Chapter Eleven

The dim glow of Ethan's study lamp flickered, casting shadows over the scattered papers on his mahogany desk. Mia's hands trembled as she flipped through the pages of the leather-bound ledger. The ink had long faded, but the names, the dates, the amounts, they were still clear enough to break her heart.

Her mother's name was there. Repeatedly.

Alongside transactions linked to Blackwell Industries.

Blood roared in her ears.

"What the hell is this, Ethan?" Mia's voice came out hoarse, raw with disbelief.

Ethan sat across from her, his face carefully unreadable. His shirt, still stained from his wound, stretched across his tense shoulders. He didn't respond immediately, but the tightening of his jaw was answer enough.

Mia slammed the ledger shut. "You knew, didn't you? You knew my mother was involved with your father."

Ethan exhaled slowly, his fingers tracing the rim of his whiskey glass. "I found out after my father died," he admitted. "I didn't know how deep it went until now."

Mia let out a bitter laugh. "How deep it went?" She gestured at the ledger. "My mother was paid off, Ethan. My family…" Her throat closed up, the weight of it suffocating. "What did your father do?"

Silence.

Then…"He blackmailed them."

The world tilted.

Mia took a step back, gripping the edge of the desk. "Blackmailed them for what?"

Ethan's eyes darkened. "Your father…he was about to expose something. Something that would have destroyed Blackwell Industries. My father couldn't allow that."

The room shrank. The air thickened.

Mia's heart pounded as memories resurfaced…whispers between her parents, the constant fear in their eyes before the accident. Was it even an accident?

Her nails dug into her palms. "You mean your father had them killed."

Ethan flinched, and that single reaction sent ice flooding through her veins.

She took another step back. "Oh my God."

Ethan stood suddenly, wincing as pain shot through his wounded side. "Mia, listen to me"

"You knew all this time?" Her voice cracked.

His gaze was sharp, tormented. "I didn't know they were killed. But I knew my father ruined their lives. And I…" He swallowed hard. "I knew what it would do to you if you found out."

Mia's breath hitched. "And us? Was this…" She motioned between them. "Was this just another part of your father's legacy? Another manipulation?"

Ethan's expression darkened, his jaw clenching. "No." He took a step closer, voice low, rough. "You were never part of the plan, Mia."

Tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "You should have told me the truth."

Ethan's fingers curled at his sides. "And you would have walked away."

Her laugh was humorless. "You don't get to decide that for me."

A thick silence stretched between them.

Then before she could register it Ethan moved.

His hands caught her face, pulling her close. His lips crushed against hers, desperate, pleading. Mia gasped, her fingers clutching at his shirt, torn between pushing him away and holding on for dear life.

His warmth consumed her, the taste of whiskey and something inherently Ethan overwhelming her senses. But then clarity struck like a whip.

Mia shoved him back, breathless, hands trembling. "Don't."

Ethan's chest rose and fell heavily. "Tell me you don't feel this, Mia."

Her throat tightened. "I feel betrayed."

His expression twisted. "I never wanted to hurt you."

A choked laugh escaped her. "But you did."

Before Ethan could respond, Mia's phone buzzed. A new notification.

Her stomach twisted.

Unknown Number: You're running out of time.

An attachment.

Mia's breath caught in her throat as she clicked the video.

The screen lit up with a dimly lit room…a child's whimpering echoed through the speakers.

Oliver.

Tears streaked his small face as he sat on the cold floor, his hands tied in front of him. But what shattered Mia's soul was the blinking red light strapped to his chest.

A timer. Counting down.

Nicholas' voice crackled through the speakers. "Checkmate, Ethan."

Mia's world stopped.