The Billionaire's Temptation: Love, Family and Revenge-Chapter 40: Who is she?

Feeling ignored, Sia’s frustration boiled over. Without thinking, she grabbed the glass jar from the side stool and, in a fit of anger, smashed it against the floor.

The sudden crash sent shards flying in every direction.

Ford flinched, his body tensing.

The noise startled Elena and a group of nurses outside the room. Rushing in, they froze at the sight before them—broken glass scattered across the floor, tension thick in the air.

Stephen, the driver, stood at the doorway, his mouth slightly open in shock. He couldn’t believe what had just happened.

Ford, struggling to push himself upright despite his weak state, clenched his jaw. With every ounce of strength he could muster, he glared at Sia.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he snapped, his voice sharp with anger.

Sia stood her ground, unfazed by his fury.

Ford exhaled, shaking his head as he averted his gaze. His patience had worn thin. "I don’t think I want to see you again today. You can leave." His tone was firm, dismissive.

Sia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"For real?" she scoffed. "So now my presence irritates you? Let me guess... it’s because of her?"

She spun around, pointing at Elena, who stood frozen, speechless.

Ford exhaled deeply, his exhaustion clear. "Sia, I don’t have the energy for your drama. Just leave." He kept his voice as calm as possible, not wanting to escalate the situation further.

Sia, however, wasn’t done.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she stalked toward Elena, forcing the other woman to meet her gaze. With a smirk, she turned her head back to Ford.

"Now I see it," she sneered. "Now I understand why you’ve been acting different. It’s because of this filthy bitch."

Elena’s breath caught in her throat.

Sia’s sharp eyes raked over her, assessing every inch. Disdain filled her expression.

"That’s why you didn’t want me at your house," Sia continued coldly. "That’s why your driver acted so suspicious. I knew something was off." Her voice dripped with venom. "So this was it all along."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Ford’s jaw tightened. His anger simmered beneath the surface, but he refused to let Sia’s words get the better of him.

Elena, still stunned, struggled to process what was happening.

The air between them crackled with tension, and for a moment, no one moved.

Smiling, Sia walked back to where she had dropped her bag. Picking it up, she turned to Elena with a smug expression.

"Listen," she said, her voice dripping with confidence. "I’ve been with him long before you came into the picture. I have a place in his heart, no matter what you think the two of you have. Just so you know, he’s mine."

Then, turning back to Ford, she added, "I hope you never forget this—I belong to you, and you belong to me. No one, I repeat, no one is going to take you away from me."

She took a step closer, lowering her voice but keeping her words sharp. "I’m giving you time to deal with your prostitutes. When you’re done with them, you know where to find me. And if you don’t, trust me—I’ll find you."

She kissed him on the cheeks.

Ford withdrew from her. With that, she spun on her heels and stormed out of the room, leaving behind an unsettling silence.

Elena stood frozen, watching Sia leave. Watching Sia kiss Ford on the cheeks made her feel jealous but she took her eyes away. Her heart pounded in her chest as she replayed everything that had just happened.

"Wow... that was a lot," the driver muttered, breaking the silence. Turning to Ford, he added apologetically, "I’m sorry, sir."

Ford exhaled sharply, his jaw clenched in frustration. Then, narrowing his eyes at the driver, he asked, "Why did you bring her here in the first place?" His voice carried a dangerous edge.

"Sir, I couldn’t stop her," the driver explained, his tone laced with regret. "I tried my best, but she refused to leave without seeing you."

Elena slowly turned back to Ford. He hadn’t looked at her once since Sia left. His gaze remained locked on a distant spot, as if lost in thought.

She was still struggling to process everything that had just happened. Who was Sia to him, really? What made her so sure that Ford loved her?

Elena had always known that she and Ford were married, but had never assumed love had anything to do with it. Yet, watching Sia’s possessiveness and Ford’s reaction, she couldn’t help but wonder—was there more to their relationship than she had realized?

The urge to ask him who the woman was and what her words meant burned in Elena’s throat, but she forced herself to hold back. She shook her head, pushing the curiosity aside. Instead, she focused on what mattered at the moment.

"How are you feeling?" she finally asked, her voice soft.

Ford had been preparing himself for a flood of questions. He expected Elena to demand explanations about what had just happened, about Sia and her possessive outburst. But instead, she simply asked how he was doing.

Surprised, he lifted his gaze to meet hers. Her gentle smile warmed his heart, leaving him momentarily speechless. He didn’t know what to say, so he just stared, taking in the kindness in her eyes.

They remained like that for what felt like an eternity, lost in each other’s gaze. Finally, Elena broke the moment, looking away as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Stephen, the driver, had been watching the silent exchange. Sensing the awkward tension in the room, he quietly cleared his throat and excused himself as he ushered the nurses out of the room. Closing the door behind him, he stepped out, only to find himself face-to-face with the butler, who was waiting outside with a knowing smile.

"So, how did it go?" the butler asked, grinning.

Stephen sighed, shaking his head. "Wow, I can’t believe you’re actually smiling after putting me in such a tricky situation." He crossed his arms, pretending to be annoyed. "Anyway, it was intense, just as I expected. But Miss Sia just left, so now it’s only Sir Ford and Miss Elena in there."

The butler’s smile widened. "Really? Thank God she’s gone. That woman was a walking disturbance." He exhaled in relief, then leaned in slightly. "Wait... so Sir Ford and Miss Elena are alone in there?" His excitement was impossible to miss.

Stephen smirked. "Oh yes, they are."

The butler clapped his hands together, his grin growing. "Well, that means we finally have a break. No more drama for now."

Stephen stretched his arms, relieved. "Exactly. Let’s take this chance to get some rest."

With matching smiles, the two men walked off, eager to find a canteen where they could grab something to eat. For the first time that day, the air felt lighter, and they intended to make the most of it.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Elena asked shyly, her eyes fixed on the floor.

Ford didn’t look away. Instead, his gaze remained locked on her as he replied, "And why did you look away? You know your eyes are beautiful, right?"

Elena hesitated before turning back to him, only to find his intense gaze still on her. Her breath caught in her throat.

"You really need to stop staring at me like that," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably. "It’s making me uneasy."

Ford chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Oh? And how exactly does my gaze make you feel?" he teased, his smile widening.

Elena’s eyes narrowed, refusing to give in to his playful banter. "Those questions are unnecessary. Just focus on resting," she said firmly, quickly attempting to retreat.

Before she could take a step, Ford reached out and gently gripped her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "And where do you think you’re going?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement. "Do I really make you that uneasy?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Elena’s heart pounded. "Oh, don’t misunderstand me! You don’t make me uneasy," she quickly defended herself, trying to pull away from his grasp.

Ford raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment. "Oh? So that means you want me?" he asked, his tone teasing, his lips twitching as if he was holding back laughter.

Elena’s breath hitched. His words struck a nerve, and she didn’t know why she suddenly felt so shy. He wasn’t entirely wrong. Despite everything, she couldn’t forget the kiss they had shared—no matter how much time had passed.

Feeling flustered, she quickly cleared her throat, desperate for a distraction. "I—I brought you some porridge," she blurted out, holding up the food container as an attempt to shift the conversation.

Ford, however, wasn’t ready to let her off the hook just yet. Amusement twinkled in his eyes as he leaned back slightly. "Won’t you answer me?" he asked, effortlessly steering the conversation back to the same topic.

Elena swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure what unnerved her more—the way he looked at her, the way he spoke, or the way his presence always seemed to stir something deep inside her.

"I prepared something for you, I hope you like it" she said Desperate to avoid his gaze, hoping he would drop the subject.

Ford smirked, sensing her discomfort, but decided to let it slide—for now. He took the porridge from her hands, his fingers brushing against hers for a fleeting moment. A subtle shiver ran down Elena’s spine, but she quickly pulled her hand back.

Smiling "Thank you" he thanked dropping the flask on the table.

Elena exhaled in relief, grateful for the change in subject. But deep down, she knew this conversation was far from over.

"Aren’t you hungry?" Elena asked, on noticing he wasn’t eating. She reached into the nylon bag and carefully brought out some fruits. Smiling, she placed it on the table in front of Ford.

"I prepared the poriage specially for you," she said softly. "The chief cook helped too. I just... I wanted to apologize for the other day." Her voice held a hint of sadness, and she lowered her gaze.

"I didn’t mean to intrude. I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again," she continued, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. Then, as if remembering something, she added, "By the way... your mother was a very beautiful woman."

Ford watched her with a gentle expression before smiling. "If that’s why you prepared this porridge, you really didn’t have to," he said. "You know I’m not angry with you, right?"

Elena looked up at him, slightly surprised.

Ford continued, "Actually, I should be the one apologizing. I said too much that day... some things I shouldn’t have." His voice was filled with sincerity. Reaching out, he gently took her hand in his.