Chapter 7 - THE BROTHERS DIVIDEDNathan ordered everyone out of the room except Ethan.
The door closed behind Vanessa and Damian.
Nathan walked toward the fireplace.
“Do you want my job?” he asked.
Ethan was stunned.
“This is exactly what she wants.”
“Answer me.”
“No.”
“The board has approached you before.”
“They asked whether I would serve temporarily if you resigned.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said no.”
Nathan faced him.
“You never told me.”
“You were already under pressure.”
“Or you were waiting.”
Ethan shook his head.
“Vanessa is using your fear against you.”
Nathan laughed bitterly.
“My fear?”
“You’re terrified of losing the company because you’ve already lost Caroline.”
Nathan’s expression changed.
Ethan knew the words had hurt him.
But Nathan needed the truth.
“You made a mistake,” Ethan continued.
“You betrayed your wife.”
“But guilt is not the same as responsibility.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you are allowing Vanessa to control you because you think suffering proves you are sorry.”
Nathan looked away.
Ethan placed the envelope containing the pin on the desk.
“Have it tested yourself.”
Nathan did not touch it.
“Why would Vanessa fake a pregnancy?”
“To obtain voting control through the trust.”
Nathan turned sharply.
Ethan showed him the hidden clauses.
He explained Damian’s connection to Vanessa’s public relations firm.
He explained how Damian had arranged their first meeting.
Nathan read the documents in silence.
His face slowly lost its color.
Then the office door opened.
Vanessa entered without knocking.
She carried a small medical monitor.
“I wanted to end this,” she said.
She placed the device on the desk.
A rhythmic heartbeat filled the room.
Nathan froze.
Vanessa pressed the sensor against her stomach.
The sound continued.
“There,” she whispered.
“That is your child.”
Nathan stared at Ethan.
The doubt in his eyes disappeared.
Vanessa smiled through tears.
Ethan examined the monitor.
The heartbeat was too steady.
It did not change when Vanessa moved the sensor.
He had heard enough medical recordings to recognize a loop.
But proving it would require opening the device.
Vanessa turned it off before he could reach it.
Nathan pointed toward the door.
“Leave.”
Ethan gathered the documents.
“When the truth comes out, remember that I tried to warn you.”
Nathan’s voice broke.
“Get out of my house.”
Ethan left.
As he crossed the front hall, Vanessa followed him.
She waited until Nathan could no longer hear.
“You should have stopped with the pin,” she said quietly.
Ethan faced her.
“What are you afraid I’ll find?”
Vanessa stepped closer.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you threatening me?”
Her smile returned.
“I’m not threatening you.”
She lowered her voice.
“I’m warning you that people who challenge me lose more than arguments.”
Ethan opened the front door.
“Then you should be very worried.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not trying to win an argument.”
May you like
He looked at her false belly one final time.
“I’m going to prove everything.”
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