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Chapter 7
Chapter 7
The rescue team hadn’t anticipated Ethan Wood’s level of desperation.
It took ten men, yet they still couldn’t hold him back.
He tore off his custom tuxedo and tossed it carelessly to the ground, charging headlong toward the inferno.
Before he could reach the front door, the second–floor balcony collapsed, crashing down right in front of him and blocking the only way into the house.
The camera was too far to capture his face clearly, but his agonized screams carried through the footage.
ace Sullivan! Grace! Are you in there? Say something!”
He kept shouting my name, over and over.
At first, his voice was clear, full of strength.
Then it grew hoarse, cracking with exhaustion, until even his breathing seemed to give out.
The fire crews did everything they could, but it wasn’t enough.
When the flames finally died down, the house was gone–reduced to nothing but rubble.
Much like our eight years together.
No amount of effort could rebuild what had been destroyed.
Paramedics tried to escort Ethan to an ambulance for treatment, but he stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the ruins.
“You took too long!” he yelled, his voice shaking with rage.
“My wife is still in there! Why aren’t you doing anything? Go find her! What are you all standing around for?”
“Go!”
The paramedics, used to distraught family members, remained composed.
“I’m sorry, sir,” one of them said carefully.
“This is a remote area, and the response time was delayed by traffic. We truly did everything we could.”
“But you’re injured, and it’s not safe for you to stay here. Please, let us take you to the hospital.”
“We’ll continue to search for your wife, and we’ll notify you immediately if we find anything. But… if the worst happens, you’ll need to stay strong and start making arrangements for her…”
Before the paramedic could finish, Ethan’s fist collided with his face.
“Don’t you
dare
say
that! Don’t you even think it!”
“My wife isn’t gone! She promised me–she promised she’d marry me today! That she’d be by my side for the rest of my life! What do you know?”
His furious, grief–stricken outburst brought back a memory from five years ago.
Back when Ethan’s company had just started gaining traction, I had attended a business dinner with him at a hotel.
Several middle–aged executives, emboldened by alcohol, began making inappropriate advances toward me.
One even went so far as to suggest that if I spent a night with him, Ethan’s contract would be guaranteed.
Ethan had worn the same expression then–one of unbridled fury.
Without a word, he punched the man in the face, sending blood streaming from his nose
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Photos, Lies, and Fire
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Chapter 7
The dinger ended in chaos,
Later, as I sat sobbing in our room, blaming myself for ruining his deal, Ethan came back with my favorite cupcakes and apologized.
He said it wasn’t my fault, that he should’ve been better.
“If I were more successful, they wouldn’t have dared treat you like that,” he said, his voice steady, his expression serious,
That night, as he held me close under the night sky, he whispered, “One day, Grace, I’ll make sure no one ever looks down on you again.
I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re not just a bargaining chip in my business.
You’re my reason for everything. You’re the love of my life,”
he had kept his promise.
But somewhere along the way, we lost each other.
Now, it seemed his reason for everything had shifted–to Madison and their unborn child,
On the screen, a white figure sprinted into view, rushing toward Ethan,
Madison threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably for the cameras.
Speculation rippled through the crowd, everyone whispering about their relationship,
Ethan’s face darkened,
Without a word, he shoved Madison away, his movements abrupt and cold.
He struck her flawless, perfectly made–up face with force, the impact resounding sharply in the stunned silence.
