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