After leaving Kara's Villa, Ethan thought of where to go. He had quite many options; the presidential lodge where he hadn't spent a night since his return with his team…He could go to Mr. Lincoln's estate where a private apartment has been prepared for him even before his arrival, or he could go to a hotel. But none of these options were appealing at the moment, but then a crazy idea crossed his mind.“Well, why not?” He muttered to himself.The rain lashed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the York Heights penthouse, the rhythmic drumming providing a somber soundtrack to Clara Kent’s devastation. She sat on the cold marble floor of the foyer. The silence of the apartment was suffocating, and why not?The empire she had stolen was no longer hers, and the man she had betrayed was now the god of her world.Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed through the hollow space.Clara's heart skipped and she froze. She checked the time on her phone: 12:05 AM. Her heart hammered against her ribs

Thirty minutes later, Mario arrived at Valetech Headquarters and stepped into the CEO's office. She smiled upon seeing Ethan sitting behind the desk in a brilliant suit.“Hey, look who's back on top.” She smiled.Ethan chuckled and stood up. “Mario, you made me worried. Is everything alright?" He asked in concern as he pulled a chair out for her.Mario sighed deeply and took a seat. "In a way, I guess. By the way, I’m sorry to just barge in like this during your first day back. I know you must have a lot to handle but I needed to tell you before you heard it from someone else."“Tell me what?” Ethan asked in interest. “Is this about Kara?”“Yes.” She answered softly, reaching into her bag and pulling out a folded document which she placed on the desk. "I dropped my resignation with Kara this morning. I’m afraid I cannot continue working with Miss Lewis at the Lewis Group."Ethan’s brow furrowed. He picked up the paper, his eyes s

Clara stood in the center of the vast living room of the penthouse.The morning sun was high now, casting long, mocking shadows across the expensive marble floor she had been ordered to scrub.Her hands were red and raw, but her mind was racing even faster than her pulse."What am I supposed to do?" she whispered to the empty air.Before Ethan’s return, she had been the queen of this city. Now, she was a squatter in her own home.She had tried every trick in her arsenal—tears, nostalgia, and finally, her own body—and Ethan had looked at her with the cold detachment of a man watching paint dry.He wasn't the Ethan of six years ago; that man was dead, replaced by a titan who looked at her with pure, unadulterated disgust."He won't simp for me," she muttered, pacing the rug. "He’s actually going to make me his maid. He’s going to watch me suffer until I have nothing left." She muttered to herself as panic began to set in.<

That night, Ethan and Naomi went at it a few more times. The next morning, she finally climbed out of the bed, her movements slow and languid.Although she had intended to spend the whole day with him as it was a Saturday, Ethan insisted she leave, claiming he had other places to be.Naomi gathered her scattered clothes, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips as she looked back at Ethan.She felt like she had finally won, like she had successfully claimed the man who had been defying her for months.She wished she could run this on Kara's face but Ethan would likely be offended and that would end their little affair."I have to say, Ethan," she purred, zipping up her dress. "You really lived up to the hype. I knew you would be a beast, but your abilities on the bed... they’re truly exceptional. I’m actually impressed."Ethan remained silent, watching her from the chair."Don't worry," she continued, checking her reflectio

After the line went dead, Naomi sat in her room, her chest heaving. She was filled with fear as the thought of the impending doom awaiting her looked over her head.Naomi had no status outside her husband, and now Ethan was taking that away from her. She couldn't let that happen.His parting words rang in her ears like a death knell and she wondered what that was all about.His latest achievements? What could he be talking about? She hasn't been online for two days now because she had been occupied, feeding other desires.With trembling fingers, she pulled out her phone and opened a browser. She typed his name into the search bar, expecting to find more articles about his embezzlement. Instead, the screen exploded with headlines that made her heart stop.“THE RETURN OF THE KING: VALETECH RECLAIMED BY ORIGINAL FOUNDER ETHAN VALE”“OVERNIGHT BILLIONAIRE: ETHAN VALE’S NET WORTH SURGES TO $1 BILLION AFTER MASSIVE ASSET RECOVERY”