The invisible Groom

Chapter Three

For the first time in three years, the Dawson living room was enveloped in an eerie hush. 

No insults were hurled.  

No shouting filled the air.  

No commands directed at Ethan to clean, cook, or run errands.  

Just silence… and an undercurrent of fear.  

Vivian gripped the armrest of the sofa, her fingers trembling with anxiety. Tanya paced restlessly, her heels clicking unevenly against the tile. Both women avoided Ethan’s gaze.

He lounged on the couch, appearing calm and collected, as if the chaotic events of the past ten minutes were merely a passing breeze.

Finally, Vivian forced herself to speak.  

“A–Are those people… really working for you?”

Without glancing in her direction, Ethan replied, “Why the sudden concern? You seemed so confident just a moment ago.”

Vivian recoiled at the biting chill in his tone. It felt far removed from the “useless son-in-law” she had grown accustomed to. This was a voice that commanded respect—someone unsettlingly powerful.

Tanya attempted to chuckle, trying to dispel the tension.  

“Alright, alright… maybe there’s been a misunderstanding. Perhaps they’ve mistaken you for someone else—mixed identities or—”

Ethan’s gaze shifted to her with a single piercing look. 

Tanya's laughter evaporated immediately. She stumbled back, collapsing into a chair, her complexion pale and ashen. 

Before anyone could speak again, a loud knock reverberated through the room—three sharp raps.

Vivian startled.  

“Who is it now?! More cars? More men?!”

“No,” Tanya whispered, glancing out the window.  

Her expression soured with disgust.  

“Oh. It’s him.”

Ethan remained still, fully aware of what was coming. 

With a forced bravado, Tanya flung the door open.

There stood Caleb Brooks, the local wealthy young man. Slick hair, gold chain, expensive sunglasses—his typical air of arrogance.

Caleb met Tanya’s gaze with a smirk, stepping inside uninvited.  

“Where’s that useless son-in-law?” he called out boisterously.

His words hung heavily in the air.

Vivian panicked, waving her hands in a futile attempt to defuse the situation.  

“Caleb, w-we’re handling some things right now—”

Caleb dismissed her with a wave and zeroed in on Ethan lounging on the couch.  

“There he is,” he chuckled. “The legendary broom-holder himself. Ethan, have you finally managed to scrape together your salary from the gutter?”

Tanya rubbed her temples, exasperated.  

“Caleb, please. Not now—”

“I’m addressing the trash,” Caleb snapped, his tone harsh. “So keep out of it.”

He approached, arrogance radiating from him.  

“You remember the money you owe me? Two hundred thousand. I need it today. If you can’t pay, I’ll—”

Ethan finally broke the silence.

“Are you finished?”

Caleb halted mid-sentence, the shift in atmosphere palpable. Ethan’s tone wasn't meek; it was ice-cold, striking deep.

Caleb scowled. “What did you just say?”

Ethan rose slowly, standing tall, exuding an eerie calmness.

“Two hundred thousand?” he questioned. “Is that what’s got you riled up?”

The jibe was so smooth that it took a moment for the sting to register.

Then, Caleb's expression morphed into a mask of fury.

“Barking? You think you can speak to me like that? Do you even know—”

Before he could finish, Ethan produced a sleek black card from a metal case and tossed it onto the table. It landed with a sharp clatter that reverberated through the room.

Caleb blinked. “What’s that?”

Ethan casually took his seat again. “Swipe it. See how much is loaded on there.”

Tanya gasped, and Vivian’s eyes widened in disbelief.

With a dramatic scoff, Caleb picked it up, skepticism dripping from his voice.

“A black card? Really? Where’d you get this? A toy store?”

Despite his dismissal, he scanned it, flipping it in his hands—until his phone buzzed with a bank notification.

He glanced down, then blinked harder.

His jaw dropped in shock, almost comically.

“Impossible…” he breathed, his hands trembling so violently that the card nearly slipped from his grip.

Vivian leaned in, urgency in her tone. “What? How much is on there?”

Caleb swallowed hard. “Not… not millions…”

He stared at Ethan as if he were facing a mythical creature.

“Not billions…”

Tanya felt her heart stop. “Then… what is it?”

In a hushed tone, Caleb mouthed the number, fearful that Ethan might hear him:

“Nine hundred and sixty billion dollars…”

A heavy silence fell over the entire house.

Vivian sank to her knees. Tanya covered her mouth in shock. Caleb stumbled backward until he hit the wall behind him.

With a calmness that was almost unsettling, Ethan reached out and took the card back with two fingers.

“You want two hundred thousand?” he asked evenly. “Take it.”

Caleb looked up, sweat beading on his brow. “I—I wouldn’t dare—”

Ethan’s gaze sharpened. “Then get out.”

Caleb didn’t hesitate. He bolted from the house.

Vivian edged closer, her voice shaking. “E–Ethan… why didn’t you tell us?”

Ethan slipped the card back into his pocket as he stood. “You never asked,” he replied, an air of composure surrounding him. “You just assumed.”

He turned toward the door, just as his phone buzzed again.

A new message flashed across the screen:

“New threat identified, they know you're back''

Ethan eyes narrowed.

the game had just begun