Chapter 6 - The Aftermath
The days following the board meeting were a whirlwind. News of Daniel's arrest and Vanessa's disgrace spread like wildfire through the business world and the tabloids. Headlines blared about betrayal and revenge, about the crippled billionaire who had fooled everyone and reclaimed his empire.
I was suddenly everywhere—on the cover of business magazines, interviewed on morning shows, celebrated as a genius strategist who had outwitted his enemies. People who had avoided me just weeks before were now clamoring for my attention, for a piece of my success.
But I had no interest in the spotlight. I had no interest in the parties and the galas and the congratulations. I only wanted one thing.
Clara.
She had become my anchor in the chaos. When the world was shouting my name, she was the quiet voice that kept me grounded. When the weight of running a billion-dollar company threatened to crush me, she was the one who held me up.
We tried to be discreet at first, to keep our relationship hidden from the prying eyes of the press and the gossipers. But it was impossible. We were too much in love, too eager to be together after months of secrecy.
The paparazzi caught us one afternoon, walking hand in hand in the park. The photos were everywhere by evening—Ethan Hale, the hero of the business world, with his new girlfriend: Clara Bennett, the maid who had stood by him when no one else would.
The reaction was mixed. Some people called it a fairy tale, a modern Cinderella story. Others called it a scandal, saying I was just rebounding from Vanessa, that Clara was just another gold digger.
But we didn't care. We had been through too much to let other people's opinions matter.
My father, for his part, couldn't have been happier. He invited Clara to dinner at the house, treated her like family, even asked her to call him "Dad."
"I always knew you had good taste," he told me over dinner one night, winking at Clara. "Even if it took you a while to see what was right in front of you."
Clara blushed, but she smiled and squeezed my hand under the table.
But not everyone was happy for us.
Vanessa, in particular, was furious. She had lost everything—her fiancé, her social status, her chance at wealth and power. And she blamed Clara. She blamed her for "stealing" me, for "manipulating" me, for being the reason her plans had failed.
She called the house repeatedly, leaving angry, threatening messages. She tried to file lawsuits against me, claiming I had defrauded her, that I had manipulated her emotionally. All of them were thrown out of court, but she kept trying.
And then, one day, she showed up at the house.
I was in my study, going over some company reports, when the housekeeper called to say Vanessa was at the front door, demanding to see me.
"Tell her to leave," I said.
"She says she won't," the housekeeper said, her voice worried. "She says she's not leaving until she talks to you. And... and she says she has something that belongs to you."
I sighed. "Fine. Bring her to the study. And have Marcus wait outside."
A few minutes later, the door opened. Vanessa walked in, and I barely recognized her. She was wearing clothes that looked like they had been slept in, her hair was unkempt, and her eyes were red and puffy. She was a shadow of the elegant, confident woman who had once sneered at me in my wheelchair.
"Ethan," she said, her voice cracking. "Thank you for seeing me."
"What do you want, Vanessa?" I asked, not looking up from my papers.
"I want to apologize," she said, walking closer to the desk. "For everything. For what I said. For what I did. I was wrong. So wrong."
I looked up at her. "Is that all?"
"No," she said, tears streaming down her face. "I also... I want you to know that I still love you. I never stopped loving you. Daniel... he manipulated me. He made me do those things. If I had known you could walk—if I had known it was all an act—"
"You would have kept pretending to love me," I interrupted. "You would have kept cheating on me with Daniel. And you would have kept waiting for your chance to take what's mine."
She shook her head violently. "No! That's not true! I love you, Ethan. Only you. And I know you still love me too. That girl—Clara—she's nothing. She's just a maid. She can't give you what I can give you. Status. Prestige. A family that—"
"Get out," I said, my voice cold.
"Ethan, please—"
"I said get out."
She stared at me, and then her face hardened. The tears stopped. The vulnerable mask slipped away, and I saw the real Vanessa underneath. Angry. Bitter. Vengeful.
"You'll regret this," she said, her voice low. "You think you've won? You think you can throw me away for a servant and there won't be consequences? I'll destroy you, Ethan. I'll destroy both of you. I'll make sure that little gold digger wishes she had never set foot in this house."
"Get her out of here," I said to Marcus, who had been standing by the door.
He stepped forward and grabbed her arm. She struggled, screaming insults, as he pulled her out of the room. The door closed behind them, and I was left in silence.
I picked up my phone and called Clara.
"Are you okay?" she asked, sensing my tension immediately.
"I'm fine," I said. "Vanessa was here. She's gone now. But Clara... she's angry. She's dangerous. I want you to be careful. Don't go anywhere alone. Always have security with you."
"I'm okay, Ethan," she said gently. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can," I said. "But I don't want to take any chances. Not with you."
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That night, I held Clara close in my arms, and for the first time in weeks, I felt afraid. I had won the company. I had won my freedom. But Vanessa was still out there, wounded and angry, and I knew she wouldn't rest until she had hurt me in the worst way possible.
And the worst way possible would be to hurt Clara.
