Chapter 4 - The Power Play
Ethan’s heart slammed against his ribs.
He had calculated every detail. The medical charts, the chair, the exact angle of his slump. But he had forgotten his shoes.
He stared down into Clara’s wide, questioning eyes. She was a nurse. She knew exactly what paralyzed feet looked like. They didn't scuff soles.
“Margaret polished them yesterday,” Ethan lied smoothly, though the words tasted like ash. “She used a wire brush to get mud out of the seams from before the accident. It ruined the leather.”
Clara didn’t blink for a long moment. She looked at the shoes, then back at him.
“I see,” she said softly.
She stood up, smoothing her scrubs. She didn’t push it. But the warmth in her eyes had retreated, replaced by a quiet, calculating observation.
Ethan hated himself.
That night, Vanessa threw a dinner party downstairs. She claimed it was to "reassure the board," but the music thumping through the floorboards sounded like a celebration.
Ethan sat in the dark in his bedroom, staring at the ceiling.
The door creaked open. It was Toby.
The little boy padded in wearing dinosaur pajamas, holding a piece of heavy construction paper. He climbed onto the edge of Ethan’s bed without asking.
“My mom is crying in the bathroom,” Toby announced plainly.
Ethan sat up, the charade momentarily forgotten. “Why?”
“She said she made a mistake trusting someone again.” Toby pushed the paper into Ethan’s hands. “I drew this for you. To make you feel better.”
Ethan turned on the bedside lamp. It was a crude crayon drawing of a man in a wheelchair, but he was wearing a superhero cape. Next to him was a little boy with a compass.
“Thank you, Toby,” Ethan said, his throat tight.
Suddenly, Margaret burst into the room. She looked pale.
“Ethan, I’m sorry to intrude, but you need to see this.” She held up an iPad. “Vanessa left her tablet on the kitchen counter. Messages kept popping up. I shouldn’t have looked, but...”
Ethan took the tablet.
The messages were from Marcus Sterling, his rival and the most aggressive member of Hale Meridian’s board.
Marcus: The papers are ready. Once the doctor signs the affidavit declaring him mentally and physically unfit, power of attorney transfers to you.
Vanessa: The wedding is off. I want the estate and his voting shares. Make it happen tomorrow.
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
It wasn’t just a bad relationship. It was a hostile takeover.
May you like
“Where is Vanessa now?” Ethan asked quietly.
“In the study,” Margaret whispered. “With Dr. Mercer.”
