Chapter 6 - THE GLASS CAGE
The Thornton estate was transformed for the Anniversary Gala.
Thousands of white roses were delivered,
and the air was heavy with the scent of lilies and expensive perfume.
It was a celebration of the company’s founding,
but everyone knew it was a stage for the succession.
Vivian had insisted that Ethan make an appearance.
“The investors need to see him,”
she said,
while the stylists dressed him in a custom tuxedo.
“They need to see he is alive.”
Ethan sat in his wheelchair,
his face pale but composed.
He had regained some movement in his arms,
but he was still unable to walk or speak clearly.
I wore a dress of midnight blue silk,
the Thornton diamonds heavy around my neck.
I felt like a puppet,
dressed up to play the role of the devoted savior.
As we were wheeled into the ballroom,
the music stopped.
A hundred pairs of eyes turned toward us,
filled with curiosity and judgment.
Jason stood at the center of the room,
holding a glass of champagne,
looking like the king of the castle.
“Ah,
the happy couple,”
he announced,
his voice echoing through the hall.
He walked over and leaned down to Ethan.
“You look wonderful,
cousin.”
“A bit quiet,
perhaps,
but wonderful.”
Ethan’s eyes flared with a hidden fire,
but he remained still.
I stepped forward,
my hand resting on the back of the wheelchair.
“He’s doing very well,
Jason,”
I said,
my voice ringing out.
“The doctors are amazed by his progress.”
“I’m sure they are,”
Jason smirked.
“Though I wonder if the investors would prefer a leader who can actually give orders.”
The room murmured with agreement.
I felt the weight of the ledger hidden in my small clutch bag.
I wanted to scream the truth,
but Ethan had told me to wait.
Not yet,
he had spelled out earlier.
The board meeting is the kill.
We moved through the crowd,
Ethan nodding to familiar faces,
while I played the part of the translator.
I felt a pair of eyes on us from across the room.
A woman in a red dress,
watching us with an expression of pure malice.
I recognized her from the photos in Ethan’s office.
Lydia,
his former fiancée.
She walked over,
her smile as sharp as a razor.
“So this is the girl who replaced me,”
she said,
her gaze raking over my dress.
“I heard you were a bargain,
honey.”
“A quick fix for a dying man.”
“He’s not dying,
Lydia,”
I said,
my eyes narrowing.
“And I’m not a fix.”
“I’m his wife.”
She laughed,
a high,
brittle sound.
“Wife?”
“You’re a placeholder.”
“Once Jason takes over,
you’ll be back in your rental house before the ink is dry on the divorce.”
Ethan suddenly reached out and grabbed my hand,
his grip firm and warm.
Lydia’s smile faltered as she saw the movement.
He looked her in the eye and gave a small,
deliberate nod.
It was a dismissal,
cold and absolute.
She turned and walked away,
her face flushed with anger.
“Thank you,”
I whispered to him.
He squeezed my hand,
and for a moment,
the gala vanished.
May you like
It was just us,
fighting a war in a house full of enemies.
