Whispers rippled through the crowd. The gossip mill churned. “Her dad’s a sleazeball. He practically lives at that club!” “Really? How do you know?” “My family owns part of the club. He’s a VIP! And get this, his mistress, Chloe’s mom, was a student his wife was sponsoring. They were hooking up for years!”
Chloe’s face turned green. Glancing at Ethan’s equally unhappy expression, she forced a smile. “Ethan, honey, don’t listen to them! Dad was probably just… overworking! I’ll go check on him!” She rushed out with the driver.
I exchanged a look with Ethan and raised my
glass to him, draining it in one gulp. I’d quietly
acquired 80% of the club Dad frequented.
Slipping something into his drink had been
easy. Liam was conveniently “out of town,” and
I had “disappeared.” Chloe was left to deal with
<
Mrs. Parker called Chloe, gently reminding her
that the Parkers had a pristine image to uphold.
Marrying a gold digger was already pushing it.
If her father caused a scandal, the wedding was
off.
Panic set in. Chloe had worked hard to snag
Ethan, even forgoing a prestigious college to
stay in the city with him. She wouldn’t let her
father ruin everything.
When Dad woke up, Chloe was there, forbidding
him from going back to the club. Dad sneered.
“Chloe, you think you can boss me around just
because you’re marrying a Parker?” He
smashed a glass at her feet, shards cutting into
her skin. “Get out! You ungrateful brat! My life
is none of your business!”
Chloe was thrown out. A heavily made–up
woman smirked and entered the room. Moans
and grunts soon followed. Chloe closed her
eyes, took a deep breath, and made a call. “I
10:46
<
1000
(
414
need to buy something,” she whispered. “Something that… makes people disappear quietly.” She grabbed her purse and left.
I was in Liam’s office at the company. Chloe’s words came through a bug planted in her purse. Liam and I exchanged a smile. Three years of
waiting, and it was finally time.
Two months later, Dad died of a “brain
hemorrhage,” leaving his vast fortune to his three adult children. Surprisingly, his will split
his shares evenly between Liam and Chloe. The media went wild, speculating about family feuds
and betrayals. Then, a former employee
accused the company of tax fraud and
embezzlement, demanding an audit. The IRS,
taking it seriously, shut down the company. The
stock plummeted. Chaos reigned. I,
conveniently, “vanished” again.
Chloe, terrified, turned to Liam. “Do something!
We can’t lose everything!”
<
Liam Trowned. I don’t nave enougn snares to
control the company. We’re vulnerable.”
Chloe hesitated. She knew if she gave Liam her
shares, he’d have 80% control. She was
reluctant, but she had no other options. Ethan
put his arm around her.
“Chloe, honey,” he murmured. “Give your brother the shares. He’ll fix this. He’s a good man. He won’t hurt you. And even if he fails… the Parkers will always take care of you.”
Chloe’s eyes flickered. She relaxed. “Okay,” she whispered. “I trust Liam.” She turned to Ethan,
a forced smile on her face. “But if he fails,
Ethan, honey, you have to take care of me
forever.”
Ethan smiled, a chillingly handsome smile. “Of
course, my love.”
Chloe signed over everything – her inherited
shares and even the shares that belonged to
Mom. Ethan, to show his solidarity, threw Chloe
a lavish 19th birthday party at the Parker
mansion. Chloe, now Ethan’s devoted fiancée,
became a media darling. Grateful, she shared
—
Dad’s antique collection with Ethan priceless
pieces, some of them. The media gushed about
their love story.
I sat in the R&D department at the company,
watching Chloe’s beaming face on TV, and
switched it off. The nervous department head
watched me. I said calmly, “Let’s run another
test. This product needs to be perfect before
we relaunch. I appreciate your hard work. Your
bonuses will reflect that.”
The IRS audit found nothing. The former
employee confessed to making false
accusations out of spite. Liam, with 80%
control, stabilized the stock. Then, the company
released a teaser for a revolutionary new
product. The stock began to climb.
<
Chloe, drunk at the company’s “comeback”
party, missed the product launch. She didn’t see
me, the “missing” Ashley, on stage as the
presenter. I’d spent the last month working with
the R&D team, perfecting the product. In a
sharp suit, hair pulled back, I presented the
product flawlessly, answering every question
with confidence and charm. The media loved
- me.
