Meanwhile, across town, Tania sat in the dim light of her living room, staring at the untouched tea in front of her. She hadn’t felt well since the earlier incidence. A cold sweat clung to her skin, her hands trembling. But she chalked it up to the stress, the fear that had gripped her heart ever since that encounter
“I’m not scared,” she muttered to herself, trying to push the sickness away. But her body disagreed. Every time she thought of Ethan, of how everything was slipping away, her head throbbed. The trauma, she told herself. It’s just the trauma of it all.
Ethan walked inside the house without looking at Tania, went upstairs to pack some of his and Grace’s things as he could not bear the thought of coming back and putting his daughter with the same roof with the woman who wanted her dead.
A creak from upstairs broke her thoughts, and she looked up as Ethan came down the stairs, carrying a suitcase.
“Ethan,” she called out weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. But he didn’t respond. His eyes remained forward, ignoring her completely as he moved to the door, his steps heavy and deliberate.
“Ethan, please… we need to talk about this. You can’t just leave.” Her voice cracked, desperation seeping in.
Ethan stopped for a moment, his hand on the doorknob, but he didn’t turn around. “There’s nothing to talk about, Tania. I’m taking some of Grace’s clothes. We won’t be back.”
And with that, he walked out, the door closing behind him with a finality that echoed through the empty house.
Tania’s hands clenched into fists as she watched him go. The sickness in her stomach only worsened, but she couldn’t let herself fall apart now. She needed a plan. She needed to regain control.
Ethan arrived at the small house he had purchased on the outskirts of town. It wasn’t large, but it was perfect for him and Grace a fresh start, away from Tania’s toxicity. The place was quiet, surrounded by trees and far enough from the chaos of his old life.
As he unpacked some of Grace’s things, his phone buzzed again. It was Tania, once more. He sighed, letting it ring. He couldn’t deal with her now. His focus was on Grace and ensuring that she was safe, that they were both free from Tania’s manipulations.
He sat on the porch, watching the sun begin to set. The peacefulness of the evening calmed him, giving him a moment to think about what life could have been like if none of this had happened if Tania hadn’t tried to kill Ella, if their lives hadn’t unraveled the way they did. But those thoughts only lingered for a moment. He had to focus on the present and on Grace.
Back in town, Rick and Derek were hard at work. Fred, Tania’s elusive associate, had disappeared. Every lead they had followed turned up cold, and neither of them knew exactly what Fred’s next move would be or what Tania had asked him to do.
“We need to find him,” Rick said, his frustration evident. “He’s the key to whatever Tania has planned next. If we don’t stop him, we’ll never get ahead of this.”
Derek nodded, his mind working through the possibilities. “We will. We just need to dig deeper. Fred’s careful, but no one can hide forever.”
Rick sighed, glancing at the files scattered across the table. “We don’t know his motive, though. Tania must have promised him something, but what? What’s his endgame?”
Derek’s expression darkened. “That’s what we need to find out. Before it’s too late.”
As they continued their search, they knew time was running out. Tania’s empire was crumbling, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. And Fred? He was the wild card in all of this a danger they couldn’t predict.
Tania’s breathing grew shallow as she sank deeper into the couch, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts that all led to the same inevitable conclusion: her world was falling apart. “How did it get to this point?” she thought, her nails digging into the fabric of the armrest. Everything she had meticulously built over the years the power, the influence, the control was slipping through her fingers like sand. She had always been the one in control, the one pulling the strings, but now, it was all unraveling, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she recalled the fear that gripped her earlier when Ella had nearly run her down. “Ella,” she whispered, her voice thick with venom. It was always her. From the moment she had reentered Ethan’s life, everything had started to crumble. Tania had been so close to having it all, and then Ella had come back like a ghost from the past, dragging all her secrets into the light.
Tania’s fingers trembled as she reached for her phone, scrolling through the messages she’d sent Ethan. Each one unanswered, each plea ignored. “He’s really leaving me,” she thought, a wave of nausea washing over her. She couldn’t believe it. After everything they had been through together, after all the lies she had spun to keep him by her side, he was walking away, taking Grace with him. That stung the most Ethan taking their daughter and running straight into Ella’s arms.
The betrayal seared through her. “He thinks he’s protecting Grace from me, but he has no idea what’s coming.” Tania gritted her teeth, her hands balling into tight fists. “I’ll get them back for this.” She stood up suddenly, pacing the room as her thoughts spiraled. Ella had already taken so much from her, her reputation, her stability, and now her family. But Tania wouldn’t go down without a fight. No, she’d make sure Ella and Ethan paid for this. She would hit them where it hurt the most.
Tania’s mind raced as she began plotting her next move. “If they think they can just walk away from me and live happily ever after, they’re dead wrong.” A twisted smile crept across her lips. She had always been good at playing the long game, and this time would be no different. She would hit them when they least expected it, and when she did, it would be devastating.
“Ella thinks she’s won,” Tania muttered, her voice laced with anger. “But I’ll show her. I’ll destroy everything she cares about. Ethan, the boys, her precious little family I’ll tear it all apart.” The thought fueled her, giving her the strength she needed to push through the fear that had been creeping up on her all day. This wasn’t the end for her not yet.
Her thoughts shifted to Fred, her elusive associate who had disappeared after things started going south. He had been her secret weapon, the man who knew too much, who had been her eyes and ears for years. But now, he was nowhere to be found. “Damn him,” Tania growled, slamming her fist on the table. Fred had always been loyal, but now, with everything falling apart, even he had turned his back on her.
But she wasn’t going to let Fred’s disappearance throw her off course. If anything, it only solidified her resolve. “I don’t need him,” she thought, her eyes narrowing. “I’ll do this myself if I have to.” The empire she had built over the years might be crumbling, but Tania wasn’t ready to let it fall just yet. She would find a way to rebuild, and in the process, she would crush anyone who stood in her way.
Sitting back down, Tania’s hands curled around the teacup in front of her, though she still hadn’t taken a sip. The steam had long since dissipated, the tea cold and forgotten, much like the remnants of her former life. But one thought kept her going, one burning desire that would drive her forward: revenge.
“I’ll make sure Ella and Ethan never find peace,” she vowed silently, her gaze fixed on the wall as if she could already see their downfall playing out before her. “They’ll regret ever crossing me.”
As the weight of her situation settled over her like a heavy cloak, Tania allowed herself to feel the anger, to embrace it fully. Anger was good. Anger was fuel. And right now, she needed every bit of it to stay afloat. Ethan may have walked out, Fred may have disappeared, and Ella may think she’s won, but Tania wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.
She glanced at her phone again, considering her options. There were still a few people she could call, a few favors she could cash in. It wasn’t over. She just needed to be smart, to be patient. “I’ve played the long game before. I can do it again,” she reminded herself. She could wait for the perfect moment, the perfect opportunity to strike.
“When the time comes,” she thought, her lips curling into a cruel smile, “I’ll be ready.”