The news of Chloe’s arrest raged for three
days. The Williams family, trying to control the
damage, contacted Ethan. Sitting at his desk,
he listened to their pleas, then smiled.
“Touching story. But this decision rests with my
fiancée.”
My dad and his wealthy wife turned, their faces
paling at the sight of me. I smiled. “You two
should start preparing. You’ll be joining her
soon.”
Ethan held a press conference, clarifying his
relationship with Chloe. When questioned, he
smirked. “Fiancée? I never said she was. I was
talking about the woman who took care of me.”
A reporter asked, “But didn’t she do it for
Chloe’s money?” Ethan’s smile vanished, his
eyes turning cold. “Be careful what you say.
There are plenty of rich people. Why did she
only accept money to take care of me?
Because she loved me.” The reporter fell silent.
So did I.
<
84
After the conference, I released the recordings of Chloe’s offer. “A blind guy, a discarded heir? Who would want to take care of him?” “She barely raised me, why should I pay for her funeral?” “Do you think I’d stay and live in your pathetic poverty?” Public opinion exploded. “I thought she was supposed to be this classy actress?” “So they’re sisters, and she asked her to impersonate her!” “Wearing designer clothes, but won’t pay for her own mother’s burial? Disgusting…”
Riding the wave of public outrage, I held a livestream, revealing the truth about twenty
years ago. “Ms. Williams wanted my dad. Instead of being honest, they framed my mom,
branding her a prostitute, ruining her life.”
Behind me stood a nervous man with a buzz
cut. I’d tracked him down through a journalism contact. He had a history of petty theft. “Ms.
Williams hired me. Ms. Taylor was innocent. She
was tricked into attending a party, got drunk,
<
and I put money under her pillow.” Ms. Williams
had called the police. My mom was arrested
before she even sobered up. “Even now, it’s
easy to ruin a woman’s reputation with false
accusations. Imagine how much easier it was
back then. I chose journalism not just for this
case. I’ll dedicate my life to clearing the names
of women falsely accused.”
- 18.
The livestream was the final blow to the
Williams family. Their corrupt dealings, under
scrutiny, finally caught up with them. “It wasn’t
me supporting them. It was my half–brother,”
Ethan explained. “Just some business
collaborations. Easily severed. No impact on
me.”
Relieved, I submitted all my evidence to the
police. Thanks to Ethan’s clean break after
taking over, he remained untouched.
The day the Williams empire crumbled, I took
Elhan to visit my mom’s grave. Her photo on The tombstone was gentle, but tinged with
sadness, She’d been a kind, fragile women,
Truly in love with my dad, never recovering from the betrayal,
“Before she died, she held my hand, telling me not to blame Chloe. She said my sister wasn’t a real Williams, and it must be hard for her there.” She didn’t know Chloe had gained favor
by belittling her, securing her place in the
Williams family by stepping on her own mother’s grave,
I traced the photo on the tombstone. “Mom, no
one will ever think you were wrong again. I have
a great career, and a boyfriend-
Ethan corrected me softly, “Fiancé,”
“…Right, fiancé,” I twisted the silver ring on my
finger, matching Ethan’s. I’d hidden it away
after leaving, thinking I’d never wear it again. I
adjusted the flowers, bowed my head, and
turned, Ethan was looking at me. “Anna, wait
<
3:36
The autumn night was cool. I waited. Ethan
returned, his coat damp with dew.
“What did you tell her?” I asked.
He started the car. “I told her thank you for
bringing you into this world. Otherwise, I would have died in that dark summer five years ago.”
- 19.
With the dust settled, I landed a permanent
position, even a promotion, handling interviews independently. My first case: a high school girl
bullied for a year by wealthy classmates, driven
to jump from the school roof.
“Those families are powerful. No one can touch
them,” my boss said hesitantly. “You don’t have
to take this…”
“I’m taking it.” I grabbed the file. “I’m
developing an anti–bullying campaign. I’ll send
you the proposal this afternoon.”
It was time to use Ethan’s influence. The
Г
interview and subsequent campaign kept me
busy for weeks. I barely saw Ethan. He’d send
twenty texts before I could reply with an emoji
between checking public sentiment reports and
grabbing a bite.
One night, he promised a surprise, urging me to
come home. I opened the door. Stars filled the
night sky. In the steamy room, he sat propped
against the headboard, gazing at me intently.
“Anna, you’ve been neglecting me.” I stared
until the powerful Ethan Hayes blushed. I tossed
him my camera strap. “Put this on.” My voice
was hoarse from the day’s work. “I’m
showering.”
Ethan obeyed. I emerged with damp hair, and
he’d prepared everything. A single lamp glowed,
moonlight spilling into the room, unable to
dispel the heat. “Anna, kiss me.” “You’re too
tense.” “Let me out…” There was no hesitation.
Every word was a seduction.
Dewn was breaking when we finally collapsed.
I remembered something. “Next month, I have
an out–of–state assignment. A young girl in a
rural area, repeatedly assaulted by villagers.
She walked all night to reach a town and
contact me. It’s remote, with powerful local
figures. It’ll be difficult, so I’ll be there a while.”
His hand tightened on my back. “It’s
dangerous.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged, lighting a cigarette, seeing
his unwavering gaze. “I’ll be careful. But this is
our duty as journalists.”
Ethan was silent for a moment. Then, “I’m
coming with you.”
“But you have an important meeting next
week?”
“It can wait.”
“Why? It’s not necessary–mmmph—” I started
to argue. He silenced me with a kiss, trailing
down to my neck. His voice was hoarse.
“Because I am your most loyal guardian. You
pursue your ideals. I’ll protect you.”
