MasukEthan
“How long?” I asked, my finger tracing the edge of the envelope.
“How long have you had this?”
Jane glanced at Reginald nervously and the latter avoided her gaze.
“How long, Jane?!” I bellowed angrily, causing her to tremble in fear.
“I’m-I’m sorry Master Ethan, I didn’t know how to tell you. I found the letter about a month ago in Ms. Young’s room.” Aunt Jane said quickly and breathed out as if a heavy load had been lifted from her chest.
A soft scoff escaped my lips. It took a while to process what she had said. I couldn’t believe it, I didn't want to. This entire time, I imagined the worst had happened to her, but it turned out she wasn’t lost, she just didn’t want to come back to me. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks as a wry smile parted my lips.
Slowly, I tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter, my heart beating faster as I unfolded it.
“Ethan, I’m sorry I have to say goodbye this way. You deserve more than a piece of paper, but it’s the only way I can get you to stop looking for me. The truth is I’m not lost, at least not anymore. I’ve loved you since the moment we met, but I got scared towards our marriage. You are perfect, but that perfection scared me because it reminded me I’m not as special as you are. I’ve always lived in the shadows of your greatness and deep down I guess I always knew I would get lost in that shadow if we got married, and I want my own life, I want to be seen and known for the person I am.
The funny thing about life is that it always finds a way to make everything work together for good. I didn’t want to leave you standing there alone on the altar that day, but I was kidnapped and it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. It stopped me from making a mistake because I would have married you and lost myself, but instead, I ended up meeting Michael. We fell in love, and I just knew I had to stay away because if I came back, you never would have let me go. I’m sorry things ended up this way.”
I crumpled the paper as I finished reading, my chest tightening in anger. Her departure shattered my heart, filling me with deep betrayal and loss. It felt like I had lost her all over again, only this time, the pain and anger I felt was more.
A few months after she disappeared, I combed through every city trying to find her. At first, I was worried about her safety, but that feeling had soon been replaced with something else – hate. I hated her for leaving and wanted to find her, not because of love but because I wanted her to suffer. However, despite my attempts to find her, somehow she always managed to be elusive. Now I knew why.
As her words replayed in my mind, I started to feel more irritated, and my hatred for her intensified.
‘She left me for a man that kidnapped her?!’ I groaned inwardly.
“Ethan…” Reginald’s voice filtered into my ear softly.
“Are you…”
“Don’t say it.” I growled softly, my chest rising and falling in anger.
“Don’t you dare say it!” I repeated, furrowing my brows in irritation. Her betrayal stung deep and cost me even more.
“My father suffered a stroke because she chose not to show up for our engagement party! I had to oversee all the activities of this company, losing every other aspect of my life because she felt threatened by my greatness?!”
“Well, I didn’t ask for it!” I snapped irritably.
“I didn’t ask for any of this. She did this to me! She made me lose myself in my work just so I could not feel her absence so much, and I tried.” I growled, stomping my feet in frustration.
“I tried to bury my emotions behind a pile of paperwork, winning over any small or major business, dominating the business world with my cutthroat ruthless deals, just so I wouldn’t have to be consumed by her absence, only to find out that she left me on our engagement day for someone else.”
Reginald gasped in shock, not knowing what to say.
Clenching my fist in anger, I stormed away wordlessly, not bothering to look back.
My head was still spinning from her letter, as I rejoined Clint at the car.
“Drive,” I instructed coldly.
“Everything okay, Master Ethan?” Clint asked, raising his brow with concern.
“Just drive!” I blurted in anger.
“I need to find her,” I added vaguely.
Clint turned and entered the car, glancing at me through the rearview mirror as he ignited the engine, “Where exactly are we heading to?” He asked cautiously.
“The nightclub, Earthly Paradise,” I answered leaning back on the car seat.
I didn’t know why my mind called for her now, but I needed to see her again and didn’t know where else to find her. She reminded me of Lily but without the cold and unhinged cruelty. Even though we met briefly, Hannah was softer and more gentle. I realized now what I needed to do. If I had to get over Lily, I needed to replace her memories with someone new and leave the past behind. I needed someone new to focus on, someone to make me forget and finally fulfill my father’s wishes.
I had to make Hannah marry me.
Savannah“That you’re reviewing compliance structures.”“Good,” I said. “That buys us time.”Then I walked away from everything. By midmorning, the first push came from inside and Darren returned, this time accompanied by someone from legal. Polished in the way men became when they’d spent decades navigating boardrooms without leaving fingerprints.“Savannah,” he said pleasantly. “I’m Victor Hale. I represent several of our long-term partners.”I gestured to the chair. “Sit.”And he did, folding his hands quickly. “We’re concerned about recent operational interruptions.”“I’m not,” I replied. “They were necessary.”“Necessary is subjective,” he said smoothly.“Compliance isn’t,” I said. “It’s documented.”He smiled faintly. “We believe there may be misunderstandings regarding jurisdiction.”I leaned back when he said that and raised a questionable gaze. “Then clarify.”“Our partners operate offshore,” Victor said. “Certain flows fall outside domestic oversight.”“That’s a myth,” I rep
Savannah“That you’re reviewing compliance structures.”“Good,” I said. “That buys us time.”Then I walked away from everything. By midmorning, the first push came from inside and Darren returned, this time accompanied by someone from legal. Polished in the way men became when they’d spent decades navigating boardrooms without leaving fingerprints.“Savannah,” he said pleasantly. “I’m Victor Hale. I represent several of our long-term partners.”I gestured to the chair. “Sit.”And he did, folding his hands quickly. “We’re concerned about recent operational interruptions.”“I’m not,” I replied. “They were necessary.”“Necessary is subjective,” he said smoothly.“Compliance isn’t,” I said. “It’s documented.”He smiled faintly. “We believe there may be misunderstandings regarding jurisdiction.”I leaned back when he said that and raised a questionable gaze. “Then clarify.”“Our partners operate offshore,” Victor said. “Certain flows fall outside domestic oversight.”“That’s a myth,” I rep
Savannah“That’s funny. The way I see it I’m correcting inefficiencies,” I replied. “If that feels like poking, perhaps the structure is weaker than advertised.”There was a pause on that end and then he began again. “You’re interfering with agreements beyond your jurisdiction.”“I’m enforcing transparency,” I said. “Which is well within it.”“You don’t understand what you’re stepping into.”I leaned back in the seat. “I understand exactly. That’s why I stepped carefully.”Soon the silence stretched again.“You won’t be able to maintain this pressure,” the voice said. “The flow will resume.”“Not unless I allow it,” I replied calmly. “And I’m in no hurry.”I didn’t feel triumphant. That wasn’t the goal. This wasn’t about winning today. It was about forcing movement and mistakes.By mid-afternoon, Colleen reached out.“You’ve stirred something,” he said without preamble.“Good,” I replied. “I wanted a reaction.”“You’re accelerating timelines.”“Yes,” I agreed. “Yours too.”He exhaled
SavannahI didn’t strike the head first. That was the mistake everyone made. They rushed toward the center, thinking that was where power resides, forgetting that power only survives if it’s fed.So I went for the arteries, and by seven in the morning, I was already dressed and out the door, the city was still yawning and I drove with the radio down, letting the quiet sharpen my thoughts. The plan wasn’t complicated. It just required patience and precision, two things most people lost the moment fear entered the equation.The Benedicts had built their empire on distance, between themselves and the money, between themselves and the labor, and between themselves and the consequences. Offshore operators weren’t just a shield; they were a maze. And mazes only worked if no one mapped them.And so I parked three blocks from the site and walked the rest of the way with my heels steady against the pavement. The morning air smelled like rain that hadn’t decided whether to fall. I liked morning
SavannahI couldn’t sleep well that night. It was the kind of sleep where thoughts subside but never fully leave. Every time I turned, my mind rearranged the same pieces again and again. At long last, I woke before dawn and didn’t bother trying to fall back asleep. By the time the city began to stir, I was already dressed, coffee untouched on the counter. I stood there longer than necessary, staring at the dark liquid like it might tell me something new if I waited long enough. It didn’t. In fact, I was in a darker hole because Julian had called last night and I hesitated to answer.When I arrived at the site later that morning, the air felt different. People moved with more caution. Conversations cut short when I passed. That wasn’t paranoia. I’d learned the difference. Information was moving. There was a new gossip. Hopefully, this time, not about my hair.I called a quick meeting with two department heads to review delays. They arrived on time, polite, careful. Both Benedict-alig
JulianEven Evan had thought he was weak for being roped into the hole. “You weren’t,” I told him. “You were targeted.”That truth had been one he couldn’t accept easily. Not because it absolved him entirely, choices were still choices, but because it reframed everything. The addiction. The pressure. The silence. All of it had been exploited with precision.The weight of it pressed into our spine. “They didn’t pick us by accident.” “No,” Evan agreed. “They picked Dad first.”My jaw tightened as the overlaps reckoned even louder. “I recognize their strategy,” I said quietly. “They are cowards.”Our father had believed he was controlling the risk. Managing it. Using dangerous tools for acceptable gain. He hadn’t realized that the tools were sharper than he was, or that they never stayed in the hand that wielded them first. I thought, briefly, about confronting him. About demanding answers. But just as quickly, I dismissed it.Emotion was a liability right now. And our father was still p







