Starting Over: rewrite

Lost Empire and Lying Mother's

I want to thank you all for replying to my post and sharing who you would like Ella to end up with in this book. I will keep you all guessing until the very end.

3rd Person's POV

Elizabeth steps out of the Empire car, surprised that it stopped. She is even more shocked to find Ella Bass waiting for her. "I thought I was being taken to the Empire." She says to Ella.

"The bigger question you should ask is, why are you meeting with me?" Ella fires back. "Walk with me." She orders, and Elizabeth follows. "I don't know how much our rat of an uncle has promised you, but we're ready to offer you double if you give Chuck his hotel back." Ella negotiates.

"Oh, Ella..." Elizabeth lets out a big sigh. "This was never about money.

"So what does the weasel have on you? Because for you to lie about wanting to get to know your children, there must be something damning."

"I love him."

"For fuck sake, Elizabeth!"

"Eloise, that is not pro..." Ella swats Elizabeth's hand away.

"You're not my mother. Not with how you're acting." Ella is holding back tears.

"I know it's very difficult for you to understand..."

"Jack tried to assault my stepmother because he was mad about being left out of my father's will! He is using you, and you are falling for his lies." Elizabeth keeps a stone-cold face. "He is stealing my brother's hotel and will leave you."

"I know he's not perfect...he understands me. He doesn't judge me. But, underneath it all, he's a kind, loving person."

"What kind of loving person would have you weasel your way back into your children's lives just stab them in the back?"

"Maybe when you're older, and you've lived, Ella...."

"No, trust me, I've lived a lot in my twenty years of life. First, my heart was broken by my father's death and the man I thought I loved who left me and my daughter. And now I have a woman who says she's my mother, stealing from my brother." Ella shares. Elizabeth looks down for a while before looking Ella in the eyes again.

"When we started the game, I told myself that you and Chuck were just strangers. But I didn't know how much I'd come to care for you both."

"So help us. Give Chuck back his hotel." Ella pleads with her.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Is that all you can say?"

"I need Jack. And I believe he needs me, too. He loves me." Ella nods her head and laughs.

"Wow. You are weak and pathetic. Enjoy what happens next because no one will help you." Ella pushes past but stops as Elizabeth grabs her arm.

"Ella, please just..." Elizabeth's eyes water. "Understand that I never wanted to hurt you."

"I liked you more when I thought you were dead." Ella heads into her car and dials her brother's number. "She is in love with Jack."

"What?"

"She thinks he loves her, and...she won't give you the Empire back." Ella shares. She hears her brother take a deep breath.

"Thank you for trying."

"I should have been home earlier so you could have signed the hotel to me."

"This is not your fault. You were working."

"And you lost the one thing you have worked so hard for. We're going to get it back for you." Ella assures him.

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"I feel like this is a trick." Ella whispers to Chuck as they walk towards Elizabeth, who called them to meet her. Serena and Nate tried to catch Jack with prostitutes, but he was on to their game, and there was no leverage they could use to persuade Elizabeth otherwise.