All Chapters of Engaged To The Ruthless Billionaire : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Eliana’s POV The drive to my father’s estate in Greenwich was silent, but it wasn’t the empty silence of before.It was a heavy, charged silence. The kind that hummed with tension.Alexander sat beside me in the back of the town car, his laptop closed on his knees, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery of manicured lawns and iron gates. His hand, large and warm, rested on the leather seat between us, just inches from my thigh.He hadn’t touched me since the rooftop yesterday—not really. But the energy radiating off him felt like a physical caress. He was hyper-aware of me. I could feel it in the way his body angled slightly toward mine, a gravitational pull I was finding harder and harder to resist.“You don’t have to do this,” he said suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet.I looked over at him. His jaw was set, that familiar muscle ticking beneath the skin.“Do what? Go to dinner with my father?” I let out a dry laugh. “I think the invitation was more of a summons, Alexander

Alexander’s POV I expected to walk into a war zone. Or a negotiation. Or, at the very least, a polite, stiff conversation between my fiancée and my brother.What I walked into was a shouting match.“No! Absolutely not! You cannot trust him, he’s wearing a vest! Never trust a man in a vest!”“He’s not the villain, Eliana! He’s misunderstood! He’s doing it for love!”“He’s doing it because he’s a narcissist with a god complex, Damien! Look at his eyes! Those are crazy eyes!”I stood in the entryway of the penthouse living room, my briefcase still in my hand, staring at the scene before me.Eliana was on her knees on the Persian rug, clutching a throw pillow like a shield. Damien was sprawled upside down on the sofa, his legs over the backrest, waving a half-eaten slice of pizza in the air.On the massive 85-inch screen, a woman was throwing a glass of wine into a man’s face.Reality TV.My brother and my fiancée were screaming at a reality TV show.I cleared my throat. Neither of them

Alexander’s POV The bedroom was dark, lit only by the soft, amber glow of the bedside lamps and the city lights bleeding through the sheer curtains.I sat on the edge of the bed, a file regarding the Asian market expansion open on my lap, but I hadn’t read a single word in twenty minutes. My eyes were fixed on the bathroom door.Steam billowed out from the crack beneath it, carrying the scent of vanilla and jasmine. Her scent.It had been a week of missed connections. A week of her leaving before I woke up and coming home after I’d already retreated to my office. A week of quick pecks on the cheek and exhausted murmurs of “goodnight.”I was starving.I was a man who prided himself on discipline, on the ability to delay gratification for the sake of a long-term goal. But when it came to Eliana, my discipline was fraying like a cheap rope. I missed the sound of her voice. I missed her sharp wit. But mostly, I missed the weight of her body against mine, the way she unraveled when I touc

Eliana’s POV The glamour of the Legacy Ball died the moment I stepped through the service door.The hushed murmur of the elite and the swell of the string quartet were instantly replaced by the harsh clatter of a commercial kitchen. The air here didn’t smell of lilies and expensive perfume; it smelled of dish soap, reduction sauce, and sweat.I hiked the heavy chainmail of my Versace dress up to my thighs, my heels clicking rapidly against the greasy tile floor.“Ms. Rivera?” A sous-chef paused, holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres, staring at me in shock.I didn’t stop. I didn’t explain.“Excuse me,” I breathlessly pushed past a waiter, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.Your sister isn’t where you think she is.The text burned in my mind.Alexander had security everywhere. Christian had said the perimeter was locked down. So how could Serena be in trouble? Unless… unless the threat was coming from inside. Unless my father had found a blind spot.I reached the heavy me

ElianaThe concrete floor was cold against my cheek, a stark contrast to the fire burning in my veins.My head throbbed where Matt had struck me, a dull, rhythmic pounding that matched the frantic beat of my heart. I pushed myself up to my elbows, dragging my body backward until my spine hit the damp wall.Matt stood over me, his silhouette looming large in the flickering light of the single bulb. He was breathing hard, his hands twitching at his sides. The look in his eyes wasn’t just anger—it was a twisted, hungry possession.“You’re making this difficult, El,” he muttered, running a hand through his greasy hair. “I didn’t want to hit you. You know I never wanted to hurt you. But you… you look at me like I’m the villain.”“You kidnapped me,” I rasped, my voice raw. “You drugged me. You dragged me out of my own engagement party.”“I saved you!” Matt roared, the sound echoing in the small, windowless cell. He kicked the metal chair across the room. It clattered loudly, making me flinc