Chapter 6 - Ethan Reaches Too Late
Ethan tried to speak to me near the floral arch while Julian’s team secured vendor laptops and instructed staff to preserve recordings. His tuxedo still looked perfect, which suddenly made him look ridiculous. “Clara, you’re emotional,” he said. “Your parents were humiliated, and I understand that, but you have no idea what kind of damage you’re causing.”
I stared at him. “You’re still worried about damage to your family?” He lowered his voice. “You don’t understand the scale. There are jobs, lenders, contracts. If this goes public tonight, people get hurt.” “People were already hurt,” I said. “They were just poor enough that your mother thought nobody would count them.”
His eyes flicked toward my parents, now seated with towels and surrounded by two staff members who had quietly chosen kindness over fear. “I should have said something,” Ethan admitted. “But you know how she is.” There it was again, the phrase that had built Olivia’s throne. You know how she is. As if cruelty were weather. As if everyone else’s job was to carry umbrellas.
“No,” I said. “I know how you are.” That hurt him. Good. Some pain is just recognition arriving late.
May you like
Olivia walked toward us with her shoulders squared, but she no longer looked untouchable. Her phone had been taken by her own counsel for preservation. Conrad Sterling, Ethan’s father, had appeared from the mansion looking pale and furious in a way that suggested he knew some secrets and feared the rest. “This stunt ends now,” Olivia said.
Julian answered before I could. “Mrs. Sterling, the lender group has triggered emergency review. Any attempt to interfere with witnesses or devices will be documented.” Olivia’s mouth twisted. “Witnesses? She’s a jilted bride with wet parents.” I stepped closer, still holding the microphone. “And you’re a borrower with frozen transfers.” For once, she had no immediate reply.
