Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband-Chapter 308: Tools

Ella was in a daze.

Last night had felt unreal - like a dream or maybe a lapse in sanity. That was the only explanation she could offer herself for what she had done. She had nearly sexually assaulted Dale. Her breath hitched at the memory, a flash of heat rose in her cheeks, not from embarrassment, but from a strange, messy tangle of guilt, frustration, shame and something more that she refused to name. She didn’t know what she was thinking - or if she had been thinking at all.

But the truth was more complicated. She had been fed up. Fed up with his constant taunts, his cool condescension, and that maddening tone he used as if he always knew more than she did. His words were always like knives -not deadly, but precise and aimed at all her vulnerabilities. And last night, she had finally snapped.

As she lay staring up at the ceiling, her hands limp by her sides, a darker realization took root in her mind. She’d wanted something from him. That was what had caused her to snap. She’d wanted his approval. His respect. His recognition. It felt like a slap in the face.

God. She was pathetic.

Like a fool, she was repeating the same cycle she’d always fallen into - the same emotional trap she’d promised herself she would never return to. First, there had been Sidney. She had bent herself into impossible shape to become the girl he might want, and then she had become the girl her father would be proud of and willing to shower love on, chasing his elusive approval, holding her breath in hopes he might finally see her as worthy.

And now she was doing that with Dale.

She closed her eyes briefly, the weight of it making her chest feel tight. She had let his opinion of her matter. Worse, she had gotten angry when it didn’t come in the way she wanted it to. She’d lashed out because, somewhere deep inside, she wanted him to look at her and acknowledge that she was capable, strong, worthy and much more than her mistakes.

But what was the point? Dale wasn’t here to praise her or make her feel good about herself. He was here to make her pay. They were doing this - the training, the mission, everything because he wanted her to suffer for what she had done to Serena. And he needed someone reckless enough to throw herself in danger without thinking too hard about it.

That was all this was. She had to remember that.

With a steadying breath, she sat up, swinging her legs off the bed. Her feet touched the cold floor, grounding her. She nodded to herself.

It was good that she had slapped him. She needed that reminder. A clear boundary. This wasn’t about feelings. It wasn’t about being liked or respected. This was about survival, debt, and punishment. And today, she would be just like him - focused, emotionally detached, committed only to the task at hand.

She stripped off her sleepwear and headed to the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face and then dressed in her workout gear - black fitted leggings, a snug sports top, and wrapped her hands with the worn cloth strips he’d taught her to use. Her fingers trembled only slightly.

The training mat had become her place of refuge over the past few weeks. It was the one space where her mind went quiet. No thoughts. No worries about Dale or Aiden or Serena or who she was trying to become. Just her body - moving, striking, responding.

She started with stretches, pushing her muscles to wake up and loosen. Then came the kicks - front kicks, roundhouse, knee strikes, each one echoing against the empty room’s silence.

Next came shadow boxing. She moved with purpose 0 fists up, footwork light, jabs and crosses slicing the air in front of her. In her head, she could almost hear Dale’s clipped corrections.

Elbow in. Tighten your core. Don’t lean forward.

She exhaled sharply, letting her fists fly faster. One-two. One-two-hook. Again. And then again.

By the end of her routine, her arms ached, her thighs were burning, and sweat dripped down her neck and back. But her mind was clear. Exactly how she needed it.

Just as she toweled her face and caught her breath, the sound of the doorbell pierced the stillness. She froze mid-step.

Her heart gave a small, traitorous flutter. Not much - but enough to annoy her. She clenched her jaw and mentally slammed the door on that reaction. It didn’t matter if it was Dale. It didn’t matter what she wanted. He wasn’t here to see her. He was here to train her. That was all that was.

She wiped her face once more, checked her expression in the hallway mirror making sure that it was flat and impersonal and then and nodded at her reflection approvingly.

Then she opened the door.

There he was.

Dale stood on the threshold, dressed in black, as always. A fitted jacket over a dark tee and jeans. His face was unreadable, jaw firm, eyes cold. And behind him, he dragged a large suitcase, the wheels thudding softly against the ground.

"Morning," he said, tone clipped, giving her a nod.

She stepped aside silently and held the door open. "Come in."

He did, pulling the suitcase in behind him. She closed the door with a soft click and turned to face him, arms crossed defensively in front of her.

He surveyed the room briefly before setting the suitcase near the couch. "You’re ready?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"You trained already?"

"Yes."

His gaze lingered on her for a fraction of a second. And then he nodded, offering no comment whatsoever. Instead, he crouched down and unzipped the suitcase.

She leaned over curiously. Inside the suitcase were rows of neatly packed compartments. She stared at them with a furrowed brow however. There were items she couldn’t begin to identify — coiled wires, sleek metallic pieces, leather cuffs with gleaming fastenings, small pouches with buckles, and other objects that didn’t seem entirely real. Some looked vaguely medical. Others reminded her of old Victorian torture devices. One piece looked like a dog leash but why did it have a long chain with a heart pendant on it, she had no idea...

She glanced at Dale, then back down. "What... are these?" she asked, not bothering to mask her confusion.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺