Page 44 of Reckless Billionaire's Ruthless Claim

Sawyer almost grabbed her face again.

Ellie sighed, jerking back and instinctively shielding her face with her hands. “You and I are over. You can go live your perfect life with your Olivia. Just stop bothering me.”

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed as silence stretched between them. Then, without a word, he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a card, holding it out to her.

“One hundred thousand dollars,” he said calmly. “You stay with me until the contract is up. And you won’t get a new boyfriend.”

Ellie instinctively reached for the card, ready to snatch it, but at the last second, her fingers halted in hesitation. She bit her lip, thinking hard.

‘Even after knowing I was only acting as his girlfriend for money, why does he still want to keep me around?’ She studied his face, suspicion creeping in. ‘Could it be that this guy is actually in love with me?’

If that was the case, then maybe staying a little longer wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Just a few more months. Get the full payout.

A slow smirk spread across her lips—one she tried to hide but failed.

Sawyer saw it. His jaw clenched as he sighed internally. ‘This little gold digger… she gets so happy whenever I show her money.’

Feigning disinterest, he made a move to pull the card back.

But at the last second, Ellie snatched it from his hand.

“Deal!” she declared, flashing him a reluctant smile while barely hiding her glee. “Since you’re so insistent on keeping me, I’ll stay until the three years are up. Just to make you happy, of course. Wouldn’t want to leave any psychological burden on you.”

Sawyer’s jaw clenched as he grabbed her face again. “Ellie Madden!” he snapped, grabbing her face again. “How fast you change for money?!”

Ellie giggled, grabbing his wrist and trying to pry it off. “What money?” She quickly slid the card under the pillow, shaking her head at him, feigning confusion. “I’m obviously coming back to you because I love you so much. It hurts to even think about living apart from you.”

She pouted slightly, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “If I didn’t love you, why would I stay up until three in the morning just to make sure you took your medicine and didn’t wake up in pain next morning after drinking all night? Why would I go to your office just to check on you and take care of you? What kind of woman does all that if she doesn’t love her husband?”

Her doe-like eyes locked onto his, and her innocent face made him narrow his eyes, though her words stirred something inside him.

‘It’s true that she loves money, but this little gold digger isn’t completely unaffected.’ He thought to himself, watching her carefully. ‘Last year, when that heavy stone was about to fall on me during the new stage build, she pushed me out of the way and injured herself. Stupid woman! How can she just be pretending to love me when she’s willing to risk her life to save me?’

Sawyer leaned in closer, his grip still firm on her face. "So, you aren’t acting this time?"

Ellie smiled sweetly, but inside, her mind was racing.

‘I have to take this opportunity. I don’t have any other way to make that much money quickly. And I still need to find out if it was really Olivia who burned me three years ago. And that won’t be possible unless I stay around SNS.’

Her gaze locked onto his face. Even though he was just inches away, close enough that she could see every little detail—his frustratingly long lashes, his sharp eyes, his perfectly sculpted lips—she couldn’t find a single flaw. And the scent of him... so clean, so intoxicating, she felt like she could fall asleep right then without needing a scented candle.

Ellie smirked to herself, her thoughts drifting. ‘Anyway, he’s so handsome. Even if I have to stay with him for a few more months, it’s not like I’m losing out.’

But before she could answer his question, Sawyer caught that strange look in her eyes. His patience snapped.

"What the hell are you thinking about with that face, Ellie?"

Instead of answering, Ellie leaned in and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down onto the bed.

As their bodies pressed together, heat radiated between them, an electric current sparking in the space where their skin met. She smirked wickedly and winked, her voice dripping with mischief.

"Wanna do it?"

Before he could answer, she closed the distance, crashing her lips onto his in a fiery kiss. Her tongue tangled with his, teasing and demanding, her lips moving wildly, matching the rough hunger of his own. His hands found her waist, gripping her firmly as he deepened the kiss, pulling her flush against him.

A low moan escaped her throat as the taste of him overwhelmed her senses, sending delicious shivers down her spine. She clutched at his shirt, fingers curling into the fabric before tugging it up, breaking their kiss for just a moment to strip it from his body.

His hands were just as impatient, roaming over her curves, tracing the line of her spine before slipping beneath her top. His fingers brushed against her heated skin, making her gasp. With one swift motion, he pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it aside.

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