The Billionaire's Temptation: Love, Family and Revenge-Chapter 88: All For You Elena

Elena threw her arms around Ford and hugged him as tightly as she could. She could feel the stiffness in his body at first, as if he wasn’t sure how to react. Slowly, with a small shudder, Ford relaxed. His arms moved hesitantly at first, then wrapped fully around her waist, holding her like he never wanted to let go. He buried his face against her chest, seeking comfort in the warmth of her embrace.

"Don’t leave me... please," Ford whispered, his voice trembling with emotion.

"I don’t know what’s wrong, but we can talk it out... please," he begged, still clinging to her.

Elena couldn’t speak. Her throat felt tight, her heart too heavy to form any words. So she just held him even closer, running a gentle hand up and down his back. She stayed like that, steady and silent, offering him all the comfort she could without saying a thing.

After what felt like a long time, Elena gently loosened her grip and leaned back to look at him. Their eyes locked , his filled with fear and regret, hers with unspoken questions.

"When were you going to tell me about my name being dragged through the news?" she asked suddenly, her voice soft but firm.

Ford’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He was caught off guard. So that was what had been eating her up inside. That explained why she had seemed ready to walk away.

"Um... Elena," he began slowly, guilt creeping into his voice, "I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I just... didn’t want you to worry."

He paused, struggling to find the right words.

"You were still healing from everything , the attack, the pain. I thought if I told you about the media scandal too soon, it would break you even more. I just wanted you to get better first. That’s all I cared about."

Ford’s voice cracked a little at the end. He looked at her with pleading eyes, hoping she would understand.

Elena took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slowly. As she listened, she could see the truth in his eyes , he hadn’t meant to hurt her. He had only been trying, in his own clumsy way, to protect her.

"It’s alright," she said finally, her voice calm but a little sad. "But next time, please tell me everything, especially if it concerns me. I hate being left in the dark."

Ford nodded quickly, his whole body seeming to sag in relief.

"I understand. It won’t happen again," he promised.

Satisfied with his answer, Elena moved to stand up from his lap. But before she could fully rise, Ford caught her hand and pulled her gently back down onto him. She landed softly, blinking in surprise.

"Thank you," he said, his voice low and earnest.

Elena stared at him for a moment, searching his face.

Elena stood there, frozen, her heart racing as she stared at Ford. She had expected something, anything, a kiss, a touch, a confession. But instead, Ford simply rose from the bed, brushing past her with a tight smile, leaving her sitting alone on the edge, feeling foolish for hoping. Her fingers curled into the soft fabric of her dress, her lips slightly parted in disbelief. Why had she thought there could be more?

Meanwhile, Ford crossed the hall into his own room, dragging a hand down his face in exhaustion. He turned on the bath, letting the hot water rush into the tub, filling the air with mist. As he sank into it, his muscles unwound, but his mind remained restless, tangled in thoughts of Elena, her nearness, her scent, the way her eyes had silently begged him to stay.

He was about to let himself drift to sleep when his phone buzzed sharply against the countertop. Groaning, he reached for it. Kelvin’s voice came through the line, crisp with excitement.

"Jane’s been arrested," Kelvin said, not bothering to hide the satisfaction in his voice. "It’s done."

Ford chuckled lowly, a dark, satisfied sound that echoed in the quiet room. One loose thread tied up. Yet as much as victory tasted sweet, a heavier feeling settled in his chest. He had to tell Elena. She deserved to know everything, especially because he wasn’t sure how Jane’s downfall might affect her.

Still damp from the bath, Ford pulled on a loose shirt and walked down the hall. He hesitated outside Elena’s door, heart pounding harder than it should. He lifted his hand and knocked, once, twice.

No answer.

He considered leaving, but something in him refused. He knocked again, softer this time, almost a plea.

Finally, the door creaked open. Elena stood there, hair tousled from lying in bed, her eyes guarded, lips pressed into a line. Her vulnerability was a knife straight into his gut.

"I have something to tell you," Ford said, his voice lower, rougher than he intended. His hand instinctively reached for the doorframe, steadying himself as he saw her hesitate.

She crossed her arms loosely, lifting her chin. "What is it?"

He raked a hand through his damp hair. "It’s about Jane," he said. His gaze dropped to her mouth for the briefest second before forcing himself to meet her eyes again.

"Come in, Elena," Ford said gently.

Elena pushed the door open wider and stepped aside to let him in. Once Ford had entered, she closed the door softly behind him, the faint click of the lock sounding louder in the quiet room.

Ford moved to the nearest chair and sat down carefully. As he inhaled deeply, the soft scent of Elena’s perfume filled his senses, wrapping around him like a memory he never wanted to lose. The room felt warm and calm, just like her.

His eyes found her quickly — Elena had perched herself neatly on the edge of the bed, her hands resting nervously in her lap. Her posture was stiff, almost like she was bracing herself for bad news.

"We found out who was behind your attack," Ford said in a calm but serious tone.

Elena’s eyes widened immediately, full of confusion and fear.

"And it was Jane... your stepsister," Ford added, his voice a little heavier now. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"What?" Elena gasped. She blinked rapidly, her hands clenching into fists. "How? That’s not how I remember it. I remember it was a man... I know Jane hates me, but to do something like this?" Her voice broke with emotion, tears gathering in her eyes.

Ford leaned forward, searching her face. "So you remember?" he asked carefully. "Why didn’t you say anything?"

Elena lowered her head, turning her face away from him, her shoulders trembling slightly. Shame and fear swirled inside her.

Ford softened his tone even more. "It’s alright. I understand. You were scared, and that’s why I decided to act. I hired a private detective. He found proof that Jane was the one who arranged it , she hired the man you remember."

He paused for a moment, then said, almost in a rush, "She’s been arrested."

Elena jumped to her feet, shock plain on her face. "Arrested?" she cried out, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You should have waited! You should have been sure!"

"Elena," Ford said, standing up slowly to meet her eye-to-eye. His voice was calm but firm. "We are sure. There’s solid proof — recordings, phone records, witnesses. We didn’t rush."

Elena shook her head as tears streamed down her face. "But I told you to let it go! Why didn’t you listen?" she sobbed.

Ford stepped closer and caught her trembling hands in his.

"Baby, please don’t be angry," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I did it for you. She needed to pay for what she did. You were in the hospital for four days , in pain, scared, alone. I couldn’t just stand by and let her walk free after doing that to you."

His grip tightened just slightly, desperate to make her understand.

"You didn’t deserve what happened to you," he whispered.

Elena stared at him, tears shining in her eyes. For a moment, the room was filled with heavy silence — broken only by their ragged breathing and the invisible bond pulling them closer than ever before.

Hearing Ford say he did everything for her sake only seemed to fuel Elena’s anger more. She turned away, her shoulders trembling as hot tears slid down her cheeks.

"You promised you’d leave it alone!" she cried, voice cracking under the weight of her emotions.

Ford couldn’t stand seeing her like that. Slowly, he crossed the room, every step heavy with hesitation. When he reached her, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, then pulled her into his arms. She didn’t resist but she didn’t hug him back either.

"I’m sorry, Elena," he whispered into her hair, his voice hoarse. "I couldn’t stand by and watch them hurt you again. I needed to protect you... even if you hate me for it."

For a moment, the room fell silent except for her soft sobs against his chest. Ford closed his eyes, breathing her in, grounding himself in the closeness. He rubbed slow circles on her back, patient, letting her feel that he was there not trying to fix her pain, just staying with her through it.

Elena finally lifted her head, her teary eyes meeting his. Vulnerability flickered between them, it was raw, unguarded.

"You don’t get to make that choice for me," she murmured, her fingers tightening unconsciously against his shirt. "But... thank you for caring."

Her words were like a balm to his guilt. Ford cupped her face, brushing his thumb lightly over her damp cheek.

"I would do it all again," he said softly, almost reverently. "For you... always for you."