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

Chapter 21 Options

He yanked the file from Henry’s hands and scanned the details. The records confirmed it—Ellie had suffered severe burns and underwent reconstructive surgery. Now, she had fully recovered. There was nothing else mentioned.

Except…

Something didn’t add up.

It stated that Tony had adopted her three years ago, yet there was no record of her identity before that.

Sawyer’s grip tightened. “Where’s the information about her life before that?”

Henry’s frown deepened. "According to the doctors, Ms. Ellie lost her memories when Mr. Tony found her. There’s no record of her past before that."

Sawyer’s chest tightened, a dull ache spreading through him. His fingers pressed against his heart as an unfamiliar panic clawed at his ribs. His heart pounded with something unexplainable.

His gaze hardened as he looked at Henry.

“Find out everything,” he ordered, “I want to know who she was before that fire.”

Henry nodded, taking the file back and heading out.

Sawyer turned around, his heart pounding. The more he thought about everything Ellie had endured in just three years, the more a deep, unshakable need to shield her and give her everything he had consumed him.

He hadn't realized she had suffered this much. And in all that time, he had said the most ruthless things to her—words that now made his stomach churn with guilt. The overwhelming pain of it settled in his chest, refusing to fade.

Inside the hospital room, Ellie stirred in her unconsciousness, shifting onto her back. Behind her closed eyelids, a distant memory played—one buried so deep, she hadn't even realized it was still there.

A boy in striped green pajamas ran through a sunlit garden, chasing after a laughing little girl.

"Olivia, don't run! I want to be with you!" the boy called out, his voice breathless but determined.

She giggled, spinning around just as he caught her, his small hands gripping her arms firmly.

"Olivia," he scolded, frowning. "Don't run away."

"Okay." The little girl nodded, grinning. "I won’t."

The boy squinted at her suspiciously.

"Don't look at me like that, Sawyer," Olivia huffed, crossing her arms.

His frown deepened before softening into an affectionate smile. Olivia was his first crush—his favorite person in the world.

"Olivia—"

"Don't look at me like that either!"

Sawyer’s smile dropped into a frown.

At that moment, a pair of hands grabbed Olivia from behind and yanked her away.

"Jenny!" Sawyer snapped, stepping in front of them, blocking the way.

"I’m taking Olivia," the young girl declared defiantly, hugging Olivia tightly.

Sawyer frowned, "I want to be with her! You stayed at her house last night!"

"So what?" Jenny huffed, defiant. "I'm going to marry Olivia when I grow up. I'm older than you, so I'll marry her first!"

Sawyer’s eyes filled with tears at once. His loud wailing startled Jenny, making her let go of Olivia in alarm. She shot him a panicked glare. "I'm not changing my mind!" she hissed before bolting away.

Olivia watched Jenny disappear, then turned to Sawyer, who was furiously wiping away his thick tears.

"Don't worry," he sniffled. "I won't let her."

Olivia grinned. "Crybaby."

"Hey!" Sawyer snapped. Then, grabbing Olivia’s hand, he declared, "Don't run away again! I have something for you. I went out with Dad yesterday and bought you a gift. If you don't run, I'll give it to you."

“Really?” Olivia’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Seeing her smile, Sawyer felt even more eager. He nodded. “If you stay with me instead of Jenny all day, I’ll bring you more gifts tomorrow. A thousand more gifts!”

"Okay," Olivia agreed, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

Sawyer clenched his eyes shut, like a puppy basking in attention.

"Let go of my hand now," she added with a chuckle.

Sawyer eyed her warily, his fingers tightening. "You won't run?"

"I won't," she promised, nodding.

His expression relaxed, and he finally released her hand.

The next second, Olivia bolted.

"Olivia!" the boy groaned in frustration, chasing after her again.

She giggled, dashing inside the house with Sawyer on her heels. But the moment she stepped into the hall, her foot caught on something—

She tripped. Fell hard.

And suddenly—she wasn't a little girl anymore.

Instead, she lay trembling on the ground, engulfed in flames, her skin searing as fire burned through her.

"No!" she screamed, her body convulsing. "It hurts!"

The pain was unbearable. Agonizing. Every breath she took felt like knives slicing through her lungs.

"Ellie?"

A voice broke through the flames.

Someone was shaking her.

"Ellie! Wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open, wild and panicked. She was shivering, gasping for breath.

Sawyer sat in front of her, his face etched with concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Nightmare?"

Ellie shot upright, her skin ice-cold, her entire body trembling, the pain from the dream still vivid, lingering on her skin as if it had really happened.

"I'm here," Sawyer murmured gently, reaching out to touch her face. "You're okay. You’re alright."

His soft voice grounded her, pulling her out of the nightmare’s grip. Her breath came out shaky as she stared at him, reality settling in.

Then, suddenly, her expression turned urgent.

"Sawyer, the girl right now... she’s not the real Olivia," she blurted out. "You have to believe me. Yesterday, when I went to her house, she attacked me. That girl—she's someone else!"

Sawyer studied her intently, his gaze unreadable.

Then, to her surprise, he smiled.

"Ellie Madden, I'm impressed," he mused, a smirk playing on his lips. "You actually told me about this? I thought you'd be too pissed to warn me and would just let me rot while that fake Olivia took advantage of me." He shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Honestly, I’m shocked you told me instead of just keeping it to yourself."

Ellie’s eyes narrowed. Quickly clearing her throat, she crossed her arms and threw him an arrogant look.

"I only told you because I wanted to see the look on your face when you act like a clueless fool defending your so-called goddess!" She huffed. "So when you finally realize I was right, you’ll look even more like an idiot knowing I figured it out first!"

She stuck out her tongue at him, irritated.

Without warning, he reached out, pinching her cheek and pulling her close.

"You’re really annoying, you know that?" he hissed, his breath warm against her face as he leaned in.

Ellie stilled, staring at him up close.

"Do you see me angry right now?" he asked, voice low.

She scrutinized his expression.

No fury. No frustration.

She had expected him to lash out, call her jealous, crazy, and accuse her of being petty—but there was none of that.

He just looked at her calmly.

Then, she realised and her mouth dropped open in disbelief, "You already knew about this?! That’s why you’re not angry?"

Sawyer nodded. "Yes, but also because I have no feelings for her." His hand softened on her face as he met her gaze. Then, in a whisper against her lips, he said, "You're the one I love."

Before she could take another breath, his lips crashed against hers, hot and demanding. His tongue traced the seam of her lips before pushing inside, claiming every inch of her mouth with a fierce, unrelenting hunger.

He tasted like danger and dominance, a mix of raw desire and something darker—something that sent a shiver down her spine. His teeth grazed her lower lip before he sucked it between his lips, tugging just enough to make her whimper.

His hands gripped her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. His kiss deepened, his tongue stroking hers in a slow dance that left her breathless, trembling, and completely at his mercy.

By the time he pulled back, Ellie was breathless, gripping his shoulders to steady herself. Her heart pounded as she stared at him, her expression clouded with confusion.

"Sawyer, you don’t love me," she said, shaking her head. "You’ve always been in love with Olivia."

But he cut her off, his voice calm, his thumb gently brushing her cheek as he gazed at her with an intensity that made her heart pound.

"At first, you were just someone my mom sent over to distract me from Olivia," he admitted. "But Ellie…" His voice wavered slightly, emotion thickening every word. "The moment I saw you get hit by that car, I didn’t want to live anymore either."

Her breath hitched as his eyes bored into hers—dark, intense, filled with something that terrified her.

"I love you," he said, his voice laced with desperation. "There’s nothing in the world that will change that. I can’t imagine a life without you in it.” He took a deep breath, his grip on her tightening. “It happened suddenly. I don’t know when or how, but the second you were hurt, I knew—if something happened to you, my life would be over. There would be nothing left in this world that would make me happy ever again. And that feeling… it was fucking terrifying.”

His fingers curled around her jaw, pulling her closer as his lips brushed against hers. "Ellie Madden, I’m in love with you."

His kiss this time was different—soft, lingering. He teased her with gentle pecks, slow and wet, before his tongue traced her lips in featherlight strokes. Then, just as she parted her lips for air, he deepened it, sucking on her lower lip with a hunger so intense it sent a shiver down her spine.

By the time he pulled back, her lips were swollen, her breath uneven, and her entire body tingling from the lingering heat of his touch.

Still, she gripped his hand and pushed it away, her heart pounding erratically.

"Who knows if you even mean what you're saying," She huffed, her voice edged with suspicion. "Right now, you’ll say all this, but tomorrow, you’ll change your mind. And I’ll be the idiot who fell for it."

Sawyer narrowed his eyes. "You don’t believe me?"

"Nope," she said defiantly, folding her arms.

Without a second thought, he grabbed her arm and pulled her off the bed.

"Hey! What—where are we going?" she protested, struggling against his grip.

"To get married."

Ellie froze.

Sawyer turned to her, his expression dead serious. "Let’s get married right now. I’ll make you my wife. That way, you won’t have a choice but to believe me."

Ellie froze, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes. “What?! Who wants to marry you?” Snatching her hand back, she held her wrist protectively, giving him a wary side-eye. Then, tilting her chin up, she smirked. "Besides, I even have a supermodel who wants to date me. I have options, you know. I need to choose wisely."

At the mention of Jeremy, Sawyer’s expression darkened. His jaw clenched, his entire demeanor shifting.

"I’m much better looking," he growled. "Are you blind?"

Ellie gasped, pointing a finger at him. "See?! Jeremy is nicer to me! He’d never say something this mean to me.”

“I didn’t say anything mean to you!” Sawyer snapped.

“I don’t care.” Ellie turned her head away, closing her eyes like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. “I’m not marrying you. Jeremy is nice, good-looking, and rich, too.”

Sawyer stepped right in front of her and, without a second thought, pulled out his wallet, credit cards, and phone, shoving them into her hands.

“I have more money!” he declared. “Here. All of this. Everything I have is yours.”

Ellie’s fingers instinctively tightened around the items. A smile twitched at her lips, but she bit it back, pretending to be unimpressed.

It was tempting. Too tempting.

She looked up at him, meeting his intense gaze. Then, clearing her throat, she tried to look hesitant.

"Alright then…" She paused for effect, tapping her fingers thoughtfully against the cards. “I’ll think about it.”

***

Olivia sat on the couch, her fingers twisting together in her lap. Jessica paced back and forth, tension radiating off her in waves. Jack sat across from Olivia, his face rigid with disapproval.

"I don't get it," Jessica seethed, stopping abruptly. "When did you learn to lie like this? What was even the point?" She turned, marching toward Olivia, her voice rising. "What did Ellie ever do to you? Why would you frame that girl for attacking you?"

"I didn’t frame her!" Olivia protested pitifully. "She attacked me first—I swear! She just lunged at me! I was just defending myself."

Jessica pressed her fingers to her forehead, her patience wearing thin. "Even now, when everything has come to light, you’re still lying?"

"I'm not lying!" Olivia cried, turning to Jack. She grabbed his hand desperately. "Dad, you believe me, right? I’m telling the truth!"

Jack’s face hardened as he pried Olivia’s hand off his. "We’ve already seen the footage, Olivia," he said calmly. "We know you attacked her first. And when we walked in, you pretended she was the one who came after you."

Olivia froze. The fake tears dried up instantly as she looked between them, her eyes cautious. "You never believed me?" she whispered, betrayal in her voice.

Jessica let out a bitter laugh. "We believed you blindly, Olivia!" Her voice shook with anger. "We’re your parents! We were so worried about your safety that we were ready to use that footage as evidence, to get a restraining order against Ellie, to make sure she never came near you again! But you—" she exhaled sharply, her hands shaking with fury. "You crossed every line! For what? Just because she was with Sawyer all these years?"

"She stole him from me!" Olivia burst out, her voice trembling with anger. "I was just making sure she never comes back or tries taking anything else away from me!"

Jessica inhaled sharply, taking a step back as realization dawned. "Is that what this is about?" she whispered, more to herself. Tears welled in her eyes again as she played her final card. "Mom, Dad, I love Sawyer so much, but he won’t even see me anymore! I was just confused for a minute—that’s why I did it." Her cries grew louder, as if she could drown out their disappointment with her own misery.

Jack took a deep breath, shaking his head. Silence settled in the room like a heavy fog before he finally spoke.

"Olivia, don’t forget that it was you who insisted on leaving and going overseas. We warned you. We told you over and over to think it through before you left. You knew Sawyer was at his lowest point, but you still left." His voice was steely. "And now you expect him to take you back like nothing happened? Can you really be this na?ve?"

"So what?!" Olivia snapped, her tears vanishing in an instant. "It was just a little vacation! Sawyer and I are childhood sweethearts. I’m the one he’s supposed to be with, not Ellie! She stole my place. It’s me he loves madly, not that bitch!"

Jessica’s stomach twisted at the delusion in Olivia’s eyes. It was like Olivia wasn’t even there anymore. The girl in front of her had lost all sense of reality.

It was like she was looking at a stranger.

Jessica’s lips parted, but for a moment, no words came out. Then, slowly, she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "Tell me one thing honestly." She stepped closer. "Do you have anything to do with Ellie’s accident that day after she left our house?"

The color drained from Olivia’s face. Her body tensed, her eyes flickering with alarm.

When she didn’t answer, Jessica stepped closer. Her voice was restrained, but the warning in her tone was clear.

"Olivia, the police are already investigating. Sawyer has put the best people on the case. Everything is moving fast. So, for the love of God, tell me—" her voice dropped into something almost pleading, "—do you have anything to do with it?"

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

Olivia stared at Jessica, then muttered under her breath, "I might have something to do with it."

Jessica stumbled back, her hand flying to her chest as a sharp gasp left her lips. Her eyes clenched shut in despair. She turned away, unable to look at Olivia anymore.

Jack rose from his seat and walked to his wife. Their gazes met—shared sadness passing between them.

Olivia shot to her feet. "But so what? Dad, you’ll take care of it, right?"

Jack spun around, his voice roaring through the room. "Are you out of your damn mind?!" His fury barely contained, his chest heaved as he spoke through gritted teeth. "We love you—but this? This is how you behave now? You try to kill someone and expect us to cover it up?"

"So what?! You’re my parents!" Olivia snapped back. "Isn’t it your responsibility? It was just a stupid accident. It’s not like she’s dead yet."

The slap came so fast Olivia didn’t see it coming.

Jessica’s hand trembled as it fell to her side, her chest rising and falling sharply. "I thought you’d at least feel ashamed. That you’d regret what you did. But you don’t even care, do you? What happened to you, Olivia? What have you turned into?"

Olivia clutched her cheek, glaring at them, seething with resentment.

"We’re a rich family!" she spat. "You both need to stop acting like we can’t get rid of small problems like this."

Jack’s patience finally snapped. "Small problem?!" he roared. "Attempting murder is a small problem to you?! Do you even understand what will happen if this gets out? If people find out what you did? Do you have any idea what will happen to this family? To my business? To your life and reputation, Olivia?"

Olivia crossed her arms, her jaw set stubbornly. "Dad, you don’t have to worry about it anymore," she said coolly. "I’ll take care of it."

Jack’s blood ran cold. "What the hell does that mean?"

"You promised you’d hand the company over to me when I got back, right?" Olivia said. "You told me I’d take over as CEO when I returned. It’s time for you to fulfill your promise."

Jack's face darkened. "Not anymore." His voice was final. "I’m not handing over my business to you. Look at the state of you! Look at what you’ve become."

"What do you mean?" Olivia’s voice trembled with anger, her breathing heavy. Her eyes flickered to the knife on the table before she clenched her fists, trying to rein in her emotions.

"You promised me," she gritted out. "You told me that once I came back, I’d be in charge of the business. So why are you going back on your word now? Just because I tried to get that pathetic beggar out of my life?” Her tone turned mocking. "You're so stupid! We have money! Just get rid of the accusation or throw someone else in jail. It’s simple for rich people—why are you acting like it’s the end of the damn world?"

"Enough!" Jessica roared, her fury burning in her eyes. She took a sharp breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Get out of my house. Right now." Her voice shook with finality. "You have nothing to do with us anymore."

"What?!" Olivia’s eyes widened in horror. Fear curled in her gut. She had worked too hard, taken too much, to let it all slip away now. Everything she had—this luxury, this life—was hers. She wasn't about to let it go.

"Get. Out." Jessica’s voice was steel. "We won’t accept a murderer as our daughter. If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police and telling them everything."