Page 58 of Ardent Desires

The name sends a chill down my spine. “About what?”

“She’s claiming she was hospitalized because she tried to kill herself after you broke off your engagement because she had a miscarriage.”

My blood runs cold. “What? I was never engaged to her!”

“Right, but she’s saying that you are, and that you left her for someone else.”

“Who?”

“Ellie Sanders.”

Shock waves through me. “That’s complete bullshit! I was never engaged to Vanessa! This is just her being dramatic!”

“I know that,” Marcus replies, his tone steady, “but you need to understand the implications. It’s already blowing up. She’s playing the victim card, and it’s going to affect your reputation.”

“Why the hell is she doing this?” I grit my teeth.

“Attention, drama. It’s what she does. She’s got nothing better in her life,” he says, and I can hear him pacing on the other end. “And now she’s dragging you down with her.”

“Un-fucking-believable,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “What do I do?”

“Honestly? You should consider suing her for defamation,” Marcus suggests.

I scoff, anger bubbling up. “This is just Vanessa wanting attention. I don’t want to give her what she wants.”

“Either way, the blowback is huge. Your stocks are dropping, and the media is commenting on what a douche you are.”

“Goddamn it!” I roar, frustration boiling over. “This is a nightmare!”

The PR team is on the other end of the line too, and I can almost feel their eyes on me. “We suggest you make a statement,” one of them pipes in, and I can hear the urgency in their voice.

“First, I need to talk to Ellie. This is affecting her too,” I say firmly, glancing back at the bedroom where Ellie is still sleeping.

“Okay, but we need to make a decision soon,” Marcus says, and I can hear the stress in his tone.

“I understand that,” I snap, “but this isn’t just about me. Ellie needs to know.”

“Understood,” Marcus replies, a hint of understanding creeping into his voice. “But time’s not on our side.”

“Damn it,” I mutter, pacing the small living room. I rub my temples, trying to ease the mounting headache.

I take a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. “Fine. I’ll talk to Ellie and we’ll decide from there.”

“Good. I’ll wait for your call,” Marcus says before hanging up.

I stand there for a moment, my heart racing as the weight of the situation sinks in. This is worse than I imagined.

I glance back toward the bedroom. Ellie’s still asleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding outside. I hate the idea of waking her, but she deserves to know.

I pad back to the bedroom, careful to keep my movements quiet. I kneel beside the bed, brushing my fingers over her cheek.

“Ellie,” I whisper softly, feeling the need to pull her into my arms again. “Wake up.”

She stirs, blinking her eyes open. “What’s wrong?”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “You need to sit up. We need to talk.”

“What’s going on?” she asks, concern flooding her features.

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