Richard didn’t notice the frosty vibe radiating off Eloise. He was too busy feeling embarrassed about the scene he’d just walked into. His face was turning redder than a tomato in a blender, and he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Without a second thought, he turned on his heel and scurried out of the room, practically tripping over his own feet.Gloria, however, was in a much better mood.Oh, Eloise. Looks like your reign of “I’m way cooler than everyone” is finally over. I’m going to leave you here to rot. Don't even think about escaping not with your dramatic, aristocratic ways!With an air of superiority, she kicked the box of money at Eloise’s feet. "It’s yours now. Enjoy it," she said with a wicked grin.Eloise didn’t even flinch. Her eyes barely flickered toward the money as she reached down, grabbing the box with a kind of indifference that only people who have had their fair share of drama can pull off."Backup," Eloise said; cool as a cucumber, her voice thick with the
Rachael was worried about Eloise, so she went out to look for her.However, Eloise was nowhere to be found. She bit her lip nervously, staring into the empty space of the street. How could she disappear so quickly?She thought. Maybe she went back to the dorm. After all, Eloise had no friends, maybe she just needed some time alone. That made sense, right?She ran to Eloise’s dorm, her spare key trembling in her hand. Inside, the room was empty. She had to be here, Rachael thought, waiting for what felt like forever. But no one came.Frustrated, she dashed back to the café. She asked everyone, but no one had seen her. What if she went to the Scarlet Heart Club? She dialed Flora’s number, but there was no answer.Time slipped away, an hour and a half had passed since Eloise left.Rachael’s thoughts spiraled. What if she’s hurt? What if she’s... She couldn’t finish the thought. Panic took over. Has she gone to the Scarlet Heart Club? Rachael wondered, her mind jumping to that possibilit
Behind the wheel, Ainsley’s knuckles were white, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one sharp and cutting deeper into his chest. The coldness that gripped him wasn’t from the winter air, it was something more. It was anxiety, panic, and fear that Eloise might be slipping away from him forever.Why does it hurt so much? He wondered. Why is it that when I found out she was missing, it felt like my entire world was falling apart?Rachael’s words echoed in his mind: “She might harm herself, Alpha Williams. You need to find her. Now.” The sheer weight of those words made his heart stop, and yet, here he was, racing against time, unable to make sense of his own emotions. All he knew was that he had to find her.“Adrian, can you sense where Eloise is?” Ainsley’s voice was hoarse, barely a whisper as he spoke aloud, seeking some connection to his wolf.Adrian’s reply was strained. “I can only feel that she’s
As the car moved forward, Eloise let go of the hand covering her lips. She tasted rust, and knew it was blood. She leaned back in her seat and thought, Whatever he wants to do, just let him be. Anyway, no matter how hard I struggled, it would be useless.In the car, Ainsley called out to his guards through the mind connection, "Everyone return to Club Scarlet Heart."When the car stopped outside the club, Ainsley didn't say anything else. He leaned over, picked up Eloise, and walked towards the club."Don't move. If you don't want me to repeat what I did to you in the car in front of everyone, you had better behave yourself. Don't make me angry. It won't do you any good." Ainsley sensed Eloise's struggle and stopped her with an indifferent expression.Eloise was furious. Was Ainsley always ignoring her wishes?However, after taking a look around, she closed her eyes. She had no right to choose.Elijah and the others had arrived at the club. Meanwhile, Ainsley was leading Eloise to the
Lucian had always been known for his kindness. A man who spoke with respect, never raising his voice, never letting anger control him. He was composed, polite, someone who could always be counted on. But now, he stood before Ainsley, shouting as if his entire world was crumbling.He was in agony, but there was a bitter laugh on his lips."Ainsley, that's ridiculous!" Lucian's voice cracked. "What makes you think you can ask me to do something you can't even bring yourself to do?" His gaze was filled with disbelief as he locked eyes with Ainsley. "I will never admit that I could fall for a woman like her!"Ainsley remained calm. "In that case," Ainsley said, his voice low but steady, "stay away from her. Maybe you're right, but I'll find my own way to say those things you can't."Lucian's laugh was hollow, almost maniacal as he eyed Ainsley like he was the greatest fool in the room."Ainsley, you're ridiculous," Lucian scoffed. "I’ll watch you... But as for Eloise? I’m done. I’ve alread
“First, take a shower and go to sleep. Second, I’ll help you wash up and share the bed with you. If you refuse to choose the first option, then I think you’re choosing the second. You stay up so late. I think you must be waiting for me and showing your affection for me. In that case, just tell me directly. It will satisfy you.” Ainsley looked at Eloise and said slowly.At first, Eloise stood motionless, her heart skipping a beat. Ainsley’s words stung like a cold wind, but it was the way he said them that left her breathless. What does he mean?Eloise was stunned. When she heard his words, her cheeks flushed a deep red, and before she knew it she suddenly looked up and shouted hoarsely, "I'm going to take a shower!" Afterward, Eloise entered the bathroom under Ainsley's complacent gaze.The hot water came out of the shower and fell on Eloise's body. She closed her eyes and immersed herself in a whirlwind of thoughts.At that time, she had no idea what her future would hold.Giving up
"Didn't I tell you?" Ainsley asked, his voice casual. "There's a glass wall in the bathroom. You can't see inside from outside, but you can see outside from inside."Eloise blinked, confused. "Why didn’t I see it?" she asked without thinking.Ainsley chuckled lightly. "Why didn’t you see it?" he repeated, as if wondering the same thing. "Maybe because the window blinds are usually down. I just decided to put them up."He stepped back into the bathroom, turning off the faucet, and then held up a key card. "Are you looking for this?"Eloise’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the key card. Oh no, he knows. She suddenly understood what he meant.Ainsley's forehead was wet. Water dripped from the tips of his hair. He walked over to Eloise."Alpha Williams, I'm sorry!" An imperceptible glint flashed in Eloise's eyes. She bent her knees and knelt before Ainsley as she spoke. Ainsley reached out a hand to hold Eloise's arm. Eloise looked up and saw his face close to hers.Ainsley’s gaze soft
Eloise remained firmly in place and did not move. Her body was tense, and though her thoughts raced, she couldn’t bring herself to speak again."Eloise, pick it up for the second time," Ainsley’s voice was deep and unwavering, his gaze sharp and piercing. He didn’t look away, as if daring her to defy him.A small bead of sweat appeared on Eloise's forehead, but she kept her gaze steady. "I’m an employee of the Club. I work in the Public Relations Department of Club Scarlet Heart. I’m not an employee of the Williams Group." Her voice was firm, though a slight tremor betrayed her inner anxiety.Ainsley took a step closer to her. His gaze never wavered, and his presence felt like it could crush her if she didn’t move. "You’re still under my roof now. Pick it up," he said, his tone colder.Eloise took a shaky breath, stepping back slightly, but her feet felt like they were glued to the ground. "I… I’m not working for the Williams company, I’m not picking it"Ainsley stopped right in front
Ainsley returned to work after resting for a few more days. When Jacob called him……………Ainsley didn’t hesitate. He glanced at Ellison, who looked back at him curiously.“You don’t mind, do you?” Ainsley asked, already picking up the phone before Ellison could even respond. But Ainsley knew this call wasn’t from Jacob.His chest tightened. His voice remained calm, but every nerve in his body stood on edge, waiting and wanting.Then……..“Let the Anthony Group go,” her voice came, stiff, emotion coiled tightly beneath the surface.Ainsley leaned back in his chair. His grip on the phone tightened. It was her. That damn voice, he hadn’t heard it in days, and yet the second she spoke, his entire world tilted.He smiled slowly and coldly, and said in a voice that burned with longing masked as mockery, “Are you begging me now, Eloise? Or is that just your way of dressing up pride in pretty words?”Ellison's blood ran cold.Eloise! The name slammed into his chest like a fist. He stared at Ains
The conference room turned thick with tension as people were afraid Ainsley would make a comeback. If so, they would suffer.Ainsley sat still, the usual fire in his gaze dulled. No color touched his cheeks; he looked neither angry nor defeated.“Ainsley,” one of the shareholders snapped, almost too quickly. “It’s done. Step down from your position. You’re no longer CEO of the Williams Group.”Another chimed in, his voice tremulous but thrilled, “Yes. You heard the board, get the hell out of the building.”Chairs scraped, papers rustled. Tension rolled like a wave about to crash.But then, a voice rang out, cutting clean through the noise. It was steady, almost too steady.“Who said the final vote had been cast, or have I suddenly been removed from the shareholders? Because the last time I checked I happened to be one of the shareholders.”The room fell into a shocked hush, people’s heads snapped toward the source. Gasps rippled across the boardroom. Faces turned pale.Ellison’s brows
Eloise’s brow twitched slightly. Her calm gaze faltered for a second.Jacob caught it. That tiny flicker of emotion sent a surge of rage through him. He threw the apple aside.“Aren’t you worried? "Don’t you care what could’ve happened to him?” he snapped, his eyes burning into her face.Eloise turned her head away. “I didn’t ask him to.”Jacob stood. His voice was firm, serious. “No, you didn’t. But maybe you should’ve. You could hate him, you could curse his name. But don’t act like you don’t care. Because when you collapse, your body answers what your mouth refuses to say. The only treatment you responded to was his touch.”She clenched her jaw. “He locked me in that place. I don’t care how long he sat by my bed.”Jacob stared at her. “Then tell him that. Not to me. "You keep telling everyone you don’t care, but your hands were shaking when he touched you.”She didn’t answer.“During the years you were gone, Ainsley searched for you like a possessed man,” he added, his voice sharp
The car reeked of blood. It was the only smell Ainsley could register; thick, metallic, and heavy in his nose and mouth. He stirred with a low groan, his body aching as if it had been crushed from the inside out. Pain throbbed behind his bandaged head, spreading like wildfire through his skull and down his spine.He tried to move.“Don’t move,” Jacob snapped from the front seat, spinning around. His voice cut through the air like a blade. “You scared the hell out of me, Ainsley. What the fuck were you thinking?”Ainsley winced. His hand reached for the door handle, but it slipped off weakly. His head dropped back, the world spinning.“I passed out again, didn’t I?” he muttered.Jacob’s hands clenched the steering wheel, so tightly his knuckles turned white. “You did more than that. You nearly fucking died. You collapsed in front of a hundred people like your damn soul left your body.”He turned fully to face him, his eyes blazing like fire. “Do you understand what that looked like? Yo
Suddenly, Ellison stood up and pushed Ainsley hard. He said, “Let her go. You’re so selfish! Didn’t you hear her? Eloise has no intention of going with you!”Ainsley, caught off guard, stumbled backward. His usually fierce and commanding presence, like a true Alpha, was broken at an unexpected moment. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.Gasps echoed through the crowd, the people’s eyes widened in shock. Even the air seemed to stand still.Jacob’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and knelt beside Ainsley. “Ainsley, are you okay?” His voice cracked with concern as he reached to cradle his head. But his palm came out wet. Jacob looked down and froze. His fingers were stained red.“What is this?” he whispered, stunned.Blood!A sharp silence followed. Ellison, noticing the shift, stepped forward instinctively, but Hank had already rushed past him, panic flashing in his eyes. “Alpha Ainsley?”Eloise’s eyes widened. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, she see
Ellison stood frozen on the stairs, halfway down, his hands clenched tightly on the railing. He’d come down to stop Ainsley, to intervene, but when he saw the fire in Eloise’s eyes, the way she held herself back from launching another object, he couldn't move. Not yet.Ainsley’s cold voice echoed through the tension-filled room. “What else do you want to throw at me? I’ll get it for you.”Ellison stepped forward, breaking the thick silence. “No need to bother you, Ainsley. I’m free right now, and I’ll help her.”Hank took a step, ready to intervene, but Kelly subtly blocked him with a glance.As Ellison reached the floor, he picked up a broom lying nearby. The scrape of the handle against the tiled floor felt too loud in the quiet. He offered it to her with a calm face, but sarcasm glinted in his eyes.“Ma’am, here you go.”Eloise looked at the broom, then at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “A broom?”He nodded once, the corner of his lips lifting in a crooked smile.“Ma'am, flu
Lucian, unfazed, threw his jacket to the ground in front of Ainsley. “Fine. Let’s see what happens,” he said before he turned and left.Ainsley stayed where he was, watching Lucian’s departure with steely eyes. The tension still hung in the air, thick and unresolved.“We’re going to Waikiki Beach this afternoon,” Ainsley said after a long pause. “I’m sure she’s there. I need to find her.”Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Eloise paced restlessly in her room, her nerves fraying with each passing moment. Her thoughts spiraled. She had been hiding, but it was all falling apart now. Ainsley was coming for her.No, she told herself. I can’t let him find me. Not again.Then, just as the wind picked up, a familiar warmth brushed against her.Her body stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t have to turn to know he was there. The scent of him, so unmistakable, overwhelmed her senses.Ainsley stood behind her, his presence enveloping her. His arms wrapped around her alm
In the car, Ainsley gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white as he sped toward the airport. His mind was spinning. Without thinking, he reached out to Jacob through their mind link. His voice was sharp, his words clipped with urgency.“Do you know Remmy?” Ainsley asked, his tone barely contained as anxiety surged through him.Jacob’s voice crackled through the link, his confusion evident. “Why are you looking for her?” He didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation.Ainsley’s voice hardened, desperation creeping into his words. “She knows where Eloise is.”Jacob didn’t hesitate. “Understood,” he said, his voice steady despite the tense situation. “I’ll handle it. Do you need me to book you a flight?”“No need,” Ainsley replied immediately, his tone resolute. “I’m heading to the airport now.”As Ainsley disconnected the link, he pushed the accelerator harder, the engine roaring as he raced back home to grab his ID. Every second felt like an eternity, the pressure mountin
“Ellison! "I don’t want to bet anymore!” Eloise shouted at the stage, her voice rough and hoarse, like a desperate cry.“It’s too late,” Ellison’s lips moved, his words like ice. He’d made a decision. Instead of leaving, he wanted to win the bet. More than that, he wanted her.Memories flooded Eloise’s mind, sharp and vivid. In her eyes, Ellison at that moment seemed just like her in the past, lost, defiant, and broken.But Ellison didn’t deserve it! Not after everything.She walked toward the center of the stage, her steps deliberate, her heart pounding with emotion. She bent down and picked up the white shirt from the floor. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, and then she reached for Ellison’s hand, which rested on the zipper of his suit pants. Her voice was low but commanding, “Come with me.”Ellison stood frozen, stunned by the sudden seriousness of her expression. His heart skipped a beat.The audience below the stage began to murmur, their annoyance growing louder. “Who are