2025-03-10 14:05:58Ethan kept walking, ignoring the muffled insults that followed him out the door. His body moved on autopilot.
A sleek black car pulled up to the curb, and his driver, James, stepped out, holding the door open. Ethan slid into the backseat, staring blankly out the window as James closed the door and walked around to the driver's side.
As the car began to move, silence filled the space. Ethan couldn’t bring himself to speak. His mind kept replaying the scene over and over again, Sophia’s cold words, Brian’s smug face, Max's insults. Zara had been right. He never should have hidden his identity.
James glanced at him through the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed. "Everything alright, sir?"
Ethan didn’t look at him. His gaze remained fixed on the passing streetlights, his voice flat. "I’m fine."
James hesitated, clearly not believing him. "If you don’t mind me saying, you don't look fine. Did something happen?"
Ethan let out a breath, shaking his head and held in his hurt and emotion. "It’s nothing, James. Just drive."
James nodded and drove in silence. As they approached the estate, the massive iron gates swung open, and the car slowly rolled down the long driveway lined with trees. When they finally stopped in front of the grand house, the front door opened, and a line of maids and guards stood at attention. They all bowed as Ethan stepped out of the car.
"Welcome home, young master,” one of the maids greeted him with a respectful nod.
"Young master," several of the guards echoed, their heads lowered.
Ethan barely acknowledged them, his mind still miles away. They didn’t know. None of them did.
He had hidden this part of his life from Sophia and everyone else. He wasn’t just some guy struggling to make ends meet, some "worthless" husband like her family thought.
He was the heir to the largest company in the world. The wealth, the power, it was all his, but he never wanted that to define him. He thought if he kept it from Sophia, she would love him for who he was, not what he had. But now, looking back, he could see how wrong he had been.
Sophia didn’t love him. She never did. And he had endured her family’s abuse, their constant jabs, their insults, all for her. He could take it all, but cheating? That was something he couldn't forgive.
As he walked toward the entrance, one of the maids followed closely behind.
"Shall I prepare your usual drink, young master?"
He waved her off, his voice low. "No, not tonight."
Ethan continued through the house, heading upstairs to his private suite. The door clicked shut behind him, and for a moment, he stood there, staring at nothing.
He had loved her. He had given her everything. And she had thrown it all away like it meant nothing.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ethan's mind raced. The betrayal burned in his chest, and the more he thought about it, the more the anger built. They had humiliated him for years, treated him like dirt. And for what? Because they thought he was weak, thought he was beneath them. But now... now they are going to pay.
He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he needed. His assistant, Liam and without hesitation, he dialed.
It rang twice before Liam answered. "Sir? Is everything alright?"
"Liam," Ethan said, his voice sharper than usual. "I need you to bring me the file on the Steele Company."
There was a pause. "Steele Company?" Liam echoed, clearly caught off guard. "I... uh, sure, sir. But, may I ask why you need their file? They're ranked, what,.." paused and checked the internet and continued " 32nd globally? They’re not even close to competing with us."
Ethan could almost hear the confusion in Liam's voice. It wasn’t a request he’d ever made before, and it probably seemed out of the blue. But Liam didn’t know. No one did.
"Just get it to me by tomorrow, and Liam, when I meant everything, I meant everything both hard and soft copy, old and new" Ethan replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Liam hesitated again, clearly still trying to wrap his head around the sudden demand. "But, sir, we’ve never dealt with Steele. They’re... not really on our radar. Do you need information for a new deal or..."
"Just get the damn files, Liam." Ethan's voice was cold, clipped. "As for the reason, I'll explain later."
There was another pause before Liam finally responded, sounding a little flustered.
"Understood. I'll have it on your desk first thing tomorrow morning and begin research now"
"Good.I will be expecting it by noon" Ethan hung up without waiting for another word.
He tossed the phone onto the bed, leaning back as he stared up at the ceiling. Liam didn’t know half of it. To him, Ethan was just his boss, a man running a powerful company from behind the scenes.
The only person who knew the full truth was Ethan's sister, Zara, and she was miles away, living her life in the spotlight. A famous celebrity just doing whatever she pleases.
The Steele Company was Sophia’s family business. They thought they were untouchable, sitting in their comfortable little bubble. But tomorrow, everything will change.
They had no idea who they were dealing with and their little stun made Ethan want to ruin them.
Ethan stared up at the ceiling, the weight of everything sinking deeper into him. The memories of the years he had spent trying to prove his worth to Sophia’s family flashed through his mind, each forced smile, every degrading comment he had swallowed, hoping one day they would see him differently.
He had allowed himself to be diminished, believing that love requires sacrifice, that in time, it would all make sense. But now, it was clear. Love wasn’t enough, not when it was one-sided, twisted, and rooted in lies.
His jaw tightened as he thought about Sophia’s cold, dismissive eyes when she looked at him tonight. She had never seen him, not really. She had only ever seen what she could gain. His mind began to clear, the haze of heartache giving way to a steely determination.
It was time to stop hiding who he was. Tomorrow, everything will change.
***
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Ethan sat at the pool side of his mansion, his gaze critically fixed on the water where Zara was having a tough swim. She had been excited these few days and, after everything she had been through, Ethan thought that she deserved happiness.“Wow! "That was a good one” a wide smile evaded her lips as she walked out of the water dripping wet. She picked up the towel lying next to Ethan and once she had wiped off her face, she sat next to him.“I really had a good time and can't recall the last time that I had such fun. Guess I have been too busy to even think about that.”“I guess so, and I am also glad that you have learned to fight so many battles on your own, but you also need to be careful. Most times when you think that you have won, that is when they decide to strike, and for someone like Sophia, I know fully well that she isn't going to give up.”“I am aware of that, and whatever she decides to throw at me, I will be waiting for her”, she expressed with so much determination in h
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