Chapter 6 - The Stripping of Titles
The ballroom exploded into frantic, muted murmurs. Investors who had been chatting with Ethan minutes ago suddenly took three steps back, completely isolating Ethan and Vanessa in the center of the hall.
"No... no, that's impossible," Ethan stammered, shaking his head frantically as cold sweat broke out across his forehead. "Her last name is Carter! We've been married for five years! She never mentioned... she never said..."
"She kept her mother's maiden name to see if you were marrying her for who she was, or for what she owned," Mr. Hayes stated calmly, taking a step toward Ethan. "And for five years, she begged me to give you promotions, to trust you with regional divisions, to give you a chance to prove yourself."
Ethan turned to Elena, his eyes wide with desperate terror, his hands trembling violently. "Elena... baby... please! You know I love you! I was just stressed! Vanessa meant nothing to me! She tricked me!"
"Ethan!" Vanessa shrieked, looking at him in utter betrayal. "You told me you hated her! You told me she was a penniless nobody!"
"Shut up, Vanessa!" Ethan screamed back, completely losing his mind as his carefully crafted life crumbled around him. He fell to one knee in front of Elena, trying to reach for the hem of her gown. "Elena, please! Remember our vows! We can fix this! Don't let your father do this to me!"
Mr. Hayes stood between Ethan and his daughter like an impenetrable wall.
"Ethan," Mr. Hayes commanded in a calm, lethal voice that left no room for negotiation. "Hand over your corporate access ID badge right now."
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Key object in hand: Ethan reached trembling fingers inside his tuxedo jacket, pulling out the gold-embossed executive access card that granted him control over the company's central servers, legal accounts, and boardrooms.
👉 Read Part 7 to see the hidden trap Elena set for Ethan's offshore accounts!
