2025-07-10 23:16:22Esther’s eyes widened the moment she noticed the familiar black car pulling into the estate.
Her husband was back.
Ezra had returned from the hospital far earlier than she expected. She hadn’t even had time to fully process the news of the divorce between Jordan and Zoe, much less prepare herself for his reaction.
Without hesitation, she turned sharply to Jordan who was still standing by the corridor, calm and unbothered.
“You, go back to your room this instant,” she hissed. “You don’t need to be seen here. Not now.”
Jordan looked at her, his gaze steady, almost unreadable. Then, without saying a word, he shook his head.
Before she could snap again, he walked past her and headed straight for the front entrance, where the car had stopped.
Esther stared after him in disbelief.
Was this the same Jordan who used to lower his head whenever she walked past? The same man who used to stammer apologies even when he wasn’t wrong? Now, he was ignoring her orders like they meant nothing.
She watched from the balcony as Jordan reached the car door and opened it.
Ezra stepped out slowly, supported gently by one of the family drivers. He still looked pale, the hospital stay having drained him of much strength, but there was a calm determination in his movement.
Jordan held him by the arm, steadying him as he walked.
“Thank you,” Ezra said quietly, patting Jordan’s hand.
Esther turned away, furious.
*********************************
Not long after Ezra settled in, one of the maids went around informing everyone that Mr. Bennett had asked to see the whole family in the living room. That included Jordan.
Esther frowned deeply at that.
Even now? After the divorce? After all that happened?
Still, she said nothing.
They all gathered in the wide, elegant living room, the chandelier above casting a warm but serious glow. Ezra sat on the long couch near the centre, flanked by his lawyer and doctor.
His health was still fragile, but there was a certain fire in his eyes that hadn’t dimmed.
Zoe walked in with David right beside her.
Jordan stood by the wall, quiet, watchful.
Ezra’s gaze immediately moved to the unfamiliar man seated beside his daughter. His brow furrowed slightly. The face seemed a bit familiar but he was really curious to know who he was.
“Who are you, young man?” Ezra asked, voice calm but firm.
David straightened, about to speak, but Zoe cut in quickly.
“He’s just a friend,” she said. “He came to spend some time with us. Nothing more.”
Ezra’s eyes lingered on David for a moment longer, as if trying to place him.
David Grant—son of the billionaire, Nathaniel Grant, one of the wealthiest oil tycoons in the city. Known for his father’s empire and his own reputation in elite social circles. A name that came with power, but also scandal.
Ezra didn’t press further. His instinct told him something wasn’t right, but he simply nodded and turned back to Zoe.
“Can you ask him to excuse us for a while?”
Zoe hesitated. “Daddy—”
“Now,” Ezra said, firmer this time.
She forced a smile and turned to David. “I’ll come find you later.”
David scoffed a little under his breath, stood up, adjusted his wristwatch, and left the room without a word.
As the door closed behind him, Ezra leaned back slightly, took in the room again, and cleared his throat.
“I asked all of you to come because there is something I need to say,” he began, voice steady despite his weakness. “Something that cannot wait anymore.”
Everyone leaned in.
Jordan remained still.
Ezra continued. “You all know how much Bennett Industries means to me. I built it from scratch, through sweat, risk, and sacrifice. And now, with the way my health has been going… it’s time I made a final decision on who takes over.”
Esther sat straighter.
Zoe blinked but kept her face unreadable.
Jordan lowered his eyes, unsure of what was coming.
Ezra reached for a folder beside him, the same one his lawyer had brought. But just as he tried to open it, his hand froze mid-air.
A cough escaped his lips.
Then another.
This time, stronger.
His body tensed and he leaned forward, gripping the armrest tightly.
“Daddy?” Zoe called, her voice sharp with fear.
Ezra coughed again, this time, violently and a stream of blood shot from his mouth.
Gasps filled the room.
“Daddy!” Zoe screamed, rushing forward.
The lawyer and doctor jumped to their feet as Jordan was already beside Ezra, holding him steady.
“Call the ambulance!” someone shouted.
Ezra’s face was pale, his lips trembling, and blood stained his shirt.
The room turned to chaos.
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Chapter 67: The Cost of Trust
The decision to launch an internal investigation did not come lightly. Jordan signed the approval memo with a steady hand, but the weight of it pressed hard on his chest. This was not an enemy outside the gates.This was inside the house. People who had built the company with him. People whose names he knew, whose families he had met, whose loyalty he had never once questioned.By the next morning, the atmosphere at Jefferson Group had shifted. Nothing obvious. No panic. No raised voices.But there was a tightness in the air, a carefulness in how conversations began and ended. Smiles lingered half a second too long. Laughter sounded rehearsed. Everyone knew something serious was happening, even if no one said it aloud.Jenna took charge immediately.She structured the inquiry with calm efficiency, assembling a small, discreet team bound by strict confidentiality. There were no dramatic interrogations, no threats. Just questions. Timelines. Cross-checks. Access logs. Decision trails.S
Chapter 66: Trust - A New Battlefield
Pressure no longer announced itself loudly in Jordan’s life. It seeped in quietly, settling into his bones, disrupting his sleep, sharpening his thoughts until rest felt like a luxury he could no longer afford. Nights blurred into mornings.Even when he lay still in bed, his mind stayed active, replaying boardroom exchanges, market shifts, and decisions that carried consequences far beyond him.Ezra’s absence returned in fragments. Not in dramatic flashes, but in small, cruel reminders. An empty chair during late dinners.A voice he almost heard when faced with impossible choices. Leadership had cost him more than he ever admitted aloud. Winning had not erased the scars; it had only made them harder to explain.Jenna noticed before he did. She always did.“You didn’t sleep again,” she said one morning, watching him stir untouched coffee.“I’m fine,” Jordan replied automatically.She didn’t argue. She never did at first. Instead, she watched him more closely—his shortened temper during
Chapter 65: Pressure from All Sides
The attack didn’t come with noise or warnings. It arrived quietly, wrapped in legality and timing, the way real corporate wars always did.By the time Jordan’s phone started vibrating nonstop that morning, the damage was already unfolding.Jenna was the first to say it out loud. “They’re making a move.”Jordan stood in his office, jacket still off, staring at the screen on the wall where market activity scrolled endlessly.A rival conglomerate — older, broader, deeply entrenched, had launched an aggressive acquisition attempt against Jefferson Group.It wasn’t a hostile takeover yet, but it was close enough to send shockwaves through the market. Strategic share purchases. Public statements disguised as compliments.Analysts suddenly questioning Jefferson Group’s independence.“They waited for the right moment,” Jordan said quietly. “Post-Bennett collapse. Internal restructuring. Leadership transition still fresh.”“They’re exploiting uncertainty,” Jenna replied. “And they’re good at i
Chapter 64: A Question of Survival
Jordan felt the weight of his decision long before the boardroom doors closed behind him. Mercy had never been free; he had known that when he chose it. Still, knowing and feeling were two different things.As he took his seat at the head of the long polished table, he sensed the shift in the room — the careful looks, the restrained impatience, the unspoken question hanging in the air: ‘Was he still the right man to lead?’The chairman cleared his throat. “Jordan, before we proceed with the expansion agenda, there’s a matter we need to address.”Jordan nodded calmly. “Go ahead.”One of the senior board members leaned forward. “Your refusal to press further charges against Zoe Bennett has drawn public praise, yes. But privately, some of us are concerned. Jefferson Group is entering a critical expansion phase. Emotional decisions at this point could be… destabilizing.”The word lingered like an accusation.Jordan folded his hands on the table. “Mercy is not emotional instability,” he re
Chapter 63: What Remains of Us
Zoe returned without noise. No press statement, no lawyer-led theatrics, no social media confession.She walked into the authorities' office early on a Monday morning and turned herself in before the warrant could grow teeth.By afternoon, the news had reached Jefferson Group, spreading through the executive floors in hushed conversations and carefully worded emails.Jordan heard it from Jenna. She appeared at his office door just past three o'clock, her expression carefully neutral, and stepped inside without waiting for permission.She closed the door behind her, then stood by his desk, arms folded, studying his face with the attention of someone watching for any crack in his composure."She surrendered," Jenna said, her voice measured. "Voluntarily."Jordan looked up from the financial projections he'd been reviewing. For a heartbeat, his pen hovered over the page. Then he set it down carefully and nodded once, as if he had expected it all along.As if this particular piece of news
Chapter 62: Between Love and War
The office felt colder that morning. The moment Jordan walked in, every staff member knew something was off.His expression was calm, but his eyes carried that quiet storm, the kind that warned of an incoming reckoning. Jenna saw it too.She had seen it before, years ago, during the worst of the Bennett trial.He called for an emergency meeting with the executive team. The room filled quickly — department heads whispering nervously, laptops open, files spread across the long table.Jordan stood at the head, hands clasped behind his back. “The breach we faced last night was not random,” he began. “It was deliberate. Coordinated. And personal.”Silence gripped the room.“Evidence points directly to ZB Consulting,” he continued. “Which means Zoe Bennett has declared war again.”Murmurs erupted. Jenna’s sharp voice cut through them. “The security division is doubling our firewall defenses. Every internal device will be audited. Anyone found in contact with that firm, even casually will be
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