Ella’s lips curved into a gentle smile as she carefully and tenderly put the hairdryer away. Then, she quietly lay down beside Eric, holding his hand as she drifted off to sleep with him.
Their breathing gradually synchronized, becoming soft and steady.
Ella hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days—if she had slept at all. Exhaustion caught up with her, and she soon fell into a deep sleep alongside Eric.
The two slept soundly, not stirring until after 8 p.m. when a knock on the door interrupted their rest. Ella woke reluctantly from her dream, groaning.
"Who is it? Don’t they know we’re sleeping?" she muttered, rubbing her aching head. The four hours of sleep had been far from enough to make up for her recent exhaustion.
She regretted not hanging up a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
Eric stirred slightly, turning over, but clearly had no intention of getting up.
Ella shuffled to the door and opened it to find Luke standing there, his expression dark and serious. Embarrassed by her state of dress in her nightgown, she quickly pulled the door halfway shut, shielding herself.
"My father has invited you to breakfast tomorrow morning. He expects you both to arrive on ti," Luke said curtly.
Ella rolled her eyes. "Luke, don’t you know we’re exhausted? Who asked you to bother us? Tomorrow’s business can wait until tomorrow, can’t it?"
Luke’s face darkened further, his expression frosty. "Ella, is this how a proper lady behaves? Did no one teach you any manners?"
"It’s incredibly polite of you to interrupt people’s sleep," Ella shot back sarcastically as she slamd the door in his face.
Luke stood frozen for a mont, his frustration mounting. That infuriating woman never treated him with the respect he believed he deserved as a nobleman. Worse, every ti he faced her, she seed to strip away his composure, leaving him feeling humiliated.
His fists clenched, and his cold gaze flickered with suppressed anger. Turning sharply on his heel, he strode away from the hotel floor, his mind swirling with thoughts of Ella lying beside Eric. The image unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
Back on the ninth floor, Lucas was having dinner but seed to have little appetite. He looked up when he saw Luke descending with a sour expression.
"What happened?" Lucas asked.
"She said we’re disturbing their sleep and that tomorrow’s business can wait," Luke replied coldly, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Lucas chuckled lightly, nodding with understanding. "She’s not wrong. I told you to call her tomorrow instead of going up to bother them. Luke, now that Eric is back, it’s ti to let go of those thoughts. Ella is my only daughter, and you are my only adopted son. I consider you both my children, and I expect you to treat her as your sister from now on."
Lucas’s tone was calm but firm, his gaze steady as he addressed Luke.
"Father, I already consider Ella my sister. Please don’t overthink it," Luke replied, his expression strained as he tried to mask his discomfort. Picking up his utensils, he busied himself with his plate in an attempt to appear unbothered.
"That’s good to hear. I know your character, and I trust you not to create discord. To , you are both family—equally precious," Lucas said, his voice softening with an undertone of sorrow.
In truth, Lucas wasn’t entirely sure where Ella stood with him.
His lack of intervention in Eric’s ordeal had been a deliberate choice, partly to test Eric’s capabilities and partly to gauge Ella’s resilience.
Now, he saw Ella’s strength and intelligence clearly. She had deftly maneuvered Leonard away and drawn Barry into the situation, ensuring Eric had a fighting chance. Their coordination was undeniable—otherwise, how could it have been so perfectly tid that Barry arrived at Leonard’s estate on the sa day Eric escaped?
The result was twofold: Barry was implicated, and Bowan had effectively lost both sons. With his influence significantly weakened, it was only a matter of ti before his enemies seized the opportunity to bring him down.
Lucas was deeply pleased with Ella; she had exceeded his expectations ti and ti again. If only... if only he and Isabella had been a little more astute back then, perhaps they wouldn’t have fallen to this point.
"Tomorrow morning, take to see her," Lucas said, his voice distant and thoughtful. "I’ve let her down before, and I owe her that much."
Luke nodded respectfully. "Yes, Father."
Looking at the lavish spread of gourt food on the table, Lucas had no appetite. In his heart, he prayed that Ella wouldn’t reject him outright. After all, blood ties ran deep. If she truly didn’t care, she would have left Country W long ago.
...
10:00 p.m.
Ella woke up from hunger.
She turned over weakly, only to find herself staring into Eric’s smirking eyes, their depths gleaming.
Her heart skipped a beat as she looped her arms around his neck and gave him a playful kiss. "Hubby, I’m hungry!"
Eric laughed, his low chuckle warm and teasing. He rolled over, pinning her beneath him. After several hours of rest, he finally felt sowhat recharged. His kisses were fervent and intense, causing Ella to push at him in a panic. "Hey! I said my stomach is hungry!"
"Oh? I thought it was sothing else that needed feeding," Eric teased with a wicked grin.
"Eric, you’re asking for a beating!" Ella huffed, giving him a playful kick that sent him tumbling off the bed. Eric landed on the floor with an exaggerated pout, crawling back to the edge like a pitiful little boy.
The once-dominant and effortlessly suave Eric now looked like a cheeky, mischievous young man.
"Wife, how can you be so cruel? I just wanted a little intimate mont with you, and you kicked off the bed!" he lanted dramatically.
Ella’s face flushed red. "With an empty stomach, you still have the energy for that? Get up, change, brush your teeth, and let’s eat dinner!"
Eric obeyed with a laugh, climbing to his feet. In truth, he was starving.
Having eaten only a small al around noon, it had been nearly ten hours since his last proper food. His stomach growled in protest.
Once the two were ready and freshened up, a waiter arrived with the dinner Eric had pre-ordered.
Ella eagerly dove into a bowl of soup, the warm liquid finally easing her hunger.
Eric, with a bandage on his forehead, still looked effortlessly handso. Sitting beside her, he suddenly spoke, his tone thoughtful. "Leonard really put a lot of thought into that basent. So many tunnels, so many intersections. It’s the perfect place to imprison soone."
Ella blinked in surprise. "Really? Then how did you manage to find your way out? Did you force a bodyguard to lead you?"
Eric shook his head and recounted the key monts of how he used hypnosis on the maid.
Ella’s jaw dropped. "Hypnosis? That’s not sothing just anyone can pull off! It takes talent and a lot of dedicated practice. You only dabbled in it—how did you manage to pick up Connor’s skills?"
Eric grinned smugly. "Next ti, I’ll hypnotize you and make you climb into my arms willingly."
Ella’s face flushed again as she gave him a light slap on the shoulder. Eric swiftly caught her wrist, his expression devilish as he kissed her fingertips with exaggerated relish. "Mmm, even your fingers taste sweet."
"Eric..." Ella groaned, half-amused and half-exasperated. His shaless teasing made her want to swat him, yet an undeniable sweetness spread through her heart.
The two continued their playful banter as they ate, their laughter and lighthearted conversation filling the room with a warm, intimate atmosphere. It was a mont of pure, unspoken happiness, their bond shining brightly in the quiet of the night.
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