Chapter 8 - The Wedding She Thought Would Be Hers
Three months passed.
Marcus went to trial.
Grant faced multiple charges.
Elena’s name was cleared.
Daniel entered rehabilitation and slowly recovered.
My mother testified.
And Ethan dismantled nearly everything associated with the old family organization.
He sold the clubs.
Closed the illegal operations.
Turned legitimate businesses over to independent management.
Some people thought he had gone soft.
Others said he was afraid.
He didn’t care.
He told me only one thing mattered.
“Sophie should grow up never knowing what any of this used to be.”
Life began to feel normal.
Almost.
Then Elena knocked on my apartment door.
She held a white envelope.
“What’s that?”
She smiled.
“Something I never thought I’d see.”
She handed it to me.
Inside was a wedding invitation.
Her name was printed beside another name.
Noah Bennett.
I looked at her.
“You’re getting married?”
She laughed.
“This time to a man who isn’t secretly trying to steal a fortune.”
I hugged her.
“Good.”
Then she looked behind me.
Ethan was standing in the doorway.
“You’re late.”
“I had a meeting.”
“With whom?”
“A man who thought he could convince me not to buy the old theater.”
I blinked.
“You bought the theater?”
Ethan smiled.
“I bought the whole block.”
“Elena, your brother is insane.”
“He is.”
Ethan walked toward me.
Then he handed me a small box.
My heart stopped.
“Ethan.”
“Open it.”
Inside was a simple ring.
No giant diamond.
No extravagant display.
Just a beautiful gold band with a tiny stone.
“I don’t want to scare you with something dramatic.”
“You’re proposing?”
“Yes.”
Sophie crawled across the carpet, laughing.
Ethan crouched down.
She grabbed the ring box.
He laughed.
“Apparently she approves.”
I wiped my tears.
“Yes.”
Ethan looked up.
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
He stood.
Then I kissed him.
That should have been the end.
But that night, Daniel called.
His voice sounded urgent.
“Rachel, you need to hear this.”
“What?”
“I found another file.”
My blood chilled.
“What file?”
“The one my father kept hidden.”
Ethan took the phone.
“What does it contain?”
Daniel hesitated.
“A second trust.”
Ethan’s face changed.
“How much?”
“It’s not about money.”
“What then?”
“Names.”
“Whose names?”
Daniel whispered:
“People who helped build the network.”
Ethan looked at me.
“Are any of them still alive?”
Daniel answered.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
A pause.
“Your father’s only surviving partner.”
Ethan went still.
“Who?”
Daniel said a name.
Ethan dropped the phone.
I had never seen him look that afraid.
“Who is it?”
May you like
He looked at me.
“My grandfather.”
