Chapter 7 - The Intruder
Ethan did not wait for the elevator.
He sprinted down four flights of stairs and ran out into the pouring rain.
He jumped into his Mercedes and sped toward Brookline.
Madison was not just trying to ruin his career.
She was invading his home.
He pulled into his driveway and noticed the front door was slightly ajar.
Ethan pushed it open, stepping quietly into the dark foyer.
“Madison?” he called out, his voice echoing in the empty house.
There was no answer.
He walked into the kitchen and found the ultrasound picture torn into pieces on the marble island.
Beside the torn picture was Norah’s wedding ring, exactly where she had left it.
“You really ruined everything, didn't you?” Madison’s voice floated from the living room.
Ethan turned to see her sitting in his favorite leather armchair.
She was sipping a glass of his expensive bourbon.
“Get out of my house,” Ethan demanded, his fists clenched.
Madison laughed, a harsh, grating sound.
“It’s not your house anymore, Ethan.”
“The feds will seize this property by Friday.”
“Why are you doing this?” Ethan asked, completely broken.
Madison stood up, her playful demeanor vanishing instantly.
“Because ten years ago, your firm aggressively bought out my father’s company.”
“You dismantled his life’s work, fired him without severance, and he took his own life six months later.”
Ethan stared at her in horror.
He remembered the buyout.
It was the aggressive deal that had earned him his partnership.
“You destroyed my family,” Madison whispered.
“So I decided to destroy yours.”
She walked toward the front door, leaving her glass on the table.
“Enjoy the silence, Ethan.”
She walked out into the rain, leaving him entirely alone.
Ethan sank to his knees in the middle of the kitchen.
He had traded his perfect wife and his children for a woman who despised him.
He looked up at the counter and noticed a thick manila folder tucked beneath the coffee machine.
It had not been there yesterday.
He pulled it out and opened the cover.
Inside was a document signed by Norah, dated three days ago.
It was a forensic accounting report, detailing exactly how she had quietly moved all of her assets out of his reach.
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But on the last page, there was a handwritten note from Norah.
Ethan read it, and his heart completely stopped.
