Page 72 of Suddenly Desired
“Enough,” said David, losing his patience. “Sign it now, Blake, or face the consequences.”
“I won’t,” he said. “Not unless LifeWrite is off the table.”
Michelle let out a sharp laugh. “You’re not in a position to negotiate, Blake.”
“I’m not signing,” Blake said, his voice a growl. “Not now, not ever.”
David’s smile turned wolfish. “If you don’t, we’ll move forward with LifeWrite anyway. We’ll copyright it under Heartbook. Once that’s done, Ellie won’t just lose her company — she’ll lose her reputation. We’ll make sure the world knows she tried to steal from us.”
Josh let out a noise like a dying mouse.
David pressed the papers closer. “You have a choice, Blake. Sign and walk away with your dignity — or let us destroy her.”
Ellie’s heart shattered at the look in Blake’s eyes. She stepped closer to him, placing both hands on his arm. “Don’t do it,” she said. “Don’t let them win. I’ll figure something out.”
“You won’t have time.” Michelle’s tone was gleeful. “We’ve already started the process. If he doesn’t sign, Ellie, your name will be dirt.”
Blake looked down at Ellie, his expression softening. He reached up, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “This isn’t just about me anymore,” he said softly. “This is about us.”
“Blake, please—”
He held up a hand, silencing her. Then he turned to David, his jaw tightening. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll sign.”
“Blake, no!” Ellie grabbed his arm. “You don’t have to do this. We can fight them together.”
“I can’t let them ruin your reputation,” he said. “I won’t.”
David held out the pen and Blake took it. He moved the papers to the table and Ellie glanced at the mess of her ideas strewn next to them, the code she’d been showing Blake only moments earlier now sitting redundant on her laptop. Blake’s hand hovered over the pages and for a moment Ellie thought he might change his mind. But then he picked up the pen and, with deliberate strokes, signed his name. Each movement felt like a dagger to her heart.
When it was done, Blake dropped the pen and turned to David.
“That was almost too easy,” his old friend said. “You’re even more pathetic than I thought.”
“Come on.” Michelle walked out of the room, her heels clacking on the wooden floor. “I’m sick of the stink of this place.”
Josh followed, still rubbing his cheek and throwing Ellie a venomous glare, but she refused to flinch.Let him scowl, she thought. He deserved worse.
David lingered, his smugness faltering slightly as Blake spoke.
“You’ve taken everything from me,” he said, quietly. “But don’t think for a second that this is over.”
David hesitated, the smallest flicker of something — guilt, perhaps — crossing his face. For a moment, Ellie thought he might say something human, but then Michelle’s impatient throat clearing echoed from outside.
“I hope you find your freedom. You were a good friend, David. I’ll miss you.” Blake’s words carried a weight that pierced Ellie’s chest.
David’s jaw tightened, his hand flexing at his side. Then, as if something inside him snapped, he turned and strode out without a word, slamming the door behind him.
Ellie let out a shaky breath, her pulse thrumming in her ears. She turned to Blake, who stood staring at the closed door, his shoulders tense.
For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the helicopter outside, its rotors beating the air in a cruel, constant reminder of everything that had just happened. Ellie crossed the room and slid her arms around Blake’s waist, pressing her forehead against his back. His body was rigid, coiled with tension.
“Are you okay?” she asked, listening to his heartbeat.
Blake didn’t answer right away. His hands came to rest over hers and he sighed, a deep, shuddering breath that seemed to release some of the weight he was carrying.
“Yeah,” he said finally. “I think I am. But I’m sorry for what they did to you.”
He turned around and pulled her close. “He had no right to do that to you.” He kissed the top of her head. “We can fight it in court. We can get LifeWrite back.”
