Chapter 5: Her return

| A YEAR LATER |

The hall was a lavish venue, buzzing with the presence of elites from different industries, all attending the Sterling Foundation Charity gala. Expensive suits, designer gowns, and billion-dollar reputations filled every corner of the room.

Yet among all the influential guests in attendance, one man effortlessly overshadowed the rest. At the far side of the venue stood Ethan, alone, detached from the crowd but impossible to ignore.

Not only because he's the owner of one of the most powerful companies in the country, but also because he's the most charming and handsome man in the hall.

His mere presence commands attention, drawing glances and hushed whispers. Yet, he stood mindlessly, intimidating, effortlessly dominant, carrying the kind of authority that made even the wealthiest guests think twice before approaching him.

‘ I guess this is it.’ Ethan said in his mind, staring at the picture on his phone.

It was a drawing of a necklace. The same one he drew years ago—the one from the fire incident.

After the fire, only he remembers one thing from the girl who saved them, and that was the necklace, but there was no use keeping it now, since they found her, the girl who saved him and Nathaniel.

He clicked on the delete icon and was about to press 'confirm' when Nathaniel walked up to him, stopping him at the moment.

“ You're here,” Nathaniel said as soon as he got to his front.

Ethan drew in a sharp breath, locked his phone, and casually dipped it into his pocket.

“ I thought you were not coming.”

Ethan looked at him, eyes sharp and cold.

“ I'm curious about how it'll go. How perfectly well you want to deceive everyone.” He replied, voice calm but rigid.

Nathaniel inhaled shakily. “ I'm doing this for us..”

“ For us?”

“ You care about my Dad's company too, don't you? This company means a lot to me, to you, to everyone, and it's failing..”

“ And you think the only way out is by deceiving everyone? Lying and collecting their money?” Ethan's brows furrowed in irritation.

Nathaniel swallowed, he adjusted his suit while curling his fingers, pretending he was not fazed by Ethan's judgmental glare.

“ What I'm doing is for the best, I need to convince the investors, and I need money to do that.”

“ I said I would give it to you.”

Nathaniel’s jaw clenched. “ Why would I need your money? You think I can't get back on my feet without your help?”

Ethan's shoulders loosened in disbelief.

Nathaniel knew and had heard it countless times that Ethan was better than him, no matter what he did or how he did it, it always looked like he would never be better than Ethan. And that? That pisses him off more than his offer.

“ You're my brother, Nathaniel..”

“ Baby.” Sophia's voice interrupted just then.

The two brothers turned to see her elegantly dressed in a blue dress, the crystals sparkling through the night light.

“ Sophia,” Ethan mumbled.

“ Hey, Ethan.” She grinned, getting to their side and locking arms with Nathaniel. “ Good evening.”

“ Evening,” Ethan mumbled.

“ Sorry, for interrupting you guys, I was just wondering where my baby was.” She apologized, smiling so innocently.

“ It's alright. I'll leave you guys..”

“ No, no, no, you don't have to, now that I've found him, I would…I have friends to say hi to, so I would just leave you guys.” She said, quickly stopping him.

“ Thanks, Sophia, I will join you soon,” Nathaniel said with a softened voice and pecked her lips.

“ Sure babe.” She smiled back, taking a glance at Ethan and winking her brow before walking away.

She swayed her hips exaggeratedly as she could feel their gazes behind her.

But before she left, Ethan noticed something on her, something that made him turn to Nathaniel with a look of disappointment.

“ She's wearing a ring, Nathaniel.”

“ Yes. I proposed to her.”

“ And your wife?”

“ She left, remember? We're divorced.”

“ Did you ever bother finding her? You said she has nowhere to go.”

“ What do you expect me to do? Force her to stay? I didn't even know she was going to sign it, and I..” He paused, eyes batting as he swallowed.

He was shocked when Daniel returned with the divorce papers that day. But even with that, he kept believing she would come back home. She was probably using it to threaten him.

Only that she never did. She never came home. And he never saw her again.

Even to this moment he still hasn't changed the house password, and her belongings are still where she left them.

He let out a long exhale.

“ It's not my fault she left.” He said. “ Sophia means so much to me, she saved my life..”

“ Our lives,” Ethan corrected, hands fisting in his pockets, “ And I'm also grateful to her, would forever be, but that doesn't mean you have to marry her, what about your wife?”

“ Ex-wife.” He cut in, getting irritated and eyeing him suspiciously. “ And whatever I choose to do is none of your business.”

‘ Why is he so fixed on this? He's not probably thinking of having Sophia, is he?’ Nathaniel frowned at him.

But Ethan pulled back, his gaze dropped as he remembered her desperate cries.

He's never been able to forget it. How she pleaded with him to save her baby that day.

He had gone back to visit her when he heard that she was conscious, but upon arriving, she was already gone.

‘ I hope she's okay.’ He muttered in his mind, unable to take it off, the fact that Nathaniel told him that she had no family, or anywhere to go. ‘ Hopefully she…’

The sudden rupture of murmurs interrupted his thoughts.

He and Nathaniel turned instinctively, to see everyone staring towards the VIP door that was left closed, but now opened.

It was the private entrance reserved for the evening's most important guest.

The guest everyone had been waiting for.

But the person walking through the door wasn't a man.

It was a woman.

Conversations died one after another. Glasses paused halfway to lips. Every gaze in the room was fixed on her as she stepped into the hall with effortless grace.

The lights caught against the silk dress draped around her figure.

Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

And somehow each step seemed louder than the last. Calm and calculated like every step into the hall had its meaning.

The room held its breath.

Her expression remained calm. Unhurried. Untouchable. Like she belonged above every billionaire and executive gathered beneath that roof.

But just then, Ethan saw her face and his breath caught instantly.

His entire body went rigid.

He recognized her instantly, before anyone else.

Memories flashed across his mind—her plea—the blood—her tears.

“ Skyler.” He muttered her name.