She Divorced Boston's Hidden Heir

Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

**Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall…**

The ballroom screamed money.

Chandeliers hung from high ceilings, marble floors polished until they reflected light like mirrors, silk tablecloths, flowers that probably cost more than a car. The air smelled expensive—champagne, perfume, wealth packed into one massive room.

Boston's elite filled the space. Old-money families, business tycoons, politicians. Everyone dressed to impress, conversations flowing smoothly as servers moved through the crowd with trays of drinks and appetizers. A string quartet played somewhere in the background.

This was where deals were made. Where power shifted hands over cocktails.

Ethan stood near the edge, champagne glass in hand—untouched. His eyes moved across the room, watching, studying.

Victoria had asked him to observe. Figure out who was worth her time.

But something else had caught his attention.

A group of men near the bar. Expensive suits. Confidence. One wore cufflinks with the Stone family crest.

Stone family.

Ethan's jaw tightened. The gang members from earlier—the ones who'd tried to take Victoria—had confessed. Caleb Stone sent us.

But the Stone family wasn't strong enough to move against Victoria Chen alone. They were second-tier. Powerful, yes, but not that powerful.

Which meant someone bigger was backing them.

But who?

Ethan's mind turned it over. Someone from outside Boston? One of the big three using the Stones as cover? He needed answers. And this gala was the perfect place to find them. High stakes made people sloppy. Alliances cracked under pressure.

He kept watching—

A laugh cut through his thoughts. Cold. Mocking. Familiar.

His entire body tensed.

He turned slowly, already knowing what he'd see.

Sarah.

She stood, staring straight at him with hatred gleaming in her eyes.

Damn it.

Ethan's hands clenched. Seeing her again brought everything back—the rage, the betrayal, three years in prison because of her lies. She'd framed him. Used him. Thrown him away without a second thought.

He wanted to—

No. She was nothing. Just a fool.

But how had she gotten in? He'd specifically had her and Drake removed from the guest list.

His eyes flicked past her. Drake was walking away from someone near the entrance. Ethan followed the sightline—Caleb Stone, heading in the opposite direction.

So Caleb had helped them get in.

Great.

"It was bad enough you kept ruining things for me and Drake," Sarah said loudly, her voice dripping with venom. "But now you dare sneak into a charity gala reserved for the elite?”

Ethan's expression remained cold, but inside, anger simmered. She was doing this here. Now. In the middle of Victoria's carefully planned event.

Sarah stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction. "You know what? I'm done with your tricks and your games. This time, you're finished. I'll have security arrest you along with whoever helped you enter this event illegally." Her smile widened. "You're going back to prison, Ethan. And this time? You'll rot there forever."

Ethan's jaw tightened. Hatred flared hot and sharp before he shoved it down, burying it beneath cold rationality.

She was a fool. Nothing but a fool.

"I entered this venue legitimately," he said, his voice flat and controlled. "With no accomplice."

Sarah laughed—sharp and grating. "Drop the act, Ethan. Tell me—without help, how could an ex-convict and unemployed drifter like you obtain a forged invitation in just one day and infiltrate a gala I could barely get clearance for myself?" She crossed her arms, smirking. "It's impossible."

"The invitation wasn't forged," Ethan said, his voice hardening. His fists clenched at his sides before he forced them open. She was getting under his skin, rambling about things she knew nothing about. Clueless. Foolish. "It was a VVIP invitation—something you wouldn't even dream of accessing."

Sarah froze for half a second, then burst into laughter. "Oh, Ethan!" She wiped at imaginary tears, her voice dripping with mockery. "Stop being delusional! You're a rapist who just got out of prison today. An unemployed nobody." Her smile turned cruel. "The VVIP invitation exists only in your fantasies."

Ethan's expression darkened, but before he could respond, Sarah's eyes lit up with triumph.

"Since you're being so stubborn," she declared, her voice rising, "I'll make a scene. I'll let all the guests—even Victoria Chen herself, the host of this gala—see what kind of person infiltrated her event."

Ethan's jaw locked. Rage burned through him—not at the threat, but at the audacity. She was going to disrupt Victoria's gala. The event Victoria had poured effort and resources into. The night that mattered to her.

He couldn't allow that.

Not because he feared exposure—he had every right to be here. But because this gala was important to Victoria. She’d trusted him to help her tonight, and he wouldn’t let Sarah’s pettiness ruin that.

He turned to leave, to extract himself before she could escalate—

Drake stepped directly into his path, blocking him.

At the same time, Sarah grabbed his arm, her grip tight and desperate.

"Let go," Ethan warned, his voice low and dangerous. He turned to Drake. "And get out of my way."

"No," Sarah said triumphantly, her eyes wild with satisfaction. She opened her mouth, about to shout for security—

Ethan's mind raced. He couldn't let this spiral. Not here. Not now.

Maybe he should just knock them both unconscious. Quick. Efficient. Problem solved.

His muscles tensed, ready to move—

A hand shot out and chopped down on Sarah's wrist with precise, calculated force.

Sarah yelped, releasing Ethan immediately and stumbling back, clutching her hand.

"What—"

A woman stepped into the light between them, her presence commanding instant attention.

She was stunning—elaborate makeup that obscured her features while enhancing her elegance, an air of nobility and power radiating from every movement. Her gown was midnight-blue silk, tailored perfectly, expensive beyond measure. Everything about her screamed sophistication, class, and untouchable status.

Ethan's eyes widened slightly.

Victoria.

Her expression shifted from cold displeasure to something playful and amused. A smirk tugged at her lips as she looked between Sarah and Drake.

"What," Victoria asked lightly, her tone dripping with mock curiosity, "are you two planning to do with my companion?"

Sarah froze, her hand still cradled against her chest. Her eyes raked over the woman—the flawless makeup, the expensive gown, the effortless elegance that made Sarah's own designer dress look like a cheap imitation.

And the way she stood beside Ethan. Close. Intimate. Protective.

Sarah's heart hammered in panic.

Who was this woman? And why was she calling Ethan her companion?

Drake stood frozen, his mouth slightly open, staring at Victoria like she'd descended from heaven itself.

She was... breathtaking. Stunning in a way Sarah couldn't compete with. Sophisticated, elegant, powerful. Everything Drake valued in a woman—everything he wanted parading on his arm.

And she'd chosen Ethan as her companion?

Ethan—an ex-convict, someone with no status, no wealth, no connections?

That was impossible.

Drake's mind spun. If Ethan could attract a woman like this, then surely he—Drake Hastings, with his old-money pedigree and family name—could win her over easily.

After all, he surpassed Ethan in every measurable way. Wealth. Status. Breeding.

Lust and ambition filled Drake's eyes. He straightened, puffing out his chest slightly, a smirk forming on his lips.

If he made a move, wouldn’t he easily be able to steal her away?

The thought made his ego swell.

Tonight just got a lot more interesting.