Chapter 2 - The Heir Revealed
The entire ballroom erupted into frantic, furious whispers as Daniel's devastating lie hung in the tense air.
I stared at the man I had mourned for over a decade, completely unable to process how he could be alive and standing in this room.
Walter Ashford's pale face instantly flushed with triumphant color as he realized he had found a way out of his humiliating wager.
He loudly ordered his private security guards to immediately arrest the fraudulent maid who had infiltrated his prestigious event.
Two massive men in dark suits immediately grabbed my arms, their heavy hands bruising my skin as they began dragging me toward the exit.
I struggled violently against their grip, screaming that Daniel was lying and that I had never taken a single penny of insurance money.
Vivian Ashford laughed a cold, mocking laugh, telling the guests to return to their champagne while the trash was taken out.
I looked desperately toward Luis, who was being forcefully pushed back into the kitchen by the aggressive catering manager.
Just as the security guards dragged me to the grand mahogany doors, Ethan stepped directly into our path.
His entire demeanor had shifted from a quiet, reluctant son to a man radiating absolute, terrifying authority.
He quietly commanded the guards to take their hands off me immediately.
The guards hesitated, looking nervously back at Walter for confirmation.
Walter angrily shouted at his son to step aside and stop embarrassing the family in front of Chicago's elite.
Ethan did not move a single inch, his dark eyes locking onto his father with an icy, unforgiving glare.
He pulled a small, black electronic keycard from his tuxedo pocket and held it up for his father to see.
Walter gasped, physically stumbling backward as if he had just been struck in the chest.
Ethan calmly informed the entire room that he had secretly purchased the majority shares of Ashford Tower that very morning.
He looked directly at the head of security and fired him on the spot for touching a guest without permission.
The guards immediately released my arms, stepping away from me in sheer panic as the power dynamic of the room entirely shifted.
Ethan reached out his hand, gently wrapping his warm fingers around my trembling wrist.
He told his father that if anyone was leaving the building tonight, it would be the people who forgot how to treat human beings with basic dignity.
May you like
As Ethan led me out of the stunned ballroom, Daniel blocked the hallway with a sinister grin on his face.
Daniel leaned in close and whispered that he already knew where my crippled mother lived, and he was sending his men there right now.
