Love's Tangled Web (Alex and Ellie)

Hours later, a private helicopter softly landed at the tri-border area. Ellie quietly followed Alex into a hotel. However, instead of going up, the elevator went down directly to the third basement level. Stepping out of the elevator, Ellie found herself in a completely different world. The fancy decor dazzled her eyes, and the loud noise overwhelmed her senses, causing her to stop in her tracks. "We're right in the heart of this busy area," Alex said beside her, his gaze flickering like a candle flame. "This is a lawless place, a true paradise for criminals."

A few minutes later, Ellie entered a suite with Alex. As the door closed behind them, it cut off any connection to the chaos outside. Alex checked the time on his wrist and cautiously approached Ellie. "Are you tired?"

He spoke very carefully. Ellie looked at the painting on the wall, giving him no response. At that moment, all his concern felt like mockery to her. Feeling Alex's intense stare on her, Ellie stepped further into the inner room of the suite. Alex's eyes were fixed on Ellie. Just as he followed her, Haley's voice rang out from behind him. "Alex, why did you ask to meet me here? It was so hard to find you," Haley exclaimed.

She was dressed in a tailored suit that highlighted her striking features, her expression full of excitement. "Didn't you say we were going to get married in Ameria? Why are we here?"

Alex turned around, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Haley. She felt a jolt of anxiety from his expression.

After following Alex to Ellie's hometown, the police had called her the next morning to take her statement, telling her about Ellie's dad's tragic accident the night before. She had been the last person to see him, besides his family. In the following days, fear kept her from showing her face, but strangely, no one came after her, especially not Alex.

As she heard the sound of the door locking behind her, Haley turned to see Barry and several bodyguards standing at the entrance, her panic increasing.

Nervously, she approached Alex, her eyes darting around. "Alex, what do you mean by this?"

Alex looked at Barry, who handed Haley a stack of documents. "Ms. Owens, it was Ms. Thompson who saved Mr. Warren, not you."

Flustered, Haley hurriedly opened the file and looked inside, her eyes widening in disbelief when she saw her own medical reports. "How did you get my medical records?"

Her gaze shot back to Alex, her heart racing in panic. Looking around, she realized-she had walked right into Alex's trap. The sudden phone call asking her to discuss marriage abroad now made sense.

In her excitement, she had only thought about getting a marriage certificate before Ellie could uncover the truth. "So, you already knew?" Realizing she could no longer pretend, Haley gave up her act.

"The only reason I've kept you here is that the final piece hasn't arrived yet. I didn't expect you to actually come." Alex's gaze sharpened on Haley, a fierce intensity igniting in his crimson eyes. Suppressing her growing fear, Haley steeled herself. "What do you mean?"

Following Alex's gaze, she saw a man approaching, carrying a sleek black briefcase, sending her mind into chaos. "Alex, Hied to you because I love you too much," Haley insisted. "Only my love is real; Ellie just wants the Warren family's money." Haley continued, "You hurt Ellie deeply, and her parents suffered too. Even if you brought me here for Ellie's revenge, do you really think she could ever forgive you?"noveldrama

Alex's eyes were filled with turmoil as he fought the urge to unleash violence. Just then, Ellie stepped slowly from the inner room. Seeing her, all color drained from Haley's face. "How did you end up here?"

As Haley's sharp cry cut through the air and Ellie regarded her with an unyielding expression, she replied, "I'm here to wait for you."

Haley's facial muscles twitched involuntarily. Ellie advanced step by step toward her. "Haley, you can take my necklace, pretend to be me, or even break up with Aaron, but-"

Pausing for a moment, Ellie continued, "You shouldn't bully me in Ameria out of spite, and you should never have visited my parents."

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4:06 PM

Though Joanna had only hinted at the exchange, Ellie could easily imagine the hurtful words Haley must have thrown at her parents. Otherwise, Harold would not have braved the storm to search for his daughter in the middle of the night. Each step Ellie took toward Haley made the latter back away until she found herself trapped against the wall, attempting to act composed. "I admit I took your necklace, but you were going to give it to me anyway."

Haley said, "I broke up with your brother because he had no drive. Your family is so poor! If you were in my shoes, pursued by a wealthy heir like Alex, you would give in to temptation too."

Ellie felt a wave of self-mockery. She had indeed felt the allure before, but those past feelings now only filled her with disgust.

Haley added, "If you hadn't been so focused on catching Alex, refusing to leave the Warren family, I would have never gone after your parents. The one responsible for your dad's death is not me; it's you!" "Enough." Noticing Ellie's clear distress, Alex interrupted Haley sharply.

He stepped closer to Ellie, instinctively reaching to place a hand on her lower back. Yet, upon touching her coat, he hesitated and pulled back, his gaze filled with unwavering affection.

Forcefully shifting his gaze from Ellie, Alex turned to face Haley, his eyes cold and fierce, his lips parting like a harbinger of death. "Haley, the one who deserves death the most is you."

Haley was momentarily frozen by the menace in Alex's eyes. After a tense silence, she erupted. Laughing maniacally, she taunted Alex, "Before I came here, I told my mother I was meeting you. If anything happens to me, you'll be responsible. "Alex, your brother is dead. You are the only heir; do you still plan to kill me?"

"Death is too lenient for you." Alex slowly opened the black briefcase held by his bodyguard.

Ellie looked into the case, her heart racing at the sight of two vials filled with different-colored liquids encased in clear glass.

As Haley watched Alex take out a syringe filled with a blue substance, her face turned ghostly pale. Gazing in horror at the syringe in Alex's hand, Haley felt her blood run cold and collapsed to the ground in a faint.