Chapter 6 - THE REHEARSAL DINNER
By six o'clock that evening, the Callahan estate was bustling with quiet activity.
A private hair and makeup artist had arrived at my suite, sent by Ethan to prepare me for Elena’s rehearsal dinner at a high-end restaurant in downtown Chicago.
I wore a tailored navy silk dress that draped gracefully over my frame, paired with simple gold earrings. When I looked in the full-length mirror, I barely recognized the exhausted, desperate mother who had boarded that red-eye flight from LAX twenty-four hours earlier.
Downstairs in the grand foyer, Ethan was waiting for me. He wore a crisp black tuxedo, looking impeccably handsome and undeniably dangerous.
“You look breathtaking, Rachel,” he said softly, stepping forward to offer his arm.
“Are you coming with me?” I asked, surprised.
“If you will allow me the honor,” he replied, his dark eyes fixed on mine. “I believe it would be beneficial for your sister’s new in-laws to see who is standing behind you.”
The rehearsal dinner was held in a private dining room at an opulent steakhouse near the Magnificent Mile.
When Ethan and I walked through the double doors—accompanied by two discreet bodyguards who remained posted near the entrance—the entire room fell completely silent.
Thomas Miller’s father, a loud, arrogant man who had been mid-sentence while complaining about the wine list, froze dead in his tracks. His face paled instantly as his eyes landed on Ethan Callahan.
“M-Mr. Callahan,” the older man stammered, standing up so fast he nearly knocked his chair over. “What an... what an unexpected honor!”
Elena ran over to me, throwing her arms around my neck in a tight, emotional hug. “Rachel! Oh my god, you made it! And... how do you know Mr. Callahan?”
I looked across the room at Ethan, who was currently greeting the terrified Miller family with a smooth, terrifyingly polite smile.
“He’s... a friend,” I said softly, my heart fluttering in my chest.
Throughout the dinner, the entire atmosphere of the evening shifted dramatically. Thomas’s father, who had previously been condescending toward my sister’s modest background, suddenly couldn't stop showering Elena with compliments and promises of support.
Ethan sat beside me at the head table, quietly cutting my steak for me while I held a sleepy Sophie in my lap. He was attentive, subtle, and fiercely protective, making sure I wanted for nothing throughout the night.
As the dinner drew to a close, Thomas’s father leaned over to Ethan, whispering nervously. “Mr. Callahan, we are so honored by your presence. Is Miss Morales... a business partner of yours?”
Ethan set his glass down, his dark eyes locking onto the older man with lethal intensity.
“Rachel Morales is under my personal protection,” Ethan said clearly, his voice carrying across the quiet table. “And anyone who disrespects her or her sister disrespects the Callahan family.”
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The entire table held its breath. Thomas’s father nodded frantically, sweating profusely. “Understood, sir! Absolutely understood!”
I looked at Ethan, my heart pounding in my chest. He wasn't just paying a debt anymore. He was shielding me from a world that had spent years pushing me down.
