Meh, whatever." She growled in frustration. "First, I have to figure out how I'm going to get more money now that I've lost my personal ATM. How am I supposed to treat Uncle Tony? Even though he was just a stranger, he spent so much just to fix my burnt face and body with surgeries before he got into that damn car accident and fell into a coma. I’d be a heartless animal if I left him in a care home instead of finding a way to get him back on his feet with treatment."

She glanced at the check in her hand, then up at the sky. “God…” she whispered, her eyes closing as she quickly prayed. “Please, shower me with more money. Send another ATM if you have to. I’m ready!”

***

"Ellie Madden!"

Sawyer’s furious voice echoed through the Stark house, sending the maids into a panic. All eyes turned to Ada.

"Mr. Stark is home early today?" one of them gasped.

"Ms. Ellie isn’t here. Who’s going to handle Mr. Stark now?" another whispered fearfully. "He seems furious!"

Ada held up a hand to silence them. "Stay here. I’ll go see what’s wrong," she said before rushing out.

She rushed out of the kitchen, her heart pounding as she found Sawyer striding through the hall, his face dark with anger.

"Where the hell is Ellie?" he snapped the moment he spotted her.

"Wait, Mr. Stark. I’ll check," Ada answered quickly, dashing toward Ellie’s bedroom. She checked the bathroom, the closet, every corner—nothing. When she returned moments later, her face was pale with panic. But when she opened Ellie’s closet, her stomach dropped.

Everything was gone.

Ada’s heart pounded as she rushed back to Sawyer. "Mr. Stark, Ms. Ellie is gone."

Sawyer narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, gone?"

"I checked everywhere. Ms. Ellie isn’t here. Not just that—none of her things are here either. I think… she left you."

The words barely left her lips before Sawyer flung his coat across the floor, fury radiating off him in waves.

"Mr. Stark," Ada tried carefully, suppressing a nervous chuckle. She hadn't seen him this angry in a long time. "I think Ms. Ellie is upset because Ms. Olivia came back. She must have felt wronged, especially after being forced to leave the restaurant while you stayed back with Ms. Olivia."

Sawyer’s darkened gaze snapped to Ada, disbelief and irritation flashing in his eyes.

"Then she should terminate the damn agreement if she’s angry! Why the hell is she running like a fool?!" His voice was like a crack of thunder, but then his sharp gaze landed on Ada. "And how do you even know I forced her to leave the restaurant?"

Ada bit her lip. ‘Obviously, Henry told me all about it. You and Ms. Ellie don’t exactly make it easy for us to manage both of you unless we know what you’re up to. If it were left to you two to handle your fights, Henry and I would probably end up hanging from a tree—because neither of you could agree on the method to kill us.’ She thought it but wisely kept quiet.

"Mr. Stark, that’s not important, is it?!" Ada quickly changed the subject, grabbing the coat off the ground. She nearly groaned, mentally slapping herself for slipping up in front of Sawyer.

She then turned swiftly to face him, stepping closer. "Mr. Stark, don’t you know how deeply Ms. Ellie loves you? Her feelings for you are unbreakable. She would never leave your side or walk away from this relationship so easily. But this time, I think she must have felt really wronged."

Ada’s voice softened with sadness. "With Ms. Olivia coming back, and you not standing by her side, telling her to leave without you in front of the woman you love, I think—" her voice dropped to a whisper, "Ms. Ellie must be crying somewhere on a dark street right now. Who knows if she even ate dinner or not."

Sawyer’s scowl deepened. His mind flashed back to earlier. ‘I didn’t even let her eat at the restaurant earlier. If she was already upset enough to leave the house, she definitely wouldn’t have touched the food I sent either. That stupid woman!’ his agitation grew uncontrollably, ‘Roaming around the streets hungry at night!’

His anger wavered, replaced by something foreign. He exhaled sharply and sank onto the couch, rubbing his forehead. "I didn’t expect her to fall in love with me so easily after signing that temporary girlfriend agreement."

Ada nodded solemnly, leaning in with a serious expression. "Mr. Stark, you are charming, rich, and incredibly smart. How could she not fall for you? What girl could resist? And Ms. Ellie, she’s such an emotional person. She takes care of you, loves you unconditionally. Everyone knows that. So how could she not be angry after seeing you with another woman?"

Sawyer’s lips quirked into a proud smirk. He lifted a finger to his forehead, pushing back his hair with a hidden smile. "I get it. You’re right." He sighed, shaking his head. "Obviously. How could I have ever thought she wouldn’t fall for me? This is my fault."

Ada stepped closer, placing the coat beside him on the couch. Her voice turned serious. "Mr. Stark, Ms. Ellie loves you so much. But given her timid and emotional nature, now that she’s left the house—and your side—she’s no longer under your protection. What if she gets bullied or hurt?"

She put on a worried expression, looking at Sawyer with deep concern. "So many people were jealous of her because she was with you. Now that she’s left, what if they take advantage of that and try to hurt her?"

Sawyer shot to his feet, his proud expression vanishing into sheer worry.

"That damn woman!" he snapped, but this time, his voice was laced with urgency instead of anger. "Ada, find Ellie right now! Search everywhere. I don’t care what it takes—just find her and bring her back."

Ada straightened immediately, pulling out her phone. "Yes, Mr. Stark! I’ll call Henry right now and make arrangements. Don’t worry!"

With that, she dashed off to make the call.

Sawyer let out a deep, frustrated breath, his gaze locking onto the empty bedroom across the hall. His jaw tightened as darkness flickered in his eyes.

“So what if it’s just a contractual relationship?” He gritted his teeth. “Ellie Madden, don’t even think about leaving me until I throw you out of my life!

Ada rushed out of the hall and headed straight to the kitchen. She quickly scrolled through her phone and sent a text to Liana Stark, Sawyer’s mother.

‘Madam, Mr. Stark has already started worrying about Ms. Ellie. After she left home, Mr. Stark became concerned and now wants to search for her. It seems he really has feelings for her now!’