Chapter 14%
The night should have been a victory for me
After Richard’s press conference dismantled Trisha’s lies and restored my reputation, I should have been celebrating. The weight that had been crushing my chest for weeks should have lifted. But instead, I found myself sitting alone in my dressing room, rubbing my temples, exhaustion settling deep in my bones.
A knock came at the door.
Before I could respond, it swung open.
Ethan stepped inside, his presence filling the room like an unwelcome storm. He shut the door behind him and turned the lock, a deliberate, calculated move that sent a shiver of unease down my spine.3
He leaned against the door, his dark eyes roaming over me as if he had every right to be here. His confidence was infuriating, his arrogance suffocating.
I scowled, my patience already wom thin. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took slow, measured steps toward me, his gaze unreadable
“I have a proposal,” he said at last, his voice smooth, but laced with something dangerous.
I crossed my arms. “Not interested.”
His lips curled into a smirk. “You haven’t even heard it yet.”
I scoffed, already knowing whatever he was about to say would be nothing but a manipulation. “I don’t need to. Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying.”
He let out a low chuckle and took another step closer. “Claire…” His voice dropped lower almost intimate. “Come back to me.
My entire body tensed. For a moment, I wasn’t sure if I had heard him correctly.
I blinked, trying to process the absurdity of his words. “What?”
His confidence never wavered. He moved closer, closing the distance between us.
“I know I messed up.” he continued, his voice deceptively soft. I know I hurt you. But I never stopped loving you “3
A sharp, bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “Loving me? Is that what you call it? You threw me away like I was nothing.”
His expression hardened for a moment, but he quickly masked it “I never wanted Olivia,” he said. “It was my parents‘ decision. They forced me.“”
My stomach twisted with disgust. “And you let them. You let them destroy me. You stood there and did nothing while they tore my life apart.“!
His jaw tightened, but he forced a smile. “That’s why I’m here now, I’m done listening to them. I want you.”
My pulse pounded in my ears. The sheer audacity of this man was staggering.
I lifted my chin, my voice steady. “I would rather die than go back to you.”
Ethan exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple as if he were the one suffering. Then, he met my gaze, and a slow smirk crept onto his face.
“Till give you back Liam.”
The words slammed into me with the force of a wrecking ball.
I froze. My breath caught in my throat. My heartbeat roared in my cars.li
“What did you just say?”
e had
His smirk widened, knowing he had my attention now. “If you come back to me, I’ll make sure you get Liam. We can be a family again.“2
A family.
He was insane.
I walked up to him, keeping my expression calm–too calm. Then, without hesitation, I raised my hand and struck him across the face l
The sharp sound echoed through the room!!
Ethan’s head snapped to the side, but he didn’t react. Instead, he let out a low chuckle. “Still got that fire, huh?”
Rage simmered in my veins. My hands clenched into fists. “I will never forgive you.”
His smirk faded, replaced by something darker. “For what? Leaving you? You left me too-”
I slapped him again. Harder this time. “You’re the reason why my mother died.”
His patience snapped.
Before I could step back, he grabbed my wrist, his grip bruising. His breathing was heavy, his eyes burning with something unhinged. “Your mother died because of her own health problems, Claire. Stop blaming me for something that wasn’t my fault.”
Something inside me shattered I
I yanked my arm back, shaking with rage.
“Not your fault?” My voice came out as a whisper, but it was laced with fury.
Memones I had buried deep came rushing to the surface.t
fury. “Not y
your fault?*%
My mother, lifeless in a hospital bed
The beeping of machines fading into silence
My screams echoing down the hall.
1 let out a bitter laugh “You actually believe that, don’t you?”
I didn’t give hem time to respond. I slapped him a third time, harder than before. My palm stung, but I welcomed the pain
Ethan snapped
Before I could step away, in golibed me again 1).
And then he kissed me froze in shock.k
This wasn’t love. It wasn’t remorse. It was a power move, a desperate attempt to assert control
I struggled, shoving at his chest, but he was strong, Hin grip lightened, his desperation palpable. But I wasn’t weak. Fury exploded
I raised my knee and drove it between las legs.
Ethan let out a strangled gman, stumbling backward, his face contorted in pain.#
“You bitcly” he wheezed, doubling over
I smirked, my voice dripping with mock innocence. “Oops.
Before he could recover, the diessing room door slammed open
His expression was murderous.
In a flash, he grabbed my arm and yanked me behind him. His entire body radiated danger.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Lucas growled, his voice low and lethal..
Ethan, still recovering, let out a bitter chuckle. “Relax. Just having a conversation”
Lucas’s fists clenched. “A conversation?” He tumed to me, his eyes sharp. “Did he touch you?
I wiped my lips aggressively. He tried,”
Lucas went still i
His breathing turned ragged. His entire body stiffened with barely restrained fury. I saw the exact moment he lost control. He lunged. I grabbed his arm before he could land a punch. “Luens, don’t.”
His jaw tightened, his muscles locked with tension. But he listened. He didn’t spare Ethan another glance. Instead, he took my hand. and pulled me out of the room without a word.
The car ride home was silent)
Lucas gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. His entire body was coiled with rage, but he didn’t speak.
I watched him carefully. “You’re mad “)
He exhaled sharply, his jaw tight. “Mad doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
I sighed, looking out the window. “He’s desperate.”
Lucas let out a bitter scoff. “Desperate men do stupid things.”
I turned to him, my voice softer. “He said he’d give Liar back if I returned to him”
Lucas’s grip on the wheel tightened. “And you considered 117
I frowned “Of course not. But I can’t just sit here and do nothing, Lucas. They’re turning my son against me.“X
He tapped his fingers against the wheel, deep in thought. “Then we hit them harder “W
I shook my head. “It’s not that simple.”
Lucas finally looked at me, his gaze burning with something unreadable.
“You trust me, right?“))
I hesitated for a moment. Then, I nodded
“Then let me handle thes,” he said, his voice firm “Ethan, Olivia, Trisha, the entire Caldwell family. I’ll make them pay for what they did to you”
I stared at him, my heart pounding #
For the first time in a long time, i fell
