Chapter 2 - The Fall of the Curtain
The silence in Hawthorne Hall was suffocating. Millions of viewers watched the live feed as Ethan stood frozen under the studio lights, the microphone still picking up his shallow breathing.
Claire did not shed a tear in front of the cameras. Her mother, Eleanor, gently took her arm, while her brother, Miles, stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Ethan with cold fury.
“Claire, let’s go,” Miles said, his voice quiet but commanding enough to cut through the quiet room.
Ethan finally snapped out of his paralysis. He took a hurried step down from the stage, nearly tripping over the microphone cord, his corporate composure completely shattered. “Claire, wait! This is a misunderstanding. The press—they’re blowing this out of proportion.”
Charles Beaumont didn't raise his voice. He simply held up a single hand, stopping Ethan six feet away. “Do not take another step toward my daughter, Ethan.”
“Charles, please,” Ethan stammered, looking frantically between the elder billionaire and the rolling cameras. “You don't understand the context. Sienna and I were just playing up the media angle for the Helix launch—”
“We are done here,” Claire said softly. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried across the entire front row of stunned board members and reporters.
She turned her back on her husband. Surrounded by her family, Claire walked slowly toward the private exits of Hawthorne Hall, her hand never leaving her unborn child.
Ethan tried to follow, but Miles blocked his path, whispering three words into his ear before turning away: “Check your stock.”
May you like
Behind Ethan, Sienna tried to touch his shoulder. “Ethan, babe, we should probably handle the press—”
Ethan whipped around, his face pale with sudden panic. “Get away from me, Sienna!” he snapped, pulling out his phone with shaking hands as the live broadcast abruptly cut to a commercial break.
