Ethan sat in his office, reviewing the latest financial reports from Kingsley Mountain. Despite all the chaos with Michael and the Harrisons, the company remained strong, its influence untouchable. But something nagged at him—an uneasiness he couldn’t quite place.
The phone rang, breaking his focus. Ethan picked it up. "Yes?" Ryan’s voice came through the line, his tone hesitant. "Ethan, I... I just received some information. It’s about your family." Ethan frowned. "What is it?" "It’s your brother. John." Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t heard that name in years. John Caldwell—his older brother—had been presumed dead in a tragic accident over a decade ago. The grief had been devastating for Ethan and the rest of his family, but they had eventually moved on, though the loss left a deep scar. "What are you talking about, Ryan? John’s dead." Ryan’s voice was tense. "That’s what we all thought, but it seems he’s resurfaced. And there’s more. He’s been living in the shadows, Ethan. Secretly pulling money from the Caldwell estate. He’s claiming to be the rightful heir to Kingsley Mountain." Ethan stood, gripping the phone tightly, his mind racing. "Where is he now?" "We’re tracking him. He’s staying low, but from what we’ve gathered, he’s been plotting to take over the company. He believes you aren’t worthy of the Caldwell legacy." Ethan’s blood ran cold. After all these years, his brother had not only survived but had been siphoning the family fortune in secret. And now he wanted to take what belonged to Ethan—Kingsley Mountain. Ethan felt a surge of anger, a betrayal that cut deeper than any he had faced before. "Keep me updated, Ryan. I want every piece of information you can find on John. And don’t let this leak out. Not yet." "Understood, boss." As Ethan hung up, he stared out of his office window, the city skyline sprawling beneath him. John had always been the golden child, the one their parents had groomed for greatness. Ethan had lived in his shadow until John’s presumed death, and even then, Ethan had never truly felt free of his brother’s influence. But now, knowing John was alive and scheming against him, the old rivalry began to resurface. John’s Manipulation Meanwhile, John had been carefully watching from the sidelines, gathering intel on Ethan’s life, his moves, and more importantly, his marriage. He knew that if he was going to take down Ethan, he had to get close to Emily—the one person who could make or break Ethan’s emotional defenses. John had always been a master manipulator, and reaching out to Emily was his first step. He sent her an anonymous email, carefully crafted to stir doubt in her already conflicted heart. The message was simple but pointed: "You think you know Ethan, but he’s been lying to you from the beginning. He doesn’t care about you—he’s only using you as part of his revenge against your family. You deserve to know the truth. Meet me at the Café Royale, and I’ll tell you everything." Emily stared at the email, her heart pounding. The words were like poison, seeping into the cracks of her already fragile trust in Ethan. She had been struggling to understand the man he had become ever since his true identity was revealed. Now, this cryptic message was making her question everything even more. Who could this be? And how did they know about Ethan? After a long, sleepless night, Emily decided to go to the meeting. She needed answers, and if there was any chance that this person had information about Ethan’s secret life, she had to hear it. At the Café Royale, Emily sat nervously at a small table near the window, scanning the room. Her hands were cold as she fidgeted with her coffee cup, waiting for this mystery person to show up. After what felt like an eternity, a man approached her table. He was tall, his features sharp and strikingly familiar. His dark eyes bore into hers, and Emily’s heart skipped a beat. There was something about him—something that reminded her of Ethan. "Emily Harrison?" the man asked softly, his voice calm yet commanding. Emily nodded. "Yes, and you are?" The man sat down across from her, leaning back with an air of confidence. "My name is John Caldwell. I’m Ethan’s brother." Emily blinked, her mind reeling. "Ethan... has a brother? But he never told me..." John’s smile was cold, calculated. "Of course he didn’t. Ethan is good at keeping secrets. I suppose you didn’t know that I was believed to be dead either, did you?" Emily shook her head, her pulse quickening. "I don’t understand. Why are you telling me this now? What do you want from me?" John leaned forward, his expression darkening. "I want to warn you, Emily. Ethan isn’t the man you think he is. He’s been lying to you from the start. He’s using his wealth and power for one reason only—revenge against your family." Emily’s breath caught in her throat. "Revenge? Why? He loves me. He’s been protecting me..." John shook his head, his gaze filled with false sympathy. "You think that, but the truth is, Ethan only married you to get closer to your family. He’s always wanted to destroy the Harrisons for the way they treated him. Now, he’s finally in a position to do it." Emily’s heart pounded in her chest, the doubts that had been gnawing at her finally surfacing. "No, you’re wrong. Ethan would never—" "Wouldn’t he?" John interrupted. "Think about it, Emily. Look at how quickly he rose to power, how easily he’s been dismantling your family’s influence. Do you really believe it’s all just coincidence? Ethan is driven by revenge, not love. And he’s been keeping you in the dark because you’re just a pawn in his game." Tears welled up in Emily’s eyes as she listened to John’s words. It couldn’t be true, could it? She had always sensed that Ethan was hiding something, but she had never imagined it could be this. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice trembling. John’s expression softened, though there was an undeniable glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Because I care about what happens to you. You deserve to know the truth, and you deserve better than Ethan. I can help you, Emily. But first, you need to understand that Ethan isn’t who he says he is." Emily swallowed hard, her mind spinning with doubt and fear. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Later that night, as Ethan sat in his study, he received a mysterious invitation. It was a handwritten letter, slipped under his office door. The message was brief but clear: "Meet me at the old Caldwell estate tomorrow night. It’s time we settled this once and for all." There was no signature, but Ethan didn’t need one. He knew exactly who had sent it. His long-lost brother, John. Ethan crumpled the letter in his fist, anger boiling inside him. It was time to confront the brother who had betrayed their family, the man who had been lurking in the shadows for years, waiting for his moment to strike. Tomorrow, Ethan would face John for the first time in over a decade. And this time, there would be no more secrets between them.Ethan's heart was laced with fear and anxiety as he walked with his wife into the opulent mansion of the Harrisons. This was the second time they were calling for a meeting that week, and Ehan knew well enough that it was his matter they wanted to discuss. He knew how bad that was going to be. After all, he was a hopeless son-in-law, and he knew his wife's family were totally dissatisfied by her choice of marriage. The Harrisons hated Ethan. They treated him with contempt as his marriage to their daughter was like an insult to their face, yet they let him marry her because he saved her life— and their daughter, Emily would be forever indebted to him. Mrs Vanessa Harrison scrunched her nose as if she'd just perceive an offensive odor as Ethan walked in. Her face hid no trace of contempt and disgust as she was irritated by Ethan's presence. “Have a sit,” she urged him, and motioned to the vacant chairs that was left for him and his wife. Ethan obliged and sat down next to his wife, a
Ethan paced around in his home as he contacted Kingsley Mountain. After so many years, he'd finally considered taking his inheritance and he was fueled with strong determination. “This is Ethan Caldwell,” he said casually over the phone as he spoke to the chairlady. “Mr Ethan… This is him, if I'm not mistaken right?” “Of course.” “Well, I'm glad you called,” she said enthusiastically butin a surprised tone. Perhaps, she never expected him to call. “Thank you,” Ethan replied. “Uhm….” He scratched his head, not sure of what to say next. He actually wanted things to fall in place. His wife would be taken away from him in no time if he didn't do anything. He really loved Emily and could not afford to let her be in the arms of another. There was only one thing to do. “Liam White,” he began. “I heard that he has a solid connection with Kingsley Mountain, is that true?” “Yes, sir, of course. He's also one of the prominent shareholders in the company.” “Well, I want you to cut all tie
Emily was shocked and dumbfounded. She stared at the two men who were engrossed in a deep conversation. She walked to both men who happened to be her husband, Ethan and Mr Lawrence. “Y-you both know each other?” “Uh, yes, actually. I uhm… I was helping Mr Lawrence with a heart attack. He encountered a heart attack, so….” Emily wasn't convinced with her husband's reply. She looked at him, and he noticed a hint of skepticism in her eyes. “Really, I don't remember you being a doctor or a healthcare practitioner.” “Well, uhm…” “He actually helped me to suppress the heart attack I had. I was the one that called him over. He's a good man, your husband. And I'm glad he'd visited.” Ethan was surprised at how well Mr Lawrence played along with him but he was glad he did that to help him. Emily's gaze shifted from her husband to Mr Lawrence and then back to her husband, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets. It wasn't adding up— every single thing. There was something going on wit
The atmosphere in the room had changed, the silence was deafening, one could hear a feather drop. Sarah still couldn't wrap her head around what had just happened, all she could do was stare at Mr. Dawson who had just made her see stars with just a life-threatening slap. She still couldn't fathom the reason as to why she deserved that, she just stood there with her hands on her cheek which had turned pepper red. She fought so hard but lost to the drop of tear which dribbled down her cheek giving it a cool sensation as the slap had caused more harm than intended. “M-m-mr Dawson, I don't get it, surely whatever I have done would have been settled amicably.” Sarah muzzled out still fighting the tears that were ready to flow out like a broken reservoir. “You will apologize to Mr. Ethan right now, and I don't care what you have to say about it, you don't treat our important customers like that, let alone someone of such great esteem, where are your manners?” Sarah, still in the dark, wi
Emily seems to have a visitor, it was her best friend, Rachel. Rachel used every opportunity she got to blame Ethan for every problem Emily faces. She even went as far as blaming Emily for getting married to Ethan instead of Michael, the handsome and wealthy man. “He has a bright future you know, and what's more, he's a master of taekwondo, he would be able to protect you financially and physically too.” Rachel points out almost getting angry at Emily. She felt if Michael was her husband she wouldn't be having financial issues with her company. They heard a soft knock on the door and assumed it was Michael. In unison they both chorused “come in.” The look on their faces dropped when they realized who it was. Ethan walked in carrying the box of money. Ethan hated Rachel's guts, he felt she was the reason why Emily was acting up, he tagged her a bad influence on Emily. The feeling of hatred was mutual among these two. After seeing Rachel, Ethan was confused as to how to break the new
As the person stepped out of the vehicle, Ethan's eyes widened — Mr Lawrence. ‘what the hell is he doing here?’ Ethan thought to himself. The crowd drew close with those phones recording the moment as Mr Lawrence approaches Ethan. They probably thought Mr Lawrence was someone who was also going to humiliate Ethan but they were shocked and proved wrong when Mr Lawrence spoke. “What's going on here Mr Caldwell?” Lawrence asked as he immediately gestured at his bodyguard to come closer. The crowd shifted immediately still amazed. “What are you doing here?” Ethan asked in a whisper. “I heard what was going on and decided to branch by, I guess.” Mr Lawrence smirked. “You, take Mr Ethan here into the car,” he told his bodyguard who immediately escorts Ethan into the car. Ethan wouldn't have accepted but he had no other option, he had been humiliated enough. “What's happening, why is this rich man treating him like a god?” “I'm as shocked as you” “What's going on?” The crowd whis
Michael White had never been humiliated like this before in his life. The blow that Ethan Caldwell had dealt him—physically and financially—burned deep. He sat in his office, eyes burning with rage, as his phone rang off the hook with calls from business partners and investors. They all wanted answers. They all wanted to know how Ethan, the man they had all written off as a nobody, had managed to orchestrate the collapse of several of Michael’s ventures seemingly overnight. The board meeting earlier that day had been disastrous. Investors, once eager to throw their money into Michael’s enterprises, were now pulling out. Ethan had severed every business tie Kingsley Mountain had with Michael, cutting off his most valuable connections. Michael slammed his fist onto his desk, knocking over a stack of files. “That bastard!” he growled. “How did he do it? How did he manage to ruin me?” His assistant, Tim, stood at the door, visibly nervous. “Sir, there’s more bad news,” Tim stammered. “T