Page 82 of Reckless Billionaire's Ruthless Claim

Inside the hospital room, Ellie stirred in her unconsciousness, shifting onto her back. Behind her closed eyelids, a distant memory played—one buried so deep, she hadn't even realized it was still there.

A boy in striped green pajamas ran through a sunlit garden, chasing after a laughing little girl.

"Olivia, don't run! I want to be with you!" the boy called out, his voice breathless but determined.

She giggled, spinning around just as he caught her, his small hands gripping her arms firmly.

"Olivia," he scolded, frowning. "Don't run away."

"Okay." The little girl nodded, grinning. "I won’t."

The boy squinted at her suspiciously.

"Don't look at me like that, Sawyer," Olivia huffed, crossing her arms.

His frown deepened before softening into an affectionate smile. Olivia was his first crush—his favorite person in the world.

"Olivia—"

"Don't look at me like that either!"

Sawyer’s smile dropped into a frown.

At that moment, a pair of hands grabbed Olivia from behind and yanked her away.

"Jenny!" Sawyer snapped, stepping in front of them, blocking the way.

"I’m taking Olivia," the young girl declared defiantly, hugging Olivia tightly.

Sawyer frowned, "I want to be with her! You stayed at her house last night!"

"So what?" Jenny huffed, defiant. "I'm going to marry Olivia when I grow up. I'm older than you, so I'll marry her first!"

Sawyer’s eyes filled with tears at once. His loud wailing startled Jenny, making her let go of Olivia in alarm. She shot him a panicked glare. "I'm not changing my mind!" she hissed before bolting away.

Olivia watched Jenny disappear, then turned to Sawyer, who was furiously wiping away his thick tears.

"Don't worry," he sniffled. "I won't let her."

Olivia grinned. "Crybaby."

"Hey!" Sawyer snapped. Then, grabbing Olivia’s hand, he declared, "Don't run away again! I have something for you. I went out with Dad yesterday and bought you a gift. If you don't run, I'll give it to you."

“Really?” Olivia’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Seeing her smile, Sawyer felt even more eager. He nodded. “If you stay with me instead of Jenny all day, I’ll bring you more gifts tomorrow. A thousand more gifts!”

"Okay," Olivia agreed, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

Sawyer clenched his eyes shut, like a puppy basking in attention.

"Let go of my hand now," she added with a chuckle.

Sawyer eyed her warily, his fingers tightening. "You won't run?"

"I won't," she promised, nodding.

His expression relaxed, and he finally released her hand.

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