Chapter 3: The Price of Pride
Vivien’s face turned an ugly, mottled red. The mask of high-society elegance slipped entirely. She slammed her espresso cup down onto the marble island, shattering the delicate porcelain.
"How dare you!" she shrieked. "You were nothing but a rough-necked south-side thug when I found you! I gave you status! I put you on the board of the Symphony! If you break off this engagement, the Ashford family will pull every line of credit our banks hold with Cole Freight. I will ruin your company by Monday morning!"
Ethan looked down at the broken porcelain, then back up at the woman he had almost married. He felt an overwhelming wave of relief. The cage was open.
"The Ashford banks hold exactly twelve percent of our capital loans, Vivien," Ethan said smoothly. "I transferred our primary treasury accounts to a private boutique firm in New York two weeks ago. You can’t touch my company. Now, take your ring off my nightstand, pack your bags, and get out of my penthouse."
Vivien stared at him, realizing she had completely lost her grip on the man she thought she owned. With a choked scream of rage, she stormed down the hallway, slamming the bedroom doors so hard the glass fixtures in the kitchen rattled.
Ethan took a deep breath, feeling lighter than he had in years. He turned to Rosa, who was holding Lily tightly against her hip, looking terrified that she was about to be fired.
"Rosa," Ethan said softly.
"Mr. Cole, I will pack my things immediately," Rosa whispered, her eyes downcast. "I shouldn't have let her listen..."
"Rosa, stop," Ethan said, walking over and gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're not fired. In fact, I want to double your salary. And Lily..." He looked at the little girl, who was now smiling through a face sticky with strawberry yogurt. "Lily gets whatever toys she wants for the rest of the year. You two saved my life today."
Two hours later, Vivien Ashford left the penthouse with three matching leather suitcases, leaving her six-carat diamond ring thrown carelessly onto the floor of the foyer. She didn't look back.
May you like
But as Ethan stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching her car pull away into the busy Chicago traffic, his phone buzzed. It was his chief operating officer, Marcus.
"Ethan, we have a massive problem," Marcus said, his voice panicked. "The Ashford Group just initiated a hostile corporate smear campaign. They’ve leaked doctored audio files to the Chicago Tribune claiming you’ve been falsifying shipping manifests and bribing union officials. The board is calling an emergency meeting in one hour to vote on your removal as CEO."
