“So, tell me,” I said, staring at him, my eyes glistening with curiosity.
Ethan smiled. “A very important person owed me a favor. When Rose called, I decided to cash it in,” he said.
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Who is this very important person who could easily turn a death sentence into nothing?” I wondered aloud.
Ethan chuckled. “That’s my little secret,” he teased, and I smiled.
“But,” he added, “it wasn’t exactly changed from a death sentence to nothing. Someone else took the blame.”
My eyes widened, and I shot him a sharp glance. “An innocent man took the blame for you? That’s not fair!” I scolded.
“I wouldn’t call him innocent,” Ethan replied casually, his tone so nonchalant it made me roll my eyes.
“I thought you said you’ve changed,” I huffed, folding my arms across my chest.
“I have changed,” Ethan insisted, but I just rolled my eyes again.
“Then tell me exactly what happened,” I demanded, noticing he was only giving me snippets of the story. My eyes stayed fixed on him, waiting for the truth.
“Why don’t I show you?” he said, pulling out his phone and turning on the news. I glued my eyes to the screen, listening to the report.
“Just in, the case of trillionaire Ethan Marcel has taken a drastic turn. Mr. Marcel has been exonerated of all claims, as it appears he was under blackmail.”
The anchor went on to explain that Ethan had been blackmailed by the older brother of his former assistant, whom he had dismissed after a sexual harassment claim. As I listened, only one person came to mind.
“But is this true?” I wondered aloud.
Ethan chuckled. “What do you think?” he teased, his eyes glinting with amusement.
I paused, trying to make sense of it. Could it really be true? “You were blackmailed?” I asked, still unsure.
He chuckled again, shaking his head. “Of course not. Do you believe everything you see on the news?” he teased, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. How could I have been so stupid? Of course, I knew it wasn’t true.
“So, who’s the so-called blackmailer?” I muttered, more to myself than to him.
“Keep watching,” Ethan urged, his tone almost playful.
“The accused has been found guilty of blackmail,” the anchor continued, “and despite Mr. Marcel’s refusal to press charges, the state has still handed down a sentence. Mr. Wayne Bruce has been sentenced to five years in prison.”
My heart stopped when Wayne’s face flashed across the screen. I turned to Ethan, my pulse racing. “Is this real? Some kind of AI trick?”
Ethan chuckled again, more softly this time. “It’s real.”
I shook my head, unable to comprehend it. “But Wayne is dead,” I said, my voice a whisper as I recalled Christof’s words. “You killed him.”
Ethan smiled calmly, taking the phone from my trembling hands. “I made sure to prepare this, just in case you didn’t believe me, or forgive me.”
He pulled up a video, and my breath hitched when Wayne’s face appeared.
“Hello, Emily,” Wayne greeted with a wide grin, his voice light as if he were having a casual conversation. My eyes widened in disbelief.
“I know you’re wondering if I’m real or a ghost,” he said with a laugh, and I nodded dumbly, feeling like a fool. “Well, I’m real; flesh and blood.” He pinched his arm, wincing dramatically. “Okay, I don’t know why I did that. It’s not like it proves anything,” he said with a laugh, and I heard Ethan’s chuckle in the background.
“Either way, I’m alive, healthy, and happy,” Wayne continued. “I’m sorry I caused a rift between you and Ethan. He’s really not a bad guy. Please forgive him.”
I squinted at the screen, my heart filling with suspicion. “Is this real?” I asked again, for what felt like the hundredth time. “Did Alpha make this?”
Ethan shook his head. “It’s real. Wayne is very much alive.”
“If it’s real,” I pressed, my voice hardening, “how did you get him to vouch for you and go to jail? You said you changed, Ethan.” I could feel the disappointment rising in my chest, threatening to spill over. Had he really been manipulating people all along?
“I didn’t get him to. He offered,” Ethan said, his tone more serious now.
I raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “He offered to go to jail for you?” I scoffed. I didn’t believe a word of it.
“I promise you, it’s the truth,” Ethan replied, his voice firm, almost pleading for me to believe him.
“Then explain it to me,” I demanded, my patience wearing thin. “How?”