Outside the hotel, Helen and Jenny were unceremoniously deposited on the curb like discarded garbage. The cold night air hit them immediately, making Helen's tear-streaked face sting. Her mascara had run in dark rivulets down her cheeks, her hair was disheveled from struggling with security, and her expensive dress was rumpled.Charlie, who'd been waiting in the freezing cold for hours, rushed over the moment he saw them being escorted out."What happened?" he demanded, his eyes wide with alarm. "I saw security escorting you out—what the hell did you do?"Helen was trembling with rage and humiliation, her entire body shaking. "Ethan," she spat the name like poison. "That's what happened. That worthless parasite somehow convinced them he belongs there. Claimed he was personally invited by the Spencer family. It's all lies, Charlie. He's manipulating everyone, just like he manipulated me."Charlie's eyes narrowed, his mind racing through calculations. He'd assumed Ethan was truly powerl

The sitting room door opened, and Jolie Spencer entered like a queen surveying her domain. Even in elegant silk loungewear, she radiated power and control that made Helen feel like a beggar granted an audience. Despite the late hour, Jolie looked flawless—not a hair out of place, her expression cool and unreadable.Helen stood quickly, clutching her phone, acutely aware of her smeared mascara and rumpled dress."This must be quite urgent," Jolie said, her tone sharp, "for you to come to my home uninvited at this hour.""Miss Spencer, thank you so much for seeing me," Helen said, trying to sound respectful rather than desperate. "I know it's late, but I felt you needed to know something immediately. Before... before you make a terrible mistake."Jolie's eyebrow arched slightly. "A mistake?""It's about Ethan." Helen took a breath. "I need you to understand something first—I'm not his girlfriend. I never was, not really. We were engaged, yes, but that was a long time ago, and I ended it

Helen practically floated through the front door of the Morrison villa, her smile radiant for the first time in weeks. Jenny and Charlie looked up from where they'd been anxiously waiting in the living room."Well?" Jenny demanded. "What happened?"Helen's laugh was bright and triumphant. "She believed every word. Jolie Spencer kept all the evidence I showed her. She said she and Ethan would be 'having a conversation' about his behavior."She threw her purse on the couch with satisfaction. "By tomorrow morning, that parasite will be homeless. Cut off from the Spencer family's money, exposed as the fraud he is. And Jolie Spencer will remember that I was the one who opened her eyes."Jenny clapped her hands together. "This is wonderful! Finally some good news!""It's more than good news, Mom." Helen's eyes gleamed. "Think about it—I just did the Spencer family a massive favor. I protected them from a con artist. That's the kind of thing they'll be grateful for. The kind of thing that cou

Charlie sat in Helen's office three days after the Spencer Group legal ambush, watching her pace frantically while ranting about injustice and conspiracies. Morrison Industries' stock had dropped another 6% since news of the lawsuit leaked. Business partners were quietly severing ties. The company was hemorrhaging value daily.And Charlie had finally accepted what he'd been denying for weeks: Helen's ship was sinking, and he needed to get off before he drowned with it."I'm going to grab us coffee," Charlie said, standing. "You need to calm down before you give yourself a heart attack."Helen barely acknowledged him, still muttering about legal strategies and appeals.Charlie left the building and walked three blocks to a nondescript office tower. He took the elevator to the fifteenth floor and entered the offices of Meridian Capital—one of Morrison Industries' biggest competitors.Derek Shaw, Meridian's VP of Business Development, greeted him with a predatory smile."Mr. Bennett. Pun

Helen's voice cracked through the hall like a gunshot."That man is a fraud!"Every head turned. Cameras swiveled. The murmurs started low, then spread fast, rippling through the rows of seated executives and journalists like wind through tall grass.Helen stood in the center aisle, her finger jabbed toward the VIP section, her chest heaving, her mascara already smudging at the corners.Charlie lingered three steps behind her, his face arranged into something meant to look brave but landing closer to constipated.Ethan lowered his glass of water and set it on the table without a sound. His jaw tightened, just barely, but his posture didn't shift. He had expected her to show up eventually.Not this soon, not this loud, but the woman had always confused volume for courage.Susan sat beside him, and the second Helen's shrill voice hit her ears, something cold settled behind her eyes.She placed her napkin on the table, smoothed the front of her dress, and stood."I'm telling all of you r