The Servant You Mocked Is Now a Quadrillionaire Heir

Chapter 9

"Not morning," Ethan said flatly. "Tonight. Now. I want a legal notice sent to Jenny Morrison before sunrise."

Harvey's eyebrows rose slightly, but he nodded with approval. "I'll make the call."

Jolie was watching Ethan with barely concealed satisfaction. "And the investigator?"

"The best. Someone who can trace every movement in that house, every person who had access to the safe, every possible lead." Ethan's voice was ice. "I want proof. Ironclad, undeniable proof."

"You'll have it," Jolie promised.

Ethan picked up his phone again and opened his social media. His fingers moved across the screen with deliberate precision, crafting a response that was brief, direct, and utterly uncompromising.

@EthanCarter: I have been falsely accused of theft by Jenny Morrison. I did not take any jewelry from the Morrison residence. These allegations are slanderous, malicious, and provably false. My legal team will be pursuing all available remedies, including criminal charges for defamation. The truth will come to light, and those responsible for this character assassination will be held accountable.

He posted it without hesitation.

Within seconds, the comments began flooding in—some supportive, many skeptical, others outright hostile. But Ethan didn't care. He'd drawn his line in the sand.

Across the city, in the Morrison villa, Jenny Morrison sat in her study scrolling through her phone with smug satisfaction. The post had performed even better than she'd hoped. Her follower count was climbing. News outlets were starting to pick up the story. She'd effectively painted Ethan as a cautionary tale, and the public was eating it up.

Her phone buzzed with a new notification.

Marcus Howard Law Firm - Legal Notice

Jenny frowned and opened the attachment. The words on the screen made her blood run cold.

CEASE AND DESIST

RE: Defamatory Statements Against Ethan Carter

Dear Ms. Morrison,

This firm represents Mr. Ethan Carter in all legal matters. It has come to our attention that you have published false and defamatory statements regarding our client on various social media platforms, specifically accusing him of theft without evidence or due process.

You are hereby ordered to: 1. Immediately remove all defamatory posts 2. Issue a public retraction and apology 3. Cease all further defamatory statements

Failure to comply within 24 hours will result in a formal defamation lawsuit seeking damages in excess of $5 million, as well as criminal complaints for making false police reports (should you file such reports based on these unfounded allegations).

This is your only warning.

Sincerely, Marcus Howard, Esq. Senior Partner, Howard & Associates

Jenny stared at the letter, her hands trembling—not with fear, but with indignant rage. Marcus Howard. The Marcus Howard. One of the most feared attorneys in the country, the man who represented billionaires and destroyed reputations for sport.

"That's impossible," she hissed to herself. "How could that pauper afford Marcus Howard?"

The answer came to her immediately, obvious and infuriating: he'd used the money from selling the necklace. Of course. That scheming little rat had probably pawned it within an hour of leaving the house and used the proceeds to hire expensive lawyers to intimidate her into silence.

"Like hell I'll back down," Jenny muttered, her face flushed with anger. She reached for her phone to call Charlie, to strategize their next move.

Upstairs, in the guest room that had long since become his permanent residence, Charlie sat on the edge of his bed, his phone clutched in white-knuckled hands, his face pale and slick with cold sweat.

He'd been scrolling through the same legal notice Jenny had just received, reading it over and over, his stomach churning with rising panic.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Ethan was supposed to be powerless, defeated, too broken to fight back. He was supposed to disappear quietly, maybe beg for mercy, certainly not hire Marcus goddamn Howard and threaten multimillion-dollar lawsuits.

Because the necklace—the five-hundred-thousand-dollar ruby necklace currently sitting in a locked box under Charlie's bed—hadn't been stolen by Ethan at all.

Charlie had taken it himself that afternoon, right after he and Helen had returned from their "emergency" that had kept her from City Hall. It had been so easy. Helen had given him the safe combination months ago, trusting him completely. He'd slipped in while she was in the shower, taken the necklace, and hidden it in his room.

The plan had been simple: frame Ethan, destroy his credibility, make Helen see him as the villain he'd always been. Drive him away permanently. And maybe, when the dust settled and Helen was vulnerable and grateful, Charlie could finally make his move.

But Ethan wasn't supposed to fight back. He wasn't supposed to have resources, connections, lawyers who sent legal notices to silence people.

Charlie's phone buzzed. Jenny.

Jenny: Did you see this? That thief hired Marcus Howard! He must have pawned the necklace already. We need to act fast before he disappears.

Charlie stared at the message, his mind racing. If they pushed forward—if they actually filed a police report, if this went to court, if investigators started digging—they would find the necklace in his room. They would find the truth.

He was trapped. Completely, utterly trapped.

His phone buzzed again.

Jenny: Charlie? Are you there? I need your advice.

Charlie's hands shook as he typed out a response, his thoughts spiraling into panic.

Charlie: Maybe we should wait. Legal battles are expensive and time-consuming. Let me think about our options.

Jenny: Wait? That criminal is threatening to sue ME for $5 million! I'm not backing down. He needs to learn his place.

Charlie closed his eyes, nausea rising in his throat.

Everything was falling apart. And he had no idea how to stop it.