Chapter Five
Author: Perpetual
last update2025-03-10 14:08:33

Zara Bennett paced the length of her spacious hotel suite, the soft click of her heels echoing against the marble floor.

She had just wrapped up an exhausting day of interviews and press junkets, her life as a global celebrity demanding every ounce of her energy.

Yet, despite the flashing cameras and adoring fans, her mind was elsewhere on her brother, Ethan.

She had warned him. Over and over again, she had warned him about Sophia. But Ethan, ever the optimist, ever the one to see the best in people, hadn’t listened. He never did when it came to matters of the heart.

Zara knew that about her brother, and it frustrated her to no end. Now, the betrayal she had seen coming for years had unfolded exactly as she had predicted, leaving Ethan broken and humiliated.

With a sharp sigh, Zara grabbed her phone off the coffee table and dialed Ethan’s number.

She didn’t care that it was late or that he was probably hiding away somewhere in the mountains. He needed to hear her out, whether he liked it or not.

The phone rang twice before Ethan’s voice came through, distant and weary. “Zara?”

She didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “Ethan, what were you thinking? I warned you about Sophia, I told you she wasn’t the woman you thought she was. And now look at where you are.”

Ethan’s silence on the other end only fueled her anger. Zara’s pacing quickened, her voice rising with every word.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to sit back and watch you fall into her trap? I told you, Ethan! I told you she was using you, that she only wanted control. But you wouldn’t listen!”

“I know,” Ethan’s voice was quiet, but there was a hard edge to it. “I don’t need the ‘I told you so’ speech right now, Zara.”

Zara stopped pacing, her free hand gripping the edge of the table as she tried to rein in her frustration.

“Ethan, I’m not saying this to hurt you. I’m saying it because I care about you. You’re my brother, and I couldn’t stand watching you get torn apart by that woman.”

There was a long pause, and for a moment, Zara thought Ethan might have hung up on her. But then he spoke, his tone clipped.

“I don’t want to talk about Sophia. Not right now.”

Zara felt her heart twist with a mix of anger and sympathy. She had always been the fierce one, the one to protect Ethan when they were younger. And now, watching him retreat into his shell, she felt powerless. “You can’t just ignore what happened, Ethan. You can’t run away from this.”

“I’m not running away,” Ethan snapped, his voice sharper than she had ever heard it. “I’m handling it. My way.”

Zara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she fought to stay calm. “And what does that mean? What are you going to do? Hide out in the mountains until it all blows over? Pretend like she didn’t humiliate you in front of everyone?”

Ethan’s silence was deafening.

Zara’s frustration bubbled over, her voice cracking with emotion. “I just don’t understand why you always have to do things the hard way. Why do you have to get hurt before you finally see the truth.”

“You don’t get it,” Ethan said, his tone softening, but still laced with pain. “You weren’t there, Zara. You didn’t see how it was in the beginning. She… she made me believe she loved me.”

Zara’s chest tightened, and her heart ached for him. She could hear the raw emotion in his voice, the pain that he was trying so hard to mask.

As angry as she was, she hated hearing him like this. Hated knowing that the brother who had always been so kind, so giving, had been shattered by someone so undeserving.

“I know it hurts,” Zara said, her voice gentler now, a sister’s love breaking through her frustration. “But you can’t let her win, Ethan. You can’t let her destroy you.”

“She hasn’t won,” Ethan replied, his voice firmer now. “I’m not letting her destroy me. I’m… I’m making sure she pays for what she did.”

Zara’s brow furrowed, a sense of unease creeping into her chest. “What do you mean by that? Ethan, what are you planning?”

There was another pause, and when Ethan finally spoke, his words were calm, but there was something darker underneath. “I’m taking back control, Zara. I’m going to make sure they all regret what they did.”

Zara’s breath caught in her throat. She knew her brother, knew the kind and patient man he was at his core. But this… this wasn’t the Ethan she knew. There was something hard in his voice, something cold.

“Ethan,” she said softly, her voice trembling with worry. “Revenge isn’t going to fix this. It won’t make you feel better.”

“It’s not about feeling better,” Ethan shot back. “It’s about taking back my dignity. They took everything from me, Zara. And I’m not going to let them get away with it.”

Zara’s heart pounded in her chest, fear and frustration swirling inside her. She wanted to shake him, to make him see that this path he was on could destroy him just as much as Sophia had.

“Ethan, please. Don’t let this consume you. You’re better than this.”

“Maybe I’m not,” he replied quietly, the vulnerability in his voice barely masked by the determination. “Maybe I’m not better than this.”

Zara’s throat tightened, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She hated this. Hated seeing her brother, the one person she had always looked up to, so lost and so broken.

She had tried to protect him, to warn him, but now it felt like she was losing him to something far worse than Sophia’s betrayal.

“Ethan…” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “I just don’t want you to lose yourself in this. I don’t want to lose you.”

For a long moment, there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. Zara wiped at her eyes, trying to steady herself, hoping that her words had gotten through to him.

“I’ll be fine, Zara,” Ethan finally said, his voice softer, though still distant. “I know what I’m doing.”

Zara exhaled slowly, her heart heavy. She knew Ethan wasn’t ready to hear what she had to say, knew that he was still too wrapped up in his pain and anger to listen. But she couldn’t just walk away. She had to stand by him, no matter what.

“I’ll support you,” Zara said, her voice firm but tinged with sadness. “Even if I don’t agree with what you’re doing, I’ll be here. Just… don’t shut me out, Ethan.”

There was a pause before Ethan responded. “I won’t. Thanks, Zara.”

The call ended, but Zara remained where she stood, staring down at her phone with a mixture of frustration, worry, and love. She had done what she could, for now. All she could do was hope that Ethan wouldn’t lose himself in the darkness he was stepping into.

As she sat down on the edge of her bed, Zara felt a heaviness settle over her heart. She would stand by her brother, as she always had.

But something told her that this was just the beginning, and that the road ahead was going to be far more dangerous than either of them realized.

***

Related Chapters

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Six

    Ethan strolled into the bank, his casual attire and unassuming cap a perfect disguise. The last time he’d been in a bank like this, he was dressed in designer suits, the epitome of power and wealth.Today, he looked more like someone who had wandered in to ask for directions. And that was the point. No one would suspect the man who held their futures in the palm of his hand was hiding behind the appearance of nobody.He stood at the back, arms folded, observing the immaculate marble floors, the polished counters, and the overly eager bank employees scurrying to assist the wealthiest clients.A faint smirk played on his lips. It was almost amusing how the air of superiority in places like this was thick enough to choke on.Henry Steele strutted through the doors moments later, head held high, as if he were the one who owned the bank. Dressed in his tailored suit and flashing his trademark smug grin, Henry commanded attention.Bank managers fawned over him, as they always did, and Ethan

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Seven

    Max Steele reclined in his leather chair, his fingers drumming rhythmically on the polished mahogany desk.The office buzzed with energy, but his mind was consumed by thoughts of Ethan. The divorce had been too easy, too clean.Ethan had walked away without a fight, and that bothered Max more than he’d care to admit.No anger, no begging, just a quiet signature on the dotted line. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go.Max smirked to himself, a wicked idea taking shape in his mind. Ethan might have walked away with his dignity intact, but Max would make sure that was short-lived.He had always relished in control, and now, with Ethan out of the picture, he could manipulate the narrative to suit his agenda. If Ethan wouldn’t fight back, Max would force his hand."Let’s see how the public feels about your sudden fall from grace," Max muttered, his voice dripping with malice.He grabbed his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found exactly what he needed, an old acquaintance

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Eight

    The grand ballroom sparkled under the glow of crystal chandeliers, the clinking of champagne glasses and soft hum of conversation filling the space.Ethan stood near the back, blending into the crowd. Dressed in a simple, understated suit, he looked like any other guest.No one gave him a second glance, which was exactly how he wanted it. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the opulence, the wealth on display. But his mind was focused elsewhere.Tonight wasn’t about being seen, it was about stealing the party behind the scene.Ethan knew the Steele family would be here, basking in their perceived glory. They always showed up to these high-profile charity events, projecting power they no longer held.Henry Steele, as smug as ever, Sophia draped in designer clothes, and Max, exuding his usual arrogance, walked in from the stairs. They had no idea their empire was crumbling.Not yet.As he kept his distance, a sharp voice cut through the noise, drawing his attention. "Well, well, look w

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Nine

    Henry Steele sat in his lawyer’s office, an air of impatience thick around him.His lawyer, a shrewd man with years of courtroom experience, was flipping through the latest reports on Henry’s case.“The FBI doesn’t have much,” the lawyer said, his voice clipped. “The evidence against you is circumstantial at best.”Henry gave a curt nod, his face flushed with anger and humiliation. “Good. Then I can get back to business.”The lawyer, unfazed by Henry’s arrogance, leaned back in his chair. “I’m working on securing your release. But, Henry, the damage is already done.”Henry’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”“The media’s run wild with the story. Investors are spooked. Steele Industries is taking a hit.”Henry slammed his fist on the table, sending a coffee mug teetering to the edge.“Damn it! I’ll fix this. I just need to get back in control.”But control was slipping away faster than Henry realized.Two days later, Henry was bailed out of FBI custody, his lawyer managing to poke hol

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Ten

    The soft hum of conversation and clinking of silverware filled the upscale restaurant as Sophia Steele and Brian Thompson settled into their plush seats.The ambiance was perfect—dim lighting, elegant decor, and the unmistakable scent of gourmet dishes wafting through the air. Brian smirked, feeling completely in his element.Tonight, he planned to indulge in luxury and flaunt his status. They had clawed their way back into society, or so they thought.As the waiter poured their wine, Brian leaned back, casually glancing around the room, but his smirk quickly twisted into a sneer when his eyes landed on a familiar face seated at a nearby table. “Well, would you look at that,” Brian muttered, nudging Sophia.Sophia followed his gaze, her expression hardening when she saw Ethan sitting across from a stunning woman.Sophia’s initial reaction was to dismiss him, but something about the woman with him caught her attention.Her beauty was striking, her posture confident. Still, Sophia could

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Eleven

    Fews days passed and the Steele family moved from crumbs to ashes, desperate and in search of something tangible to hang on to.Ethan's revenge is now taking effect on them, and they still have no idea this isn’t a fight against the market but someone powerful they had once looked down on and humiliated for years.“We don’t have much choice now. Let’s go”. Henry and his son, Max, walk into the bank with the hope that they will secure a loan.This bank wouldn’t turn on them now that they needed them the most. They have been working together for years.He had made some investments in the bank when they were on the edge of breaking down too. Now all they need to do is to return the favor.They walk into the bank with their arrogant smirk and confidence in their faces, dressed in their tailored suits and looking like the richest man in the city. Henry was sure this was their way out.The staff give them suspicious looks and ask them to sit down while they go get the manager. Everyone know

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Twelve

    Ethan watches the invite on his table with a smirk. How shameless can they be? Trying to sell off their family heirlooms to hold their company still.It’s a charity event that is going to benefit them, not the people. They are still trying to deceive the people, claiming power and influence that they don’t have.“Would you be going?” Zara throws the invite in at one side like it's trash that is going to affect her hand.“Of course, I already have a plan in motion”. Ethan furrows his brows together and just can’t wait to watch them try to impress the people and crumble again.“Just be careful, I really don’t want you to be involved with them, but I will support whatever decision you make.” Zara believes the Steele family is not worth his interference.They are just a bunch of losers trying their best to stay afloat while putting on a fake facade to deceive people just to gather money.Liam walks in dressed all professionally, greeting Zara and places the file on the table. The Steele f

  • Vengeful Heir: The Rise of Ethan Bennett   Chapter Thirteen

    Henry laid out his plan perfectly in front of him. He was alone in the board meeting room, moving from one system to another, trying his best to put together another guest list.This time around it will be anonymous and no one will be able to scatter his plan, debt is choking him, and he needs a way out of it as soon as possible.He knows if this fails, then there’s no way he would be able to get out of this mess he’s in right now. He can still remember vividly how they looked down on him and his family.He has noted every one of them, and he will make sure everyone that betrayed him didn’t go free for everything they had done to him.The banks he had put so much effort into and the friends he never thought would let him down. They all left like they never knew him.The door barge opens and Sophia walks in angrily, her heels clicking the glassware floor softly. “Is it true? You’re holding another auction?” “That’s the only way we can get out of this and, you know that, we have to do

Latest Chapter

  • Chapter Thirty Four

    Zara walked out of the third company she knows sells the best jewelry. She has been finding the perfect simple necklace to give her brother for the congratulations on getting to the number two ranking.He didn’t only rank up, he had left a good gap behind him for whoever was trying to reach him and overtake him.She also wants to thank him for taking their father's legacy to another level entirely. Their father might be good from what he does, but Ethan has never failed to be the best brother and father to her.He’s always looking out for her and making sure she’s alright. He never seems to stop amazing her every day.He sends her flowers, makes sure food is delivered to her when it’s time, and they always have to make sure she’s eating them.He has been doing this for years, even when she’s outside the country and when he got married, she thought it was going to stop all his caring, but he never stopped them.Each time she asked him why he pampered her like this, he would tell her, h

  • Chapter Thirty Three

    Zara tiptoed into Ethan's room and strode to his bedside before bringing out the confetti cannon and popping it right beside him.Ethan’s heart skipped a beat and his eyes went wide open. The sudden brightness makes him shut his eyes back as he sits up.“What the hell is going on?” He glared at Zara for disturbing his peaceful sleep.“Congratulations!” She started clapping her hands and gave him a cup of juice. He collected it reluctantly and they both clicked their glass cup, cheering.“Congratulations on what? "Did you get new deals?” Ethan tried to keep up with the reason for the celebration.Zara takes out her phone and shows him the ranking system. Ethan couldn’t believe his eyes.He took out his phone and checked his account balance. The man had sent him full payment on the deal he signed yesterday.Why would he do that? The payment he was expecting was part payment.“I didn’t come here to show you this just so I would be busy on your phone” Zara snapped the phone off from his h

  • Chapter Thirty Two

    Rico's MansionSitting on a relaxed sofa, he is the heir to Rico's empire, the number two on the ranking and the one who the world is dying to know about.He's a man in his late thirties who has two children and a wife. He inherited all of his wealth and power from his late wife. No one knew her and nobody knew the heir used to be a female.She married him and entrusted everything into his hands and, since then, he has been the pen in charge of everything. Three years ago, she died after giving birth to their second child.He's a remarried man now. He has a young wife who takes care of the kids for him. His firstborn is now eight years old, and his second child is three.He remarried a year after his wife's death. His wife had no family and the only family she had when he married her died before her five years ago.Her father had already died before she married him and his mom died five years ago from a serious illness.It feels so sad when his wife dies, but he has no choice but to m

  • Chapter Thirty One

    The maid rushed out of Sophia's room in tears. She had slapped her and drained her with the smoothie she made for her.This is the fourth time she has made the smoothie, and she still thinks it's bad. It's the same method she has been using to make her smoothie all these years.She's not a new maid, and she knows it's not about the smoothie but her mood. Something is wrong with her and whenever this happens, she will take it out on the maids.It's always like that, but it just never happened to her before all these years, but today she was the unfortunate one.She dried her tears and started making another smoothie for her. It took a few minutes and she was done.She put it in the fridge and quickly went to take her shower, making sure she was looking clean before taking it to her room again.The maid keeps praying silently that this time she would be calm and just take the smoothie, letting her leave.This was her fifth time, and she already felt hell unleashed on her. She didn't wan

  • Chapter Thirty

    “Are you sure you want to reschedule this?” The new business partner asked over the line.Ethan was on the edge, deciding if he wanted to step back or move forward.“I would like to keep my identity hidden, which, of course, I know shouldn't be a problem, right? "If you want to go for someone better, we both know it would be through email signature and the same procedure except you have a reason you choose us in the first place”, Ethan explained.He went silent for a while and Ethan felt he had lost the contract this time around, but it's better to be vigilant about his identity for now.“I will email you, I hope it will be nice doing business with you” He finally said something and Ethan closed his eyes, breathing out his worries.“You won't have a problem with us,” Ethan assured him.“Okay”. With that he hung up.Ethan looked at Liam and wondered why he'd all worked up before. Was he worried we would lose the contract? Each time he acts suspicious it turns out to be nothing.Ethan w

  • Chapter Twenty Nine

    Ethan dropped his pen after a stressful day of signing documents, going through paperwork and making calls at the same time checking the status of the media.He called Zara early on to know how she was doing, and he felt better that no one had canceled any of her deals.She said her show was going well, and he had switched her to video call to be sure she was not lying to him.He had pulled some strings to make sure no company would sign Sophia with what she had just done. He might have messed with him and used him, but he's not going to watch her use Zara too.He didn't know how he had fallen for her and didn't see her for who she was, but he's glad he is no longer married to her.He stands on his feet and puts on his suit. Liam walks in, “Everything is ready sir”. He hands over the mask to Ethan.He put it on and they both walked out of his office together, taking the normal elevator. He just wanted to use this news to shove down Sophia trending online.Men rush out to protect his w

  • Chapter Twenty Eight

    The door burst open and Sophia almost fell from the sudden outburst. “How dare you!” Henry was foaming in anger.“How dare me what?” Sophia acts ignorant when she's aware of what her father is talking about.“You mess with Zara Bennett? Are you crazy? Do you think she's Ethan? That you could use and dumb however you like? The media is blowing up in your favor, and you think it's okay?” Henry couldn't believe how careless his daughter could be.“I didn't do anything! "It's not like I'm the one controlling people to be against here, they just see something better and want it.” She shrugs.“Don’t tell me that! "I know you did this and, trust me, you really don't know what you're doing to yourself. If her family takes this up with us, we will be buried underground like we never exist at all.” Henry feels frustrated about what she did.It's already done and there's nothing I can do about it. Measures have already been taken, but it's not going to end like that.One thing he learned about t

  • Chapter Twenty Seven

    Sophia giggles as she finally achieves her aim, she swings her hips in cycles and sits down enjoying the rest of the wine.Brian soon walks in. Sophia had already texted him her location. “You look beautiful, my love.” Brian was amazed at how beautiful she suddenly looked tonight.“Of course I’m and guess what? She said that my fashion sense is great. "I mean look at me, I didn’t even put too much effort into it.” She stood up, turning around for him to see.Brian was unable to say anything. He wondered how he was able to have her as his own because she was just too beautiful. “You look stunning and believe me, right now, I think you’re more beautiful than Miss Zara.”“Oh my goodness, you make me already feel like what I had planned will go well”, Sophia giggles.“What did you plan?” Brian frowns and takes his seat. He could still smell the scent of another person there, and he wanted to believe it belonged to Miss Zara.“Don’t worry, I might be compared to Miss Zara soon, and I will

  • Chapter Twenty Six

    “What do you want me to do now?” Zara was on the phone with Ethan.“I don’t know, just find an excuse to leave there early, and I felt stupid having gifted her that necklace now”, Ethan replied over the line.“I can’t do that. "She's like a fan to me and I don't want her causing scandal for me. "I don't trust that bitch. "She can do nonsense and tries to mess with me,” Zara confessed.“Look dear, she is not going to do anything, okay? "Just calm down and talk to her normally and if she asks how you know me, then tell her we just happened to be sitting at the same table that day, and I was a fan too,” Ethan suggested.“Gosh, I don't like this! You know how bad I’m at keeping things in. My facial expression always fails, and I might just end up slapping her” Zara signs.“Don’t do that if you don’t want your career in a trash bin because of her, she’s not worth it, and you know that, right?” Ethan switches the call to a video call.“Where are you?” I’m at the office going through files.

Scan code to read on App