2025-04-01 14:50:08
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Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 8
Ethan’s POV One year had passed quickly, but it felt like a lifetime.I had learned the weight of the Sinclair name, the immense power it carried, and the enemies it naturally attracted. Under my grandfather’s guidance, I had trained relentlessly—not just in the boardroom but in the harshest martial arts and combat techniques that left me with bruises and victories alike. Every lesson, every challenge had shaped me into someone unrecognizable from the man I once was.But today was different. Today, I was about to prove that I was more than just a name.The mahogany conference table stretched long and imposing in the Sinclair headquarters’ boardroom. I sat beside my grandfather whose aura alone commanded the attention of every executive in the room. Across from me, my uncle, Victor Sinclair, regarded me with barely concealed disdain. He never missed an opportunity to undermine me, to question my place in the empire. But today, there would be no room for doubt.A notification buzzed on
Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 9
Ethan’s POV My grandfather rose to his feet, the entire boardroom hushed. His eyes gleamed with rare excitement, his usual stoic demeanor cracking just enough to reveal pride. He cleared his throat, and with a voice that echoed through the grand hall, he announced, “Ethan, you’ve proven yourself beyond any doubt. Your efforts today have not only saved the Sinclair Empire from catastrophe but have solidified your place in this family.”A murmur of approval swept across the room. Some board members, the ones who had initially doubted me, nodded in newfound respect. Others clapped, acknowledging the victory I had secured for them. Victor, however, remained seated, his jaw set, his fingers tapping against the polished mahogany table in restrained irritation. I didn’t have to look at him to know how much he resented this moment.Grandfather turned to the rest of the board. “In honor of Ethan’s success, I believe a celebration is in order. A dinner, to recognize his achievements.”One of t
Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 10
Ethan’s POV I woke up with a splitting headache from having a little too much to drink last night, thanks to Olivia. Crazy girl. I smiled.I glanced at the clock, it read 05:30am. I didn’t wake alone, my morning wood accompanied me, sadly, there was nowhere warm he could find comfort, so I took to the restroom.Being married to Vanessa for five years had made me learn one thing at least, how to suppress my sexual desires and smile about it. We could go for months and she wouldn’t let me touch her, yet she swelled often with satisfaction. Of course, she had men who gave her pleasure but I couldn’t dare.More than twice in the space of five years, I’ve caught her with different men in our room which she’d rather not sleep in. I tabled the matter before her father once and was scorned for it, so I decided to just let things be, afterall, no one was really on my side.It was on rare occasions when her pleasure buddies couldn’t come through that I became an option worthy of touching her.
Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 11
Vanessa’s POV The boardroom felt colder than usual, though the air conditioning hummed at its regular low setting. I sat at the head of the table, my manicured nails tapping against the polished wood, listening to the grim financial report being read aloud by Nathan. “Hale Pharmaceuticals’ quarterly earnings have fallen by another 9.6%, bringing our total loss in the past year to nearly 34%. Investors are withdrawing their shares at an alarming rate, and the expansion plans into the Asian market have been delayed indefinitely due to lack of funding,” he said, his voice strained but carefully neutral. I crossed my legs and leaned back, the leather chair creaking slightly under my movement. “And what about the distribution deal Collins’ father helped us secure?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain even. Nathan adjusted his tie, his face paling slightly. “The deal helped cut costs, but it doesn’t change the fact that our products are losing desirability. We’re being undercut by compe
Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 12
Vanessa’s POV Adrian staggered to his feet, rubbing his bruised jaw. “You need help, man.”Collins didn’t even glance at him. His eyes were on me, dark, dangerous.Then, without another word, he turned and walked out.The moment the doors slammed behind him, air rushed back into my lungs.The room felt smaller. Suffocating.I swallowed hard, ignoring the stares. Ignoring the tension that still buzzed in the air.Adrian sighed. “You okay?”I nodded, though I wasn’t sure it was true. My hands trembled at my sides.I wasn’t sure if I was more afraid of Collins’ jealousy, or the fact that deep down, I had seen this coming all along but choose to stay because we need his father’s distribution arm. Damn!Embarrassed and not willing to create further scenes, I apologized to my director and crew members and took my leave. The drive home was suffocatingly silent. Collins gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might crack.
Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 13
Ethan’s POV The day of the gala had finally arrived.Standing before the massive mirror in my suite, I adjusted the cufflinks on my tailored black tuxedo. The fabric was sleek, the fit perfect, an unmistakable mark of the Sinclair wealth. My reflection stared back at me, steady and composed, but beneath the calm facade, tension simmered. This night wasn’t just a celebration; it was the public announcement of my place in the Sinclair family. After a year of relentless preparation, I was ready to step into the legacy that I had previously never imagined could have been mine.Something inside me somehow managed and felt… off.For the first time in years, I allowed myself to wonder what would it have been like if my parents were still alive? Would my father have clapped me on the shoulder, proud to see his son take his rightful place? Would my mother have smiled, adjusting my tie with those warm, knowing eyes? Would any of these betrayal, the loss, the years of being treated like a nobod
Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 14
ETHAN’S POVThe grandeur of the Sinclair estate had always been overwhelming, but tonight, it was transformed into something straight out of a dream. The red carpet stretched down the pristine stone steps, leading to an ocean of flashing lights and murmuring voices. Journalists huddled near the entrance, interviewing the high-profile guests, their cameras capturing every movement, every expression.As I reached the arrival area, my personal security detail subtly moved to follow me. I shot them a calm look. “Stand down. I’m just waiting for Olivia.”One of them, a stocky man with an earpiece, hesitated. “Sir, with all due respect, the event is high-profile. It’s best if we stay close.”I waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not walking into a battlefield. I can wait five minutes without a bodyguard and still be just fine.”Reluctantly, they took a step back, though I knew they were still watching.Cameras flashed in the distance, capturing the dazzling arrivals of high-profile guests, but my
Sinclair's Lost Heir[The Rise Of The Betrayed Son-in-law] CHAPTER 15
Ethan’s POV The camera flashes were relentless, a rapid-fire assault of white light bursting in every direction. Olivia and I stood at the center of it all, poised yet unyielding as reporters clamored for our attention. The polished marble beneath my feet gleamed under the estate’s golden lights, reflecting the grandeur of the Sinclair gala. Olivia, ever composed, gave a soft smile to the cameras, her fingers resting lightly on my arm as if we had done this a hundred times before.For a moment, I allowed myself to take it in the contrast of where I stood now against the gutter the Hales had once kicked me into. The lavish venue, the elite of the business world mingling in tailored suits and glittering gowns, and me, standing tall amongst them as an equal.“Look at him,” a sneering voice cut through the elegant atmosphere like a rusted blade. “Right back to doing what he does best.”I turned my head slightly, already knowing who it was before my gaze locked onto Nathan Hale. He stood
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 51
Ethan’s POV "Pick up the damn phone, Olivia," I muttered under my breath, pacing the living room like a caged animal. I pressed the device harder against my ear, as if sheer force could will her to answer. Another voicemail. Another dead end."Fine," I snapped at the silence, yanking the phone from my ear and staring at the blank screen like it had personally betrayed me. "Ignore me, then. See if I care."I tossed the phone onto the coffee table, the clatter slicing through the heavy stillness of the room. For a moment, I just stood there, breathing hard, hands curled into fists at my sides.Why should I care? She wasn't answering. Big deal.Maybe she was busy. Maybe she finally realized what a bastard I was.Good for her.Wasn't that what I wanted? To push her away before she could get too close?Hadn't I made that crystal clear the last time we met, spitting venom just to watch her flinch?I sank down onto the leather sofa, scrubbing a hand over my face.But what if she wasn’t just
CHAPTER 50
Ethan’s POV “Are you sure you want to do this?” Jordan’s voice crackled through the secure line. “Because once this gets out, there’s no going back.” “No one burns my house and walks away,” I said flatly, gripping the edge of my desk. “Let it burn them instead.”“You’ll be starting a war.”“I didn’t start it. The Hales did the moment they tried to ruin me.”Silence on the other end. Then a slow exhale.“Alright. The files are ready. Everything you asked for—bank transfers, offshore accounts, distribution routes, and the tapes from the warehouse surveillance.”I closed my eyes for a second, letting the gravity of it wash over me. “Send the package anonymously to the District Prosecutor,” I said. “Make sure it can not be traced back to me.” “Already handled. By tonight, the press will be begging for statements.”“Good,” I muttered, staring at the framed photo of myself on the shelf. “Let them watch it burn.” The call ended. It was only a matter of hours before the news spread like
CHAPTER 49
Vanessa’s POV “Of course it’s Nathan’s,” he scoffed, waving the packet. “That brother of yours really comes in handy when you need an alibi, doesn’t he?”“Goodness, Collins, what is wrong with you?” I took a step back, robe clutched tight, trying to gather what little dignity I had left.“Wrong with me?” He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I’m not the one playing house in a silk robe with mystery condoms on the floor.”“Nathan brought his junk here, trashed the place, and I’ve been trying to get everything back in order. That’s it. I’m tired. I haven’t even eaten today.”“You want me to believe that?” His voice dropped, low and dangerous. “Then prove it.”My jaw tightened. “Prove it how?”He stepped closer. Too close. “Let me touch you. Right here. Right now.”My breath caught. “What?”“You’re so innocent, right?” he said, pressing a hand against the wall behind me, trapping me. “Then let me touch what’s mine.”“We’re not doing this.” I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge
CHAPTER 48
Vanessa’s POV Tired of the whole drama, I slammed the door behind Nathan and his pathetic entourage, locking it with more force than necessary. The bass from the now-silenced speakers still thudded inside my skull, a cruel echo of the madness I had just evicted. Drunk girls with smudged mascara and glittered heels had been stumbling over my Persian rug like it was a damn runway. Nathan, high out of his mind, had laughed at thin air, drooling over the same chaos he dragged in. My home, my place if solace, had turned into a drug-fueled circus in a matter of hours.“Why do I even let him back in?” I muttered aloud, tightening my silk robe around me. “Because he’s my brother? Or because somewhere in my deranged heart I think he’ll change?”Maybe I was the deluded one. Always hoping. Always giving him another chance. But I was done. Done playing mother, fixer, savior.I needed to cleanse every ounce of that filth. I needed a bath, something hot enough to scald off Nathan’s stench from my
CHAPTER 47
Vanessa’s POV As I stepped into the foyer, the sharp thump of bass-heavy music slammed into my ears like a slap to the face. My heel paused mid-step. That sound... it was coming from the west wing. The west wing? That place hadn’t seen life in years.“Who the hell is playing music in there?!” I hissed aloud, my voice slicing through the silence of the hall like a whip.My fingers curled tighter around my clutch, jaw clenched and body tense. Which one of the staff had lost their damn mind? That wing was sacred. Deserted. Locked down. No one went in there. Not unless they wanted to face my wrath.“Have the maids gone stupid? Or just suicidal?” I snapped under my breath, heels stabbing furiously into the marble tiles as I advanced. Each echo of my steps was a countdown.The closer I got, the more the bass trembled through the walls. Rap music, filthy lyrics, distorted and booming with disrespect. My fists balled up.“I swear, if this is someone’s idea of a joke, they won’t live to tell
CHAPTER 46
Vanessa’s POV I had just returned home from seeing Ethan, an experience I would rather not recount to anyone.I sat in my car, parked just outside the house like the marble driveway suddenly demanded my respect. My fingers were still trembling around the steering wheel, nails digging into the leather as if the wheel had wronged me. I couldn’t go inside. Not yet. Not while my heart was still stuck in that cold, heartless office where he’d looked at me like I was filth.“He hates me,” I whispered under my breath, my voice cracking. “He really... hates me.”I tilted my head back against the headrest, blinking away the sting in my eyes. I hadn’t cried when he yelled. Not when he called security. Not even when he spat the word trash like it belonged to me. But now, alone in the quiet bubble of my car, it hit differently.“Who wouldn’t?” I muttered, scoffing bitterly at myself. “I practically destroyed the one person who actually loved me.”He loved me once. I know he did. There was no way
CHAPTER 45
Ethan’s POV Lost in thoughts, the ring from my phone snapped me back into consciousness of my surroundings. I picked it up. It was Jordan.“Good day Ethan.”I really hoped there were goods left in my day today.“Good day, Jordan. What do you have for me today?”“They’re laundering money through a ghost company, Ethan. One that supposedly shut down over thirty years ago.”“What?” I straightened in my seat, pulse spiking. “Say that again.”“A shell corporation. Called Bellemore Industries. Disbanded on paper in ’92. But a few bank records show it’s very much alive. Just—operating from the shadows. Massive offshore transfers. Cayman Islands. Liechtenstein. You name it.”“And you’re sure the Hales are behind this?”“Positive. I followed the money trail, and guess where it leads?” Jordan paused dramatically. “A building owned by none other than Richard Hale. Bought under the alias ‘Carl Donovan.’”I shot up from my chair, heart pounding against my ribs. “An alias?”“Yeah. He used a dead m
CHAPTER 44
Ethan’s POV About an hour or so after Vanessa left, my office still reeked of her lies.I sat slouched in my chair, elbow on the desk, staring at the untouched espresso Clara had brought me earlier. The steam had died, and so had the appetite for anything that resembled normalcy. If chaos had a scent, it was the lingering perfume mix of two women who should’ve never have crossed paths in my life again. Or so I believed. “God,” I muttered, rubbing my temple. “What a mess…”What was I even doing?Trying to breathe in the ruins of a Monday morning that had started with Olivia’s broken heart and ended with Vanessa’s crocodile tears on my floor. How the hell did it get here? My life was spiraling like a damn soap opera I didn’t audition for.The one thing I was thankful for?My grandfather wasn’t around to witness that train wreck.He would’ve raised his brow, cocked his head to the side, and muttered something like, “I built a legacy and left you an empire, and this is how you run it? B
CHAPTER 43
Ethan’s POV “I’m here because I made a mistake,” she said, voice low now, like honey dripping through a cracked spoon. “I messed up, Ethan. But it wasn’t all my fault, I didn’t mean to. You know it wasn’t.” “Don’t you dare,” I warned.She ignored me, charging forward with her twisted, delusional gospel. “They forced me to do it! My family, my father, he hated you. You know that. You saw what they were capable of, I was also being manipulated.” “They didn’t force you to cheat.”Her face twitched. “They didn’t force you to shut me out night after night. They didn’t force you to curl up with every man who offered you validation while your husband begged for scraps of affection.” “Ethan...” “They didn’t force you to kill our baby.”Her breath hitched like I’d driven a dagger straight through her ribcage. But the only thing she clutched was her lie-ridden heart. “You think I don’t remember?” I growled, stepping in close now. “You think I forgot how you told me you were pregnant and
