Ethan's POVThe question hung in the air like poison gas. Aren't you supposed to be working?My mouth opened. Closed. It opened again. No sound came out at first, just a strange choking noise that didn't sound human."I took the night off." The words scraped out of my throat, raw and broken. "For you. I took the whole night off for you."Lena's hand dropped. She stood there in her half-buttoned shirt, mascara smudged at the corners of her eyes, looking at me like I was the one who'd done something wrong."You should have called first," she said. Her voice had that edge to it, the one she used with annoying customers at her retail job. "You can't just show up unannounced, Ethan. That's not okay.""I have a key." I held it up, my hand shaking so badly the metal jingled. "You gave me a key. You said mi casa es su casa."Michael laughed. Actually laughed. He stood up from the couch, stretching like he'd just woken from a pleasant nap, not like he'd been caught destroying my entire world.

Ethan's POVThe phone rang again before I could process what I was seeing.My thumb hovered over the decline button. Every instinct screamed scam. Fraudsters were getting sophisticated. They could fake bank balances, create convincing apps, steal your information while you stared at numbers that couldn't possibly be real.One hundred million dollars.My hand shook so badly I nearly dropped the phone. I answered."Before you hang up again, young master, please listen carefully." Winston's voice carried the patience of someone who'd delivered shocking news many times before. "I understand this is overwhelming. I understand you don't believe me. But I need five minutes of your time. Just five.""How did you do that?" My voice came out hoarse. "The bank account. How did you fake it?""I didn't fake anything. The transfer is genuine. If you'd like, call your bank directly. Use the number on the back of your card, not one I provide. They'll confirm the deposit."I pulled the phone away, sta

Ethan's POVMargaret Chen's eyes never left mine, but when she spoke again, her words were directed at everyone."I apologize for the confusion. Allow me to properly introduce myself." She reached into her jacket and produced a business card, holding it between two perfectly manicured fingers. "My name is Sophia Vale. I'm the special representative of Zenith Corporation. And more importantly, I represent the Sterling family."The night air felt thick. Heavy. Like the atmosphere before a lightning strike.Mom found her voice first. "The Sterling family?" She laughed, but it came out forced, nervous. "I'm sorry, Ms. Vale, but I think there's been some mistake. This is a private matter. Family business.""Family business." Sophia repeated the words slowly, testing them. "How interesting that you should use that phrase, Mrs. Cross." She turned her attention to Mom and Dad, her expression unchanged. Professional. Cold. "Tell me, does family business usually involve assaulting someone on yo

Ethan's POVThe phone buzzed again before I could decide whether to respond.Another message from Lena: "Please, Ethan. I need to see you."Then another: "I'm outside your building."Part of me wanted to ignore her. Delete the messages. Block her number and never think about her again.But another part, the part that had loved her for eight months, that had starved itself to buy her gifts, that had believed she was different, needed to hear what she had to say.I typed back: "I'm not at my apartment."Three dots appeared immediately. She was typing."Where are you? I'll come to you."My fingers hovered over the keyboard. Giving her this address felt wrong. Like inviting my old life into my new one. But maybe that's exactly what I needed. To face it head-on. To close that door completely.I sent her the hotel address.Her response came instantly: "That's the Grand Regency. Ethan, what's going on?""Just come. Lobby. Twenty minutes."I didn't wait for her reply.The closet held clothes

Ethan's POVThe call came at seven in the morning.I'd spent the night in my new office, unable to face the empty hotel suite. Sleep wouldn't come anyway. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the Cross family's faces. Heard Mom's voice calling me ungrateful. Saw Michael's smirk as he held Lena.My phone lit up with Sophia's name."Turn on the financial news," she said without greeting. "Channel six."I found the remote, powering on the television mounted on my office wall. The screen filled with a anchor's serious face and a red banner scrolling across the bottom."Cross Capital Management suffered major losses overnight. Investors pull millions. Gerald Cross unavailable for comment."The anchor's voice continued, detached and professional. "The small but respected investment firm saw its stock plummet forty-three percent in after-hours trading. Multiple clients have withdrawn their portfolios, citing concerns about the firm's financial stability and management practices."They cut to f