Chapter 90
“Then let’s just stay here until you agree,” Alex snapped.
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Ellie’s heart raced with anxiety, but she forced herself to appear calm. She was stuck here, completely cut off from any way to contact the outside world. If Alex didn’t take her away, she had no chance of escaping.
Her mind raced as she stared at the helicopter a short distance away. It seemed unlikely Alex would willingly take her with him. The chance of someone passing by was basically zero.
The only solution was to find a way to grab Alex’s phone and contact someone.
Neither of them spoke, the tension hanging heavy in the air. They sat by the water, locked in a silent standoff for what felt like ages.
Before they knew it, night had fallen. Alex stood up and dragged Ellie off the sand. “Come with me,” he commanded.
Ellie followed him toward the only building on the small island.
“Give me your hand,” Alex said as they walked. He stopped and grabbed her hand. Ellie tried to pull away, but it was no use; she ended up letting him lead her along.
Since the moment she stepped into the Warren family’s home, Alex had always treated her this way–brash, reckless, and never backing down.
Even now, with a fiancée, he acted the same. The more she protested, the more stubborn he became. It was infuriating, and Ellie felt powerless.
The building was a two–and–a–half–story structure, spacious and clean; clearly, someone came by to tidy up regularly.
“Are you hungry?”
“I’m tired.”
They both spoke at the same time, then lapsed into silence again. After a few minutes, Alex led Ellie upstairs to one of the bedrooms.
“Go take a shower.”
“You get out.”
Again, they echoed each other before falling into silence once more.
“Toiletries are in the cabinet. There are clothes in the wardrobe, and the laundry room has a dryer,” Alex said before leaving the room, heading downstairs.
Later that night, Alex returned to the bedroom and found Ellie fast asleep. The blanket was pulled down to her waist, and she wore one of his crisp white dress shirts.
His throat tightened as he carefully studied her peaceful face. In her sleep, she looked so innocent, like a little angel, making him want to scoop her up and hold her close.
Hesitating, Alex cautiously lay down beside her, being careful not to wake her.
Looking at the person beside him who was sound asleep, Alex gently closed his eyes. The closer he got, the more he wished to draw nearer.
Even after their fights and the tension that grew between them, even with her resentment, he couldn’t let her accept this kinship and become his so–called sister!
Ellie kept her eyes shut until she heard the steady sound of breathing beside her. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open.
A few minutes later, she snatched Alex’s phone and dashed out of the room as fast as she could.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, the only sound being the waves crashing against the shore. Ellie stood at the water’s edge, letting the ocean spray wet her calves. She had no idea how long she had been standing there.
“Get back up here!” Alex barked from behind her, his tone sharp. With a numbing sense of annoyance, Ellie turned around.
Their eyes locked, and Ellie’s gaze drifted to the phone in Alex’s hand.
No wonder the phone she found wouldn’t turn on–he had two phones with him.
Frustrated and angry, she threw the phone at Alex with all her might!
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Chapter 90
He easily ducked and glared, his voice escalating. “The tide’s coming in; hurry up and get back!”
“I’d rather die than stay here!” Ellie yelled back at Alex, stepping cautiously back.
Standing by the ocean, Alex watched in disbelief as Ellie retreated into the deeper waters. His brows furrowed, his blood boiled. “Ellie, don’t think you can scare me like this!”
Ellie continued to stare at him defiantly, retreating further until the water reached her knees.
Alex, fuming with anger, spun in place, pointed at her and shouted, “You’re standing in a spot where even a frog wouldn’t drown–if you want to die, just walk in!”
With tears brimming, Ellie gritted her teeth and kept backing away.
Watching from the beach as the water crept up to her thighs, then her waist, Alex cursed under his breath, “So damn stubborn!”
Ellie focused on Alex, analyzing his every expression. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and pressed on farther into the water.
That summer, she nearly drowned after falling into a chemical waste pool while trying to save someone. From that day on, she developed a deep- rooted fear of water–especially deep water.
Suddenly, a massive wave crashed over her. Ellie heard Alex shouting her name, but before she could react, the wave pulled her under.
When she resurfaced, she found herself in Alex’s arms. Panicking, she clutched desperately at the edges of his suit coat, gasping for air.
With a stormy expression, Alex cursed as he carried her to shallower water. He set her down, looking at her pale face that was scarier than death itself, and shouted, “Do you dare do that again?”
His furious voice, intense gaze, and bloodshot eyes revealed an underlying emotion–concern. Seeing that Ellie was silent, he released her, pretending to toss her back into the water. Ellie gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
But he wasn’t really going to throw her in; he just wanted to startle her, quickly pulling her back to safety.
Looking down at her, Ellie hung on for dear life, and Alex softened his voice, “Aren’t you afraid of dying? So why cling to me?”
“If I’m going to die, you’re coming with me,” Ellie gasped, trying to calm her racing heart.
“Look at you,” Alex remarked, the tension within him easing as he carried her toward the shore.
They walked in silence, Ellie allowing Alex to hold her all the way back to the house. She glanced up at him; he seemed in a surprisingly good mood.
Ellie frowned, glancing at Alex. Men were as hard to read as the deep blue sea–one moment all calm, the next a storm.
In the bedroom upstairs, Alex stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a white robe.
He noticed Ellie on the bed, wrapped in her blanket like a quail, her eyes glued to him. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned slightly towards her, trying to meet her gaze.
Alex said, “can we talk?”
Ellie didn’t respond. Her eyes drifted to the window, where the sky was beginning to lighten with the dawn. Only two days left until the family
reunion.
Alex watched Ellie’s pale face and lowered his voice. “Why do you have to acknowledge this kinship?”
He pressed. “You used to reject it easily when mom brought it up. Why not this time?”
When Ellie remained silent, Alex reached across the blanket to hold her arm gently.
He said, “Ellie, can’t we just go back to how we used to be?”
“We can’t go back to how we were!” Ellie averted her gaze, staring blankly at Alex.
Their eyes locked, and the emotions swirling in Alex’s gaze were intense. “As long as you’re willing, we can make it happen!”
Ellie shook her head. “No, we can’t!”
Alex hesitated, suppressing the words that almost slipped out. He questioned her word by word, “Tell me the truth! Why was it possible before, but
not now?
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Chapter 90
“Because we’ve both grown up!” Ellie, pushed into a corner by Alex, suddenly lost control of her emotions.
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