11: The Cost of Power
11: The Cost of Power
Ellie’s POV
Later that evening, the weight of Dr. Hale’s words pressed down on me, suffocating and undeniable.
"Mr. Laurent has resources far beyond what most people realize."
I clutched my phone in one hand, staring at the dimly lit screen. Adrien’s number glowed back at me, an invitation and a warning all at once. I should have been relieved—this was an answer, a solution to the problem hanging over my mother’s life. And yet, my stomach twisted into knots.
The crisp autumn air bit at my skin as I stepped outside, needing the cool night to ground me. My fingers hovered over the call button. Once I did this, there would be no turning back.
A vibration snapped me from my thoughts.
Unknown Number.
My heart lurched as I hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then a whisper, chilling and intimate.
"You’re making the wrong choice, Ellie."
My breath hitched.
“Who is this?”
A low chuckle. A voice I didn’t recognize but sent an eerie familiarity slithering through my veins.
"Adrien won’t save her. He’s only buying your soul."
I spun around, scanning the darkness beyond the porch light, but I saw nothing—only the skeletal branches swaying in the wind.
A second later, the line went dead.
I exhaled shakily, gripping the phone tighter. I needed to make a decision. Now.
With a deep breath, I hit call.
\----------------------
Adrien’s Penthouse—The Meeting
Ellie’s POV
Adrien met me at the door, his striking features unreadable in the dim hallway light. The moment I stepped inside, I realized I had entered another world—one of power, control, and something far darker.
“You finally came to your senses.” His voice was smooth as silk, but beneath it lay something sharper.
I lifted my chin, determined to meet him on equal footing. “I came because you can help my mother.”
He studied me, amusement flickering in his gaze. “That’s what you’re telling yourself?”
Before I could respond, Adrien turned and walked deeper into the lavish penthouse, forcing me to follow. The cityscape glowed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the scent of expensive cologne mixed with aged whiskey clung to the air.
“Let’s talk business, then.” He gestured to a sleek black folder on the glass table. I hesitated before picking it up, skimming through the legal jargon.
A contract.
“This states that you’ll cover my mother’s hospital bills and fund my business,” I murmured, my throat dry.
Adrien tilted his head. “In exchange for your presence.”
I looked up sharply. “At your events?”
He smirked. “And wherever else I require.”
The way he said it sent heat prickling down my spine. This was dangerous. This was playing with fire.
“Do you need a pen?” His voice was almost mocking.
I could still walk away. But that meant walking away from my mother’s only chance.
I exhaled slowly and picked up the pen.
The moment the ink met paper, I belonged to Adrien Laurent.
Adrien’s POV
Ellie’s delicate fingers tightened around the pen as she signed the last stroke of her name.
I watched the ink settle on the page, final and absolute.
Satisfaction curled deep in my chest.
She was mine now.
I stepped forward, slow and deliberate, closing the space between us. She stiffened as I placed my hands on either side of her chair, caging her in. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t shrink away. Good. I liked when they didn’t break too easily.
“Welcome to my world, Ellie.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, her pulse thrumming beneath fragile skin. She was nervous—but not afraid. Not yet.
I leaned in, my lips a breath away from her ear. “I hope you’re ready.”
The moment stretched between us, charged and heavy. She exhaled slowly, steadying herself, but I caught the faint tremor in her fingers. She was trying to be strong.
I almost admired it.
Then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Pulling back, I smirked as I retrieved it, my amusement growing the moment I read the message.
Unknown Number: You can chain her, but you can’t keep her.
I chuckled darkly, shaking my head.
“Oh, Victor. You never learn.”
Ellie belonged to me now. And I never lost what was mine.
Liam’s POV
I felt it the moment it happened.
A shift in the air. A weight settling over my chest. A wrongness that crawled up my spine and refused to let go.
I gritted my teeth, pacing the length of my apartment, the dim light casting jagged shadows along the walls. My fists curled at my sides, tension coiling tight in my muscles.
Ellie had been with him.
The scent of Adrien clung to her like a brand, like a claim. It was on her skin, in her hair—woven into her very existence.
A bitter taste coated my tongue.
I should have stopped this before it started. I should have pulled her away, warned her, made her understand that Adrien Laurent didn’t offer help—he offered ownership.
But I was too late.
She had signed something. Bound herself to him.
And I knew Adrien. He never played fair.
I slammed my palm against the counter, the sharp sting grounding me. My breath came hard and fast, my mind racing through every possible way to pull her back from this.
Ellie didn’t belong in his world.
And I wasn’t about to let him keep her.