Ethan's POV: Ethan’s DilemmaI stare at my father for a long moment, the words hanging in the air like smoke. He’s calm, as always—too damn calm for my liking. The old man has this way of making everything seem like it’s already set in stone, like I don’t even get a say. He’s the one who built the empire, who carved out a legacy that I’m supposed to carry on, but sometimes I wonder if I’m just the heir to his plans, not a man in my own right.“Who is she?” I ask, my voice low, not bothering to hide the frustration I can’t quite keep down.He leans back in his chair as if he's been waiting for me to ask that question. Of course he has. “Her name is Sophia Greenwood.” He says it like it’s supposed to mean something to me.Sophia Greenwood. I’ve heard the name. Her father’s got his fingers in a lot of pies—real estate, tech startups, and a few other things I won’t get into, but he is ranked Number one (1), in the world and I’m guessing that’s why my father wants to partner with him, for
As I stepped into Ethan's office, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness about our upcoming trip to Italy. Earlier that morning, I had shared the thrilling news with my closest friends, Mia and Alex, about the monumental project that would take me abroad. "I'm telling you, guys, this is a game-changer for my company," I explained over coffee. "We're on the cusp of going global. Our brand will be recognized internationally, and our reach will expand exponentially." Mia's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I hope you won't forget about us little people when you're a global mogul." I chuckled, feeling grateful for their unwavering support. "Of course not, Mia. You'll always be my go-to crew." Alex, ever the practical one, asked, "So, how long will you be away?" I hesitated, considering the timeline Ethan and I had discussed. "Not too long, I promise. I'll be back before you know it." Mia and Alex exchanged a knowing glance, and I could sense their quiet pride in m
By the time we arrived at the De’Lanor Hotel, the streets of the small Italian town were bathed in the soft glow of midnight. The boutique hotel was as elegant as I had imagined, its classic façade adorned with ivy and softly lit lanterns. Ethan and I walked into the sumptuous lobby together, both feeling quite weary after the arduous trip.The receptionist smiled at us with an exhausted but gracious mouth. "Good evening. Welcome to De’Lanor Hotel. May I have your name, please?"Ethan Gray," he answered (his tone steady into the night of the hour)," he said.The receptionist entered into her computer and then frowned a little. "Ah, yes. We have your reservation here, Mr. Gray However..."Ethan’s brows furrowed. "However?"She glanced up, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "It seems there was an error in the booking. We only have one room reserved under your name.""What?" Ethan and I said in unison, our voices rising slightly"I deeply apologize for the inconvenience," she continued
lThe morning breeze drifted through the hotel’s dining terrace, carrying the scent of fresh pastries and espresso. Rachel and Ethan sat at a table overlooking a charming courtyard, where vines climbed the walls and birds chirped softly. It was serene, far from the chaos of the previous night but Rachel’s mind was already racing with business ideas. "Alright," Rachel said, pulling out her tablet and stylus. "We can use this time to finalize the presentation. I also want to review the designs again and.." Ethan held up a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Rachel," he said firmly, "we’re not diving into work today." She blinked, surprised. "What do you mean? This is why we’re here, Ethan. We have so much to prepare for " Ethan leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee leisurely. "And we will. But first, we’re taking three days to enjoy Italy before the madness begins." Rachel frowned, clearly taken aback. "Three days? Ethan, we don’t have time for a vacation!" “We do,"
Ethan slammed the door of their hotel room behind him. He tossed his phone on the table and paced the room. Rachel pulled out her laptop, her fingers trembling as she opened the video call app. I quickly sent out a text message. "We need everyone on this call. Now," she said, her voice sharp. ‘Who would have done thatEthan stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. "Do you think it’s someone on the team? That doesn’t sit right with me, Rachel." Rachel didn’t look up. "What else could it be? Designs don’t leak themselves, Ethan, especially when it's your team." The laptop screen blinked to life as Danny's face appeared, her expression already filled with concern. "What’s going on?" "Someone leaked our designs," Rachel said bluntly. Danny gasped. "What? How is that even possible?" "That’s what we’re trying to figure out," Ethan cut in. "Could it have been a hack? Or maybe someone accidentally forwarded something?" Liam joined the call next, his face groggy. "It’s three
Rachel sat at the small desk in their hotel room, her laptop open. The screen displayed their immediate team in a grid of video call windows. Ethan stood behind her, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “I don't think why my team will betray me now," Ethan said as the call kept ringing Rachel looked exhausted, her hair tied up messily. Ethan's face was tense, his jaw clenched. The IT manager, Greg, had just joined the call, blinking sleep from his eyes. Rachel wasted no time. "We’re not here to point fingers, but we need answers. Someone accessed the prototypes without authorization. We need to know who, how, and why." Greg adjusted his glasses nervously. "I’ve been reviewing the server logs since Danny alerted me. The unauthorized login came from an IP address in Europe. It wasn’t from anyone on the team... at least not directly." "Not directly?" Rachel asked, narrowing her eyes. Greg cleared his throat. "It could’ve been someone using stolen credentials. Or... someone
Rachel stood frozen in front of her laptop, staring at the breaking news headline splashed across the screen: “Star design set to reveal their latest project online" The color drained from her face as she read the subtext: Rumored to feature their prototype of the design. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, slamming the laptop shut. Ethan leaned against the hotel desk, arms crossed, his sharp gaze fixed on her. “This is it. They’ve taken the bait and want to claim it as theirs.” Rachel rubbed her temples, her mind racing. “They’re going to flaunt our work. And worse, they’ll beat us to the market. Everything we’ve worked for is gone.” Ethan straightened, his expression calm but determined. “Not if we outdo them.” Rachel turned to him, her tone biting. “And how exactly do we do that, Ethan? The launch is in a week. We’ve lost our key designs, and now you want to know what? Start over?” “Yes,” Ethan said simply, his confidence unwavering. Rachel gaped at him. “Do you hear you
The soft clink of espresso cups and low hum of conversation filled the small café in the heart of Rome. Ethan leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes studying the man across from him. Luca De Luca, with his slicked-back hair and easy smile, looked every bit the polished Italian businessman. “You owe me for this,” Luca said, stirring his coffee with a silver spoon. “If anyone finds out I told you…” “They won’t,” Ethan promised, keeping his tone steady. “Your name stays out of it.” Luca nodded, lowering his voice. “Strata’s CEO, Moretti, likes to keep up appearances, but his operation isn’t as flawless as it seems. Their Achilles’ heel is logistics. They’ve been having trouble meeting deadlines. Too many delays and missing shipments. It’s starting to hurt their reputation.” Ethan leaned forward, his mind racing. “And they’re hosting a big press conference tomorrow. If their designs are ready but they can’t deliver them on time…” “They’ll lose credibility,” Luca finished. “But
"Emerald Designs: The Rising Star Threatening Mavericks & Co." His forehead creased and his jaw clenched. The article detailed how this new brand had taken social media by storm, challenging the long-held dominance of Mavericks &Co. in the fashion industry.He tipped his cup to the floor and coffee flowed from it onto the desk. He didn't even bother to call any help without wasting a second, he called Greg and summoned his core team for an urgent meeting.---The meeting room buzzed with tension. Mark, Ethan’s father’s long-time friend, sat with a smug expression, leaning back in his chair as though he already knew how the meeting would end. Danny, the publicist, did a restless tap on her laptop as Liam crossed his arms inside and an inky frown screwed itself on his face. Greg glanced at Ethan, waiting for him to speak.Ethan entered the room, his presence commanding attention. His tie was slightly loosened a sign of the stress weighing on him. He dropped the tablet displaying the Eme
Rachel walked back and forth in the living room, just after putting the children to sleep. Her arms crossed snugly around her breast, her mind buzzing with anger and hurt. Ethan sat on the edge of the couch, his elbows resting on his knees, staring at the floor. The tension in the air was suffocating, both of them unsure of how to start the conversation that hung heavily between them.Rachel finally broke the silence, her voice trembling but sharp. “Do you even realize what’s happening, Ethan? It’s because of you. You've dragged me into this mess and now everybody hates me. Hundreds of thousands of people who don't even know me are calling me names, criticizing me for something, calling me names and a husband snatcher”Ethan’s head snapped up, his eyes filled with guilt. “Rachel, I know you’re hurt. I’m trying to fix this—”“Fix this?” Rachel cut in, her voice becoming hoarse in a round of pain-struck gestures as her hands shot to her waist. “You can’t fix this, Ethan. This is Sophi
Lying on her velvet armchair, Sophia read a book when suddenly her door opened loudly. Of course, she did not flinch, because she knew how Michael would burst into her room. He entered furiously but at the same time looked puzzled; his dark eyebrows knitted, his lips pressed in a thin line."You knew!" Michael spat, slamming the door shut behind him. "You knew those kids weren't mine, and you didn't think it was worth telling me?"Sophia calmly set her book on the side table, crossing one leg over the other, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she regarded him with an air of superiority. "And ruin the fun of finding out yourself? Where is the excitement in that?" she said in a tone full of mockery.Michael's jaw clenched, his fists at his sides. He stormed over to the liquor cabinet, yanked the door open, and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. He poured himself a glass with shaking hands, spilling a few drops onto the glass table.I should have known this was your doing, he grumble
Ethan sat at his desk, fingers beating on the wood veneer in some rhythmic way. Outside the heavy wood doors of his office, there was a soft hum of activity, but he focused only on the glowing screen of his laptop as he went through the drafts of the official statement Danny had made, his eyebrows furrowed.Danny knocked first, then entered, clasping a clipboard tightly against her chest. "Sir, Greg said he has something going on tracing the videos back to their origin, but it's taking him longer than anticipated. He needs more resources in order to speed up the process."Ethan leaned back in his chair; the leather groaned a bit as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Give him everything he needs, Danny. This is priority one. I don't care about how much it's going to cost or how many people he's got to bring on board-just get it done.""Yes, sir," Danny said with a nod, jotting a quick note on her clipboard. "And about the statement you wanted to release regarding the videos?"Ethan st
Rachel sat at the dining table and watched as the children dug into their pancakes, syrup dripping down their little hands, their giggles filling the room like a soothing melody that momentarily quieted the storm raging in her mind. Events of the past days had shaken her, but it was moments like these that made her feel back on solid ground. She absent-mindedly scrolled through her phone with one hand and sipped her coffee with the other, hoping to be distracted.Then she saw it-a headline with her name. Her heart dropped. Her fingers froze mid-scroll before she gained the courage to tap the link. Much to her surprise, the page came up blank. She refreshed it once, then twice. A wave of relief washed over her when she realized the content had been removed, no doubt due to Ethan's work. She inhaled deeply, but the weight in her chest didn't completely lift.Mom," Daniella's tiny voice broke into her thoughts, tugging at her sleeve. Rachel looked up at her daughter, who stared at her w
Ethan sat opposite the lead investigator at the police station. His fingers tapped impatiently on the edge of the desk, while his face screwed tightly, his jaw clenched down, and a thin furrow set between his eyebrows. A fact that Ethan had hardly slept well for days was aptly reflected in the dark circles hanging like bruises beneath his eyes."Mr. Carter," the officer started, his voice even but threaded with frustration, "we questioned every single protester. None of them met anyone directly. All they got were private messages-anonymous, untraceable."Ethan's eyebrows shot upwards while his lips pursed into a thin line. "Anonymous?" he repeated, his voice sharp. "You are telling me that somebody out there is running this whole mayhem from behind the scenes and you can't tell who?" The officer leaned back in his chair with steepled fingers. "Whoever is behind this knows what they are doing, and they covered their tracks well.Ethan blew heavily and massaged his temples. His face r
Above, fluorescent lights hummed softly above the police station-a very soft hum that did nothing to drown out the tension in the room. Ethan sat forward on the chair, his jaw clenched, his fingers tapping impatiently on the cold metal armrest. Across the table, a knot of protesters slumped, bravado drained from earlier posturing. They shifted under the officers' sharp gazes, their guilt across slouched postures and darting eyes.Ethan leaned forward, his dark eyes boring into them. "Who put you up to this?" he demanded, his voice low and steady, laced with steel.The protesters shifted uneasily, eyes darting about, their feet scuffling the tiled floor. Finally, one of them spoke-a young man with a scraggly beard-his voice quavering. "We don't know who it was. Somebody sent us money. Told us to, uh. show up and, you know, cause a scene."Ethan's brow furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. "And you didn't think to question it?" he snapped, frustration bubbling over. “You didn't
Rachel adjusted her blazer, the fingers trembling, as she stepped out of the cab. The soft click of her heels against the pavement was drowned by the chaos ahead: the normal entry building of her company now was a battleground. Protesters crowded the front entrance, their faces twisted in anger. Chants echoed through the street, accompanied by the sound of eggs splattering against the glass doors. Rachel froze for one second, her heart sinking as it finally registered. Her shoulders stiffened, but she forced herself to take a steady breath. “ You built this company from nothing,she reminded herself”. “You’re not going to let it crumble now.” Keeping her head low, she circled to the back entrance, her steps quick and purposeful. Her chest tightened with each step, the echoes of the protesters’ angry cries trailing behind her. As she slid into the building, the usual warmth of her office felt eerily cold. Donna, her secretary, was waiting at her door. Her face was white and her
Morning sun poured in through the windshield through the driver's side at times from the windshield when Rachel steered the car onto the street. They were in the back of the car and their discussions filled the car. Rachel smiled softly, glancing at them through the rearview mirror. Her chest filled with love, while listening to the song, as Daniella hummed, while Damian and Dante shared a secret in hushed tones.“Mummy, our class teacher told us that we are going to have parents day in school soon" Dante tells her after gossiping with his brother.“Really!" Rachel smiled as she stared at them through the mirror.“Yes" the voice of Damian filled the car with his joyful tone. “So you want me to come?" She asked them “Yes mama" Damian shouted.“Alright, don't strain yourself Damian" she said softly as he settled down quietly.When they got close to the school, Rachel observed a black SUV in close shadow behind her. She frowned, checking her rearview mirror again. Soon, another car joi