Chapter 4: The Dissolution
The silence that followed was absolute.
Victoria laughed, a high, brittle sound that lacked any real amusement. "You’re hysterical. You’re having some sort of pre-wedding meltdown because of a ghost from your past. Think about the contracts, Ethan. Your firm's expansion into Miami depends entirely on my father's permits."
"Let it burn," Ethan said flatly.
He reached down, gently scooping Lily up into his arms. The little girl instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her small, tear-streaked face resting right against his collarbone. She didn't know who he was, but she recognized the safety of his warmth. With his other hand, he reached down and pulled Rosa to her feet.
"Ethan!" Victoria shrieked, her elegance completely evaporating. "You are ruining everything over a bastard child and a kitchen maid!"
Ethan turned around, his eyes flashing with a cold, corporate fury that had broken far more powerful people than Victoria Haynes.
"The ring," Ethan said, pointing to her finger. "Leave it on the piano."
"The security detail at the gate will escort you out in fifteen minutes."
May you like
"If you or your parents are on my property by sunset, I will personally pull every line of credit your father's firm has in the state of Connecticut."
Victoria stared at him, realizing for the first time that the cold billionaire she thought she had tamed was a man she had never truly understood. With a sob of pure rage, she tore the five-carat diamond from her finger, slammed it onto the glossy black wood of the grand piano, and stormed out of the parlor, her heels clicking violently down the hall until the heavy front door slammed shut.
