Chapter 6 - The Fugitive Billionaire
Ethan cursed under his breath as the radio broadcast repeated the damning lies.
Vivian was framing him for a murder he did not commit to ensure the entire state hunted him.
He quickly pulled the cruiser off the main highway and drove into a dense industrial park.
He parked the stolen car behind an abandoned warehouse to hide it from passing patrols.
"We cannot use this car anymore," Ethan told Claire, turning off the engine.
Claire pulled her knees to her chest, her breathing becoming rapid and shallow.
"They are going to lock me in a room again," she panicked, tears finally spilling from her eyes.
"Nobody is ever going to lock you up again, I swear my life on it," Ethan said fiercely.
He pulled a burner phone from his emergency kit and dialed a heavily encrypted number.
Marcus, his head of private security, answered on the first ring.
Ethan gave Marcus their coordinates and ordered him to bring a clean extraction vehicle.
They sat in the dark warehouse for forty agonizing minutes, waiting for rescue.
Claire traced the invisible scars on her wrists, her mind still trapped in that bedroom.
Ethan watched her, an overwhelming sense of guilt eating away at his conscience.
His family had caused her suffering, and he was going to spend his entire fortune fixing it.
A sleek black armored SUV quietly rolled into the warehouse lot.
Marcus stepped out, wearing full tactical gear and carrying a large metal briefcase.
"Sir, the police are setting up roadblocks on every major highway," Marcus reported.
"Get us to the city safehouse, we need to go to war with Vivian Ashford," Ethan ordered.
They climbed into the back of the SUV, and Marcus sped away into the night.
Once they were safely on the road, Marcus unlocked the metal briefcase.
"I accessed the Hale Infrastructure archives like you asked, sir," Marcus said.
He handed Ethan an old, yellowed birth certificate and a sealed corporate trust document.
Ethan opened the file and felt the blood drain entirely from his face.
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Claire Bennett did not just inherit the Ashford estate.
The documents proved she was the secret, majority shareholder of Hale Infrastructure, making Ethan her legal employee.
