Lara's voice was low but certain. "I'll fix it."
Ethan's brows drew together, searching her face. "How?" he asked quietly, almost like he didn't want to hope too much.
She didn't break his gaze. "I'll handle it."
It was only then that she became aware of where she was her knees tucked to either side of his hips, her body pressed against his. She was literally sitting on his lap.
Her breath caught, and guilt flickered in her chest. "Ethan...." she shifted slightly, "I'm sorry, I didn't even think… you just started healing, and I..."
He shook his head almost immediately, cutting her off with a soft shush. "Don't," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "I don't mind."
The way he looked at her made her still, like he was memorising the weight of her against him, the closeness he hadn't had in so long.
"You could stay like this forever and I wouldn't mind," he added, so quietly it almost sounded like it wasn't meant for her to hear.
Her throat tightened, for a moment, she didn't know what to do with her hands, so she rested them lightly against his shoulders, feeling the warmth of him even through the shirt.
"Why didn't you fight harder?" she asked suddenly. It wasn't an accusation.. well not anymore just a wound that still throbbed with what-ifs.
His jaw flexed. "You think I didn't?"
Her lips parted, but she didn't speak.
"I fought until there was nothing left to fight with," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "I went to your father three times and I begged him, I begged your mother. I even tried to find another way to pay off what they were holding over us but every time I thought I'd found a way out, they were two steps ahead."
Lara blinked back the burn in her eyes. "I wish you had told me."
"I know," he said softly. "But if I had, they would have found a way to hurt you. And I couldn't.." he broke off, looking away for a second, his voice unsteady, "I couldn't watch them hurt you the way they did to me."
Lara swallowed. "Do you know what it felt like, watching you walk away? Hearing the rumours about you and Maya… knowing my own parents didn't defend me?"
"Yes," he said immediately. "Because I felt the same way every day I was forced to stand next to her, every time I smiled for a photograph I didn't want to be in. Even worst, every time I heard her call herself my wife."
She stared at him, the rawness in his voice cutting through her.
"I hated you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to hate you so much that it would make me forget how much I loved you."
Ethan's eyes softened. "And did it work?"
She shook her head slowly. "No, You've been under my skin since the day I met you. And the worst part is… even when I thought you were the enemy, you still felt like home."
His hand came up, hesitated for a second, then cupped her face gently.
"You still are my home," he said, almost like a confession he'd been holding onto for years.
Her breath hitched. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes briefly. "I don't know how to fix this yet," she murmured. "But I swear to you, I'll make it right. For you… and for me."
His thumb brushed across her cheek. "Lara…" his voice dropped, low and intimate, "you don't owe me that."
"Yes, I do." Her eyes opened again, sharp now, determined. "You spent all those times just for me in silence. It's my turn."
For a long time, they just sat there,saying nothing, finally, Ethan's voice broke the silence. "I missed you," he said simply.
Lara's eyes glistened, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "I missed you too."
Vale Estate – That Night
The atmosphere inside the Vale estate was heavy, the tension so thick it almost hummed in the air. The family's senior members sat scattered in the living room, murmuring in uneasy tones. It was already late, and no one had seen Ethan for hours.
"Has anyone checked the east wing?" Ethan's aunt asked, worry creasing her brow.
One of the guards shifted awkwardly near the door. "We've checked the entire property, ma'am, there's no sign of him. None of the staff saw him leave."
Maya sat on the couch, her body turned slightly away from the others as if she were trying to compose herself. Her head was bowed, one delicate hand gripping a silk handkerchief. When she finally looked up, her eyes were glassy with unshed tears.
"He's… he's gone, hasn't he?" she whispered, her voice trembling just enough to sound real. "He's not answering my calls, my texts… I know him, I know what he's thinking."
Her lower lip trembled perfectly, like a scene rehearsed in the mirror. "Ever since that scandal Lara caused, he's been breaking a little more each day and tonight… tonight he looked so… so lost."
"Are you saying you think he's..." one of the cousins started, but Maya cut in, shaking her head quickly as though she couldn't bear to hear the words.
"I'm saying I'm afraid," she choked out, wiping the corner of her eyes. "Afraid that he might… do something to himself. He's under so much pressure... the media's destroying him, investors are pulling out, people are whispering about him like he's… like he's worthless."
Her voice broke into a soft sob, but she forced herself to go on. "And it's all because of her."
She let the words sink into everyone's head before continuing in a low, pained voice. "Lara has always hated me, ever since Ethan and I got married. She's… she's cold, dangerous, I've tried to be kind, to make peace, but she's never wanted anything except to see me suffer."
"You don't know what she's like when the cameras are off," Maya pressed on, leaning forward, her hands clutching the hem of her dress like she was trying to hold herself together. "She's cruel. She looks at Ethan like he's nothing. She wanted to humiliate him publicly and she succeeded. And now… now I'm terrified she's taken away his will to live."
Her voice wavered as tears finally spilled over. "I can't lose him. I can't. He's my husband. I… I swore to stand by him, and yet… I can't protect him from her."
One of Ethan's uncles frowned. "Maya, you're saying this like you're sure she's the cause. But Ethan..."
"Ethan would never say it himself," Maya interrupted quickly, shaking her head with a bitter little laugh that trembled just right. "He's too noble for that. He'd rather protect her image than tell the truth. But I know him. I see it in his eyes every time her name comes up, there's pain, betrayal, and… she's breaking him piece by piece."
She dabbed at her eyes again, then looked up at the matriarch of the family Ethan's grandmother, her expression pleading. "Please… if you find him, don't let her near him again. I'm begging you. She's dangerous."
The words landed exactly how she wanted them to, a ripple of unease moved through the room, several members now wearing grim, wary expressions.
The grandmother, usually calm and measured, now spoke with quiet finality. "If what you say is true, Maya, then we will ensure she is kept away from him."
Maya's lashes lowered for just a second, enough to hide the flicker of satisfaction in her eyes before she looked down again, biting her lip like she was trying to stop another sob.
And in that moment, she knew she'd accomplished what she wanted it, in the hearts of those who could cut Lara out of Ethan's life completely.
The living room had fallen into a tense silence after Maya's last words. No one dared to move for a moment, as if speaking too loudly might confirm the worst.
Then the grandmother straightened in her seat, her voice sharp with authority.
"Call the head of security, I want every man on the property searching. If he's not here, expand the search to the surrounding roads."
One of the guards bowed slightly. "Yes, ma'am." He immediately stepped out, murmuring into his earpiece
Maya stood slowly, like her legs could barely hold her. She clutched her silk handkerchief tighter. "Please… please tell them to check the river road. He likes to drive there when he's upset. I… I don't want him anywhere near the bridge tonight."
Her voice cracked on the last word.
The family exchanged uneasy glances.
Ethan's aunt turned to her. "Maya, are you sure he'd… think of something like that?"
Maya looked down, her shoulders trembling just enough to make the handkerchief shake in her grip. "I don't want to believe it… but you didn't see the way he looked at me before he left. He didn't even say goodbye. Just… this empty stare, like he'd already given up."
The guard returned briefly. "Ma'am, no one saw him leave the estate."
"Then check the cameras," the grandmother ordered immediately.
"Yes, ma'am."
Another guard entered from the side door, slightly out of breath. "We're sending two cars to patrol the east road and another toward the cliffs."
At the word cliff, Maya pressed her lips together, like she was physically trying not to cry harder. "He… he told me once, years ago, that when the world got too heavy, he just wanted to be somewhere no one could reach him. What if.."
Her voice broke, and she didn't finish the sentence, she didn't have to.
The grandmother's expression hardened. "Find him. Now."
Guards began moving quickly, speaking into radios, footsteps echoing through the halls.
Maya sank back into her seat, hiding her face behind her handkerchief. But behind the lace and silk, a faint smirk threatened to surface, every word she'd just said was designed to make them fear for Ethan… and to make them believe Lara was the reason for it.
If Lara was with him right now, Maya intended to make sure the entire Vale family saw her as the woman who pushed Ethan to his doom.
The sound of tires crunching against the gravel driveway broke the tense hum inside the Vale estate. A guard's voice rang from the entry hall.
"He's back!"
Half the family jumped to their feet. The grandmother rose slowly, her cane tapping against the tiles as she moved toward the foyer.
Within seconds, the front doors swung open. Ethan rolled in, the faint night chill clinging to him, a guard just behind him with his hands still on the wheelchair handles. His expression was calm, too calm as his eyes swept over the sudden crowd in the living room.
"Ethan!" several voices called at once, the family rushed forward.
"What happened?"
"Where were you?"
"Are you hurt?"
The voices overlapped in a dizzying wave of worry and accusation, someone even knelt to check his hands as if looking for cuts.
"Enough!" the grandmother's voice finally cut through, steady but sharp. She stepped forward, her eyes locked on him. "We've been searching for you for hours. Do you have any idea the panic you caused?"
Before Ethan could answer, Jenna stepped in from the side, her brows drawn tight. "They were panicking because Maya told them you might be trying to kill yourself."
The room fell silent for a while, Ethan's gaze turned slowly toward Maya. She stood near the couch, one hand over her mouth as if still recovering from worry, eyes shimmering with tears.
"I was just… afraid," she said softly, looking around at the others before her gaze landed on him. "You didn't tell anyone where you were going, Ethan. After everything that's happened, I...."
He didn't let her finish, His eyes didn't leave hers, his voice low but cutting through the room like a blade.
"I'm fine."
Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair, his tone firmer now. "I wasn't planning to hurt myself,. I just needed air. That's all."
Maya's mouth opened slightly, as if to protest, but the flicker of challenge in his stare made her close it again.
"I appreciate the concern," he added, glancing briefly at the rest of the family. "But next time, ask me before you decide what's going on in my head."
The grandmother's gaze flicked between him and Maya, but she said nothing the tension between them was too obvious to ignore.
Ethan turned his wheelchair toward the hallway. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to my room."
As he rolled away, the family parted reluctantly, but his stare lingered on Maya for one last second cold, before disappearing down the hall.
The Next Morning
Lara stood at the head of the long mahogany table, her back to the panoramic windows. Outside, the city shimmered in the late morning sun. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with unease. The Vale name was in the headlines, and every executive in the room knew their own fortunes were tied to how this meeting ended.
A low murmur died down the moment Lara placed a black folder on the table and clicked the remote in her hand. The large screen behind her lit up with a grainy photo, a well-known logistics magnate shaking hands with a politician whose name had been in recent corruption whispers.
"This," Lara began, her voice steady but edged with steel, "is the man the press is trying to claim the Vale family protected. In reality…" She clicked again the next image appeared, this time from a hidden camera still. The magnate sat in a private club, exchanging envelopes with a man already under federal investigation.
"he was funding illegal shipments through third-party accounts. Accounts that on paper...had nothing to do with the Vales."
Her gaze swept the table. "But the transactions were funneled through shell companies designed to make it look like the Vales were involved. They weren't."
She clicked again. A new set of photos appeared another high-profile businessman, this time from the tech sector, caught leaving an unregistered warehouse.
"These men and others are the true orchestrators. I have cross-referenced transaction IDs, traced offshore accounts, and collected testimonies from people who risked their lives to speak up."
There was a heavy pause. A few board members shifted uncomfortably, they all knew these names. These were not small players.
Finally, a man with silver hair, bespoke suit, the kind of face that belonged in business magazines leaned forward. His tone was calm, almost too calm.
"Miss Alden," he began, "while your… dedication is admirable, dragging other prominent names into this storm will have consequences. The smart move is to let the Vale family take the fall. One family's reputation… in exchange for protecting an entire industry's stability."
A few others nodded and that told Lara he wasn't alone in that sentiment.
She let the silence hang a moment before replying not with raised voice, but with a cold, deliberate smile.
"So… your advice is that we punish the innocent, protect the guilty, and call it good business?" Her tone dripped with irony. "Tell me, Mr. Hughes, do you send that same message to your children? Or do you save the hypocrisy for boardrooms?"
His jaw tightened. "That's not...."
"That's exactly what you're suggesting," Lara cut in, her voice still calm but sharp enough to make a few heads turn. "I don't care how prominent these men are. Power doesn't give anyone a free pass. If you commit the crime, you answer for it. And if you think I'm going to stand here and sign off on sacrificing an innocent family to keep your golf partners comfortable, you've mistaken me for someone else."
The room went quiet. Even those who didn't agree with her stayed silent now.
Lara clicked the remote one last time, and a slide with the words Press Briefing Today, 3:00 PM appeared on the screen.
"We'll be going live this afternoon to clarify the truth. The evidence will be made public, every name, every document. If that scares anyone here, maybe you should be asking yourself why."
Her gaze lingered on Hughes just long enough for him to look away.
The meeting adjourned shortly after, tension still buzzing under the surface. People shuffled out with tight expressions some supportive, others not.
Near the back, a young employee slipped his phone out, pretending to check messages as he quickly dialed a number. He stepped into the hall, pressing the phone to his ear.
"Come on… pick up…" he muttered.
And it rang.
"Mr. Alden, sir," he whispered when the voicemail clicked in, "it's me. I have an update from the boardroom, Miss Lara is going live today to defend the Vales. She's naming the others involved. I thought you'd want to know… Please call me back. I..."
He stopped, realizing he was talking to empty air. The voicemail had already cut off.
He sighed, shoving the phone back in his pocket. "Damn it… this could've been my ticket up."
As he walked off, the camera crews were already being set up downstairs. The countdown to Lara's public statement had begun.