The air was thick with tension as Tania paced back and forth in the dimly lit warehouse. Her once beautiful face was now twisted with rage and frustration. When Fabian arrived, she didn’t even wait for him to settle in before launching her attack.
“Where is she?” Tania demanded, holding Fabians collar her voice sharp and accusatory. “Crystal didn’t find her at the house. You’ve been watching her. How did she slip away?”
Fabian’s jaw tightened as he met her gaze. “I don’t know where she is, Tania. I haven’t seen her or the kids since our last meeting at the cafe.”
“That’s not good enough!” Tania snapped. “She’s out there, Fabian, plotting God knows what. I can’t let her ruin everything!”
Fabian crossed his arms, remaining calm despite Tania’s anger. “I told you, she’s smarter than you think. She’s careful especially with the kids. If you want to find her, we need to think smarter, not react like this.”
Tania glared at him, but Fabian didn’t flinch. In the back of his mind, he knew he still had a soft spot for Ella, and the guilt of his past actions weighed heavily on him. Tania, however, was blinded by her obsession with power and control.
Just then, Crystal entered the room, her cold expression mirroring the atmosphere. She walked over to Tania, shaking her head.
“I scoured the house. They’ve been gone for days. No sign of where they went.”
Tania cursed under her breath, her mind racing. She couldn’t let Ella win, not after everything she’d done to take her place beside Ethan.
“Fabian, you need to find her,” Tania demanded, her voice low and dangerous. “I don’t care what it takes. Ella must be eliminated, and I want it done now.”
Fabian hesitated for a moment but nodded reluctantly. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Meanwhile
Ethan sat in his study, nursing a glass of whiskey, his mind swirling with guilt and regret. Victor, his long-time friend and lawyer, sat across from him, giving him a sympathetic look.
“You rushed into marrying Tania you know,” Victor said, his voice gentle but firm. “You didn’t give yourself enough time to even grieve Ella supposed death. You gave up on her too quickly.”
Ethan winced at the words, his chest tightening with guilt. He had given up. He had believed Ella was gone for good, and in his grief, he’d married Tania. But now, as all the lies unraveled around him, he realized just how deeply he had been manipulated.
“I know, Victor. I didn’t see it at the time. I was in a dark place and Tania provided comfort and I wanted to move on. But now… it’s all falling apart.”
Victor leaned forward. “There’s a way to fix this, Ethan. But first, you need to deal with Tania. She’s toxic, and until she’s out of the picture, you won’t have any peace.”
Ethan nodded, staring at his glass. “You’re right. I need to make things right for Grace, for Leo, and Liam.”
He set his glass down with a sigh. “Victor, I need you to draw up some papers. I want full custody of Grace before I deal with Tania. And I want to file for custody of Leo and Liam too.”
Victor raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? Ella’s been gone for years, and those boys… do you think she’ll let you back into their lives that easily?”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, conflicted. “It’s the only way. If I get custody of the boys, maybe… just maybe, I can get Ella back too. She loved me once, Victor. Maybe she still does.”
Victor sighed but nodded. “I’ll get started on the custody arrangements. But Ethan, this won’t be easy. Ella’s been through a lot, and she won’t trust you easily not after everything that’s happened.”
Ethan nodded, his resolve hardening. “I know. But I have to try. For my kids and for Ella.”
As Victor left to prepare the legal documents, Ethan stared out the window, his heart heavy with the weight of his mistakes. He had to fix this he had to win Ella back, no matter what.