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By the time they reached Stark House, Jeremy parked the car and walked her to the door. As Ellie turned to him, the porch light cast a soft glow over her face.
"You should know that I’m really grateful for your help," Ellie said with a smile. "I wouldn’t have been able to keep my head straight if you weren’t there. You’re a great friend, Jeremy. I really appreciate you."
Jeremy gritted his teeth. "I’m still pissed off about Olivia ruining things for you. I didn’t realize she was that manipulative when I first saw her at the bar, but I had my suspicions just from the way she looked. If she can make things bad for you, then I can do the same to her. She needs to learn—it’s a fucking tit-for-tat world."
Ellie burst out laughing. "Jeremy, you’re just a model! She owns the Whitlock family business. What can people like us do to someone like her?" She shook her head and rubbed his arm reassuringly. "Don’t worry about it."
Jeremy smirked. "You think I’m just a small-time model?"
"Obviously," Ellie rolled her eyes. "So what else are you?" She giggled. "I mean, your name is Jeremy Nox, I know, but that doesn’t make you the son of the Nox family, does it? We all can dream, but what else is there to do except watch everything in silence?"
Jeremy turned fully to her, his grin widening. "Iamthe Nox family’s son. My brother is Jacob Nox. He runs our family business. He’s friends with Mason Nightingale and all the other big shots in Manhattan. So trust me, Ellie Madden," he smirked, "if I wanted to, I could ruin Olivia for you while looking her dead in the eyes and taunting her right in her face."
Ellie’s eyes widened. "You’re kidding. No way!"
Jeremy shrugged. "How about now? Want to get hitched to a rich guy? These lips are still available for a kiss." He winked.
"Ugh! Stop it!" Ellie burst into laughter, shoving him back.
Just then, a cold, almost icy voice came from behind her.
"You finally remembered you have a goddamn home to come back to, Ellie?"
Ellie’s laughter stopped instantly. Her body tensed as she turned, her heart pounding.
Sawyer was behind her, his fists clenched at his sides, his long strides eating up the distance between them. His glare was dark, intense—terrifying.
Before she could react, he grabbed her arm and yanked her close, his furious gaze locking onto hers. "Did you think I wouldn’t find out?" His voice was low and lethal. "Ellie, you let this bastard pay a fucking bill for you? You spent the entire night with him and then went to work with him?" His teeth clenched as his glare intensified. "What the fuck do you take me for?"
Ellie ripped her arm free, her eyes blazing. "Tell me, then—who are you to me? What right do you have to tell me where I can go, what I can do, and what I can’t?" Her voice sharpened. "As far as I remember, you have no right, Mr. Stark. You already have a girlfriend."
Sawyer’s eyes turned ice-cold. "Ellie Madden, don’t you fucking forget that you agreed to stay with me until the three years are up."
"And I am staying," Ellie shot back. "I’m fulfilling the agreement. I’m staying with you until my time is up, and then I’ll leave. But that doesn’t mean we have a relationship, does it? Because as I also remember, you already have a girlfriend—Olivia Whitlock! You are not my man anymore!"
Sawyer’s jaw tightened, his expression darkening. His breaths grew heavy, and the way his entire body tensed made it clear he was on the verge of losing control.
"So who’s your fucking man, then?" His voice was pure venom. "This bastard?"
Ellie forced a smile and turned, snatching Jeremy’s arm and holding onto it tightly. "Yes, he is," she said, staring Sawyer dead in the eye. "Jeremy Nox is my boyfriend. Say hello," she said mockingly.
Jeremy smirked, completely unfazed, and placed his hand over Ellie’s, rubbing his fingers against her skin in an infuriatingly slow motion—just to piss Sawyer off even more.
The way Sawyer’s eyes darkened, Ellie almost let go of Jeremy’s arm out of instinct. But she was tired of Sawyer’s double standards. She was done with his demands and expectations.
Just because his girlfriend was around, he had taken away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from her. Then that same girlfriend had made sure she lost a job she desperately needed. Even if she told him about it, he wouldn’t do a damn thing.
And on top of that, he had taken away all her access to money, leaving her with nothing.
So what did it even matter anymore?
She wanted to piss off Sawyer Narcissist Stark just as much as he had pissed her off in these past few weeks. And if this was working, she was more than willing to ruin his entire evening—or even his entire week!
Sawyer suddenly grabbed her arm, yanking her off Jeremy and pulling her against his chest. She collided with him hard, and before she could push him away, he leaned in dangerously close. His voice was low, a growl of pure rage.
"Ellie Madden, do you want to get killed tonight?"
Then, just as abruptly, he shoved her away.