Chapter 100: Daddy Dominant's Good Girl

**Olivia POV

After hearing Ellis’ conversation with Nancy, I felt so much lighter and happier. It finally felt like Ellis and I were connecting and on the same page.

It didn’t even bother me anymore that she was staying in the mansion until her sister came to get her.

I was in the kitchen fixing breakfast for Ken when Nancy joined me.

She came up next to me and peered at what I was doing.

“Lucky Charms?” she asked.

“Ken’s favorite,” I said, smiling warmly.

“Are you sure he should be having so much sugar in the mornings?” she asked.

I pursed my lips. “Was there something you wanted?”

“I was hoping we could talk, woman to woman,” she said. She hopped up on the counter and sat on the edge, almost like a child.

“Sure,” I shrugged.

“Here’s the problem. Ellis is in love with me. I’m in love with him. The only problem is you,” Nancy said.

I arched an eyebrow at her. “What do you mean that I’m the problem?”

“Ellis is a man of honor. He sees Ken as his son and you as Ken’s mother and he is duty bound to stay with you as a family. But he really loves me and we want to be together.” Nancy picked up an apple and tossed it back and forth in her hands.

She was a little childlike in her mannerisms. If she wasn’t talking to me about relationships and love, I probably would have thought she was a lot younger than me.

“If you were to walk away from Ellis and leave us alone, he’d come around. He’d realize that I’m the one he wants and would forget all about you,” she said.

“You want me to leave Ellis?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.

Nancy grinned innocently. “For instance.”

I tapped my fingertips on the counter. A few days ago, I might have believed her. Now, I trusted what Ellis had told me. Nancy apparently didn’t know that I had overheard her chat with Ellis in his office.

“How do you know what he wants? Has he told you? Have you talked to him about this?” I asked, trying to get her to tip her hand.

“We don’t have to talk about it. I know his heart. I know his desires. I can just look at him and know what he needs,” she assured, shrugging casually.

“So, you’re asking me to leave him because you can tell that’s what he wants?” I asked for clarification.

Nancy smiled shyly. “I’m sorry if it is forward, but he’s too duty bound, too good of a man to leave you and Ken.”

“Ken? What does he have to do with any of this?” I asked, looking down at the cereal.

I was curious how far Nancy would take this or what she was really after.

“He’s only with you because he’s a good man. Not because he wants to be. I’m what he needs. So, if you really care about him, you’ll back off and let Ellis come back to me,” she continued.

“Nancy, I think that Ellis is the only one who knows what he needs. Until he tells me otherwise, it is me,” I said.

I wrapped my hands around the bowl of dry cereal. The milk was still in the refrigerator. Nancy was between me and the fridge. I didn’t want to move around her or ask her to move.

I wasn’t bothered by what she was saying. She was a woman in love and she was going to try and fight for what she wanted. Based on what Ellis had told me, I hadn’t thought she’d be so manipulative, trying to get me to leave him.

“Why are you being so stubborn? I know what Ellis needs. You need to let him go, that’s how you can show your feelings for him,” she said, rolling the apple down the counter.

“If Ellis tells me that he doesn’t want to be with me anymore, then I will gladly disappear from his world. But only when he tells me,” I said.

“Why are you being so selfish?” Nancy snapped.

I raised an eyebrow at her little outburst.

Nancy sighed and smiled, a warm, friendly smile. “He’ll never tell you because he’s too kind and loyal. You’re going to have to be the one to make the first move.”

“There was a time when I disappeared from Ellis’s life. It did nothing but cause him pain. I won’t be responsible for that again,” I explained.

“Hmph.” Nancy put her hands on her hips. She swung her legs back and forth as they dangled over the edge of the counter.

“I admit, I’m surprised. I thought you had more class than this. I thought you cared enough about Ellis to let him go,” she stated flatly.

“Perhaps you think you know him better than I do. I know him pretty well, too. He’s shown me that he loves me and needs me here. So, I will stay until that changes,” I said again.

“Ellis wants to marry me. He won’t be able to while you’re still here,” she said with a heavy sigh.

I shook my head and picked up Ken’s cereal. I moved around Nancy to the refrigerator.

“We are both appreciative of the assistance you offered Ellis in the past. You saved his life. If there is anything else we can do for you, we will try to make it happen. Anything other than us breaking up,” I clarified.

Nancy looked down at her lap and sighed. She twisted her hands in her lap.

“We both know that Ellis won’t marry someone he doesn’t love,” I added.

I dug around in the fridge for the milk. I heard Nancy moving around in the kitchen and I hoped she was leaving.

If she was trying to shake me up or test my loyalty and commitment to Ellis, she wasn’t going to get anything from me. I wouldn’t play her game.

Ellis had always told me she was so kind and innocent. The conversation had started out friendly enough. She’d approached me as a friend but she clearly had her own motives.

“I wish you weren’t so stubborn and selfish, Olivia. I am going to get what is mine, though.” Her tone was sad and depressed.

A shiver ran down my spine. I closed the refrigerator and turned to look at her.

Nancy was holding a fruit knife in her hand. She had the blade pressed to her arm.

“Nancy, what are you doing!?” I cried. I slammed the fridge closed and rushed toward her.

Nancy smirked and pulled the blade across her arm.

I reached her and pulled the knife from her hand.

A sliver of blood appeared on her skin.

I held the knife far away from her.

Nancy grinned again, then she widened her eyes and held a hand up like she was blocking me.

“Olivia, what are you doing!?” she cried.

“What?” I asked.

“Olivia, Nancy?” Ellis’s deep, smooth voice asked behind us.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I looked at the knife in my hand and the way that Nancy was cowering.

I put the knife on the counter and turned to Ellis.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” I said.

“Olivia cut me! She would have done worse if you hadn’t shown up,” Nancy said. She batted her eyelashes at Ellis.

I could see just how manipulative she was now.

“Ellis, she cut herself. I took the knife away so she wouldn’t hurt herself,” I argued.

Ellis glanced between the two of us. He came to my side and slipped an arm around my waist.

I sighed in relief. Hopefully, this meant he believed me.

“Nancy, what do you have to say for yourself?” Ellis asked sternly. “I know Olivia wouldn’t be so cruel as to harm anyone.”

“Then explain this?” she snapped, holding out her cut arm. “She was holding the knife!”

“What reason would she have?” Ellis asked.

I stayed silent. I didn’t need to explain myself to Ellis. He’d believe me.

“She’s manipulating you. She deceived you this whole time. She’s not a nice person,” Nancy argued.

I knew Ellis wouldn’t buy that!

Suddenly, Ellis’s arm dropped from my waist.

I glanced at him.

His face was a little contorted like he was confused.

“Nancy, I want to believe you, for the sake of our past. I want to believe Olivia, too because I love her and trust her. What am I to do with two different stories?” he asked.

“Ellis,” I muttered.

“I don’t think you’re capable of hurting anyone, Olivia. I trust that. But what I walked in on is a little suspicious,” he said.

I sighed and nodded. I couldn’t argue with that. I felt my heart quiver. I wanted Ellis to believe me and trust me no matter what.

Nancy was still in his memory.

“Trust me, Ellis. I would never lie to you. I sacrificed myself for you once,” Nancy said. She had her hand clamped over the cut on her arm.

Ellis sighed and looked between the two of us again.

I could tell that he was struggling with what to do.

Silence consumed us.

“Mommy, Daddy!” Ken shouted, running into the kitchen.

“Ken, what are you doing here?” I asked as he ran right up to me.

His eyes were so wide and fearful.

“You were taking too long with breakfast. I came to find you and heard arguing,” he said. He tugged on my sleeve.

“You heard us?” I asked softly.

“I was hiding in the corner. I didn’t mean to listen but I couldn’t help it. I was worried about you, Mommy,” he said.

Ellis turned his attention to Ken. We had a witness now.

Nancy’s face paled slightly.

“Ken, did you see what happened?” Ellis asked, kneeling down in front of his son.

“I recorded it,” he said, holding up his phone. “I was playing with the camera to see how it worked and I got it all.”

Ken handed Ellis the phone.

As Ellis watched the video, his brow furrowed and he pursed his lips.

I ran my fingers through Ken’s hair. Whatever moment of insecurity I’d had was passed. Ken’s video would reveal the truth and I would have nothing to worry about.

Ellis paused the video. I could see the image was paused at the moment when Nancy cut her own arm.

With a tight expression, he turned the phone toward Nancy so she could see.

“So, are you still going to accuse Olivia of cutting you?” he asked.

“I-I… that’s not what it looks like,” Nancy said, looking down.

“I don’t understand, Nancy. Why would you do something like this?” he demanded.

I went to Ellis’ side and put my hand on his arm.

Nancy chewed her lower lip.

“Answer me!” Ellis ordered.