Ethan had barely slept. The early hours of dawn filtered through the city skyline as he left his office, his mind sharpened by the resolve to uncover the truth. There were too many loose ends, too many secrets left unanswered. He could no longer sit idly by as his life unraveled before him.
The first stop was his company. The strange financial discrepancies had been appearing for months, but Ethan had been so consumed by personal drama that he hadn’t given them the attention they deserved. Now, he knew better.
Arriving at his company headquarters, he wasted no time summoning his most trusted accountant, Marcus.
“Marcus, I need you to check the accounts for any financial discrepancies
Marcus looked uneasy, shuffling through files. “Mr. Carter, I’ve been digging into this myself, but there’s something strange. It’s not just one account. It’s multiple. Some tied directly to offshore holdings… and some linked to personal expenses under the name Tania Kingston.”
Ethan’s heart sank hearing Tania had been siphoning money from his company for months maybe years. But why? What was she using it for? He could guess. More lies. More deception.
“Send me everything you have,” Ethan said coldly. “I’ll handle the rest.”
He left the office, a new wave of anger brewing beneath his skin. Tania had betrayed him on every possible level, his heart, his trust, and now, his business. She had played the role of the supportive partner while secretly tearing him down piece by piece. But what did she really want? Power? Revenge?
Ethan made a call to someone who he knows can help him, he called his best friend Victor
” hello, it’s been a while brother Ethan said as soon as the called went through” ” yeah you kind of forgot about me for a moment Victor replied laughing. “I need help Ethan said” ” with what victor replied”. Ethan then went on to fill victor on what is going on ” wow that’s a lot Victor said.
“Victor, I need you to dig deeper into Tania. Her financials, her contacts, everything. She’s been stealing from me. I need to know where the money’s going and who’s helping her.”
“You got it, Ethan. But be careful. This could go deeper than either of us realizes.”
Ethan ended the call and felt a chill crawl down his spine. The stakes were higher than ever, and he was no longer sure who he could trust.
Later that afternoon, Ethan stood in front of his own home, staring at the life he once thought was secure. Now, it felt foreign, like a facade that had been ripped away to reveal the rot underneath. He needed answers, and only one person could give them to him.
Ella.
He had been avoiding her after Fabian’s saga at the pier, partly out of shame and guilt. But now he had no choice. If he was going to understand the truth, he needed to confront her, too. The boys, Leo and Liam, had been kept from him, and he deserved to know why.
He called Ella , “We need to talk,” Ethan said, his voice steady but cold.
Ella sighed. “okay.”
They met at a cafe, the tension between them palpable. Ethan leaned forward, hands clasped, his gaze locked on Ella.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the boys? Why did you keep them from me?” His voice cracked slightly, the pain of years of deception breaking through.
Ella sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I didn’t want to keep them from you, i came to your office to tell you I was pregnant six years ago when I caught you cheating, or I thought it was you cheating and then I had an accident and nearly lost my life, when I woke up from the aftermath, I wanted to come and confront you but, I wasn’t strong yet and then you and Tania got together…
Ethan shook his head. “You should have tried. I had a right to know, Ella. They’re my children.”
Ella’s eyes softened, but there was still a steely resolve in her voice. “I did what I had to do to protect them Ethan, I thought you and Tania planned my murder a.. and I didn’t want my children anywhere near you so….
Ethan clenched his fists, the frustration bubbling to the surface. “why would I try to kill you, I love you Ella and we already established I did not cheat!
Ella looked at him, a mixture of sadness and understanding.
Ethan stood up, pacing the room. Hating that he had been so blind all these years
” She won’t get away with this Ella .”
Ella watched him carefully. “Be careful, Ethan. Tania won’t go down easily. She’s more dangerous than you realize.