Part 5: A quiet haven under fire.

Part 5: A quiet haven under fire.

Three months passed in a blur of peaceful tranquility.

The Bennett estate in Big Sky, Montana, was a breathtaking sanctuary of wood, stone, and endless pine forests. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and clear blue skies, it felt a million miles away from the cold, ruthless world of Chicago high society.

My pregnancy was progressing smoothly. At six months, my baby bump was prominently showing, and for the first time in my life, I felt truly safe. Ethan worked remotely, spending his mornings managing the company from his study and his afternoons walking with me through the meadow trails.

Maria had come with us, becoming less of a head maid and more of a loving maternal figure in our small household.

However, the quiet peace was shattered on a Tuesday afternoon.

I was sitting on the porch sipping warm tea when Ethan’s chief security officer, Marcus, walked up the wooden steps, holding a tablet computer with a grim expression on his face.

"Mr. Ethan, Mrs. Lily," Marcus said respectfully. "We have a situation. Victoria has launched her counterattack."

Ethan stepped out onto the porch, taking the tablet from Marcus. I leaned over his arm to look at the screen.

It was a live broadcast of a major national entertainment talk show. Sitting on the couch in a sleek black dress, looking pale and frail, was Victoria Bennett. Tears were welling in her eyes as the talk show host held her hand with an expression of deep sympathy.

"He cut me off completely," Victoria’s recorded voice sobbed through the speakers. "My only son... brainwashed by a woman we barely know. She separated him from his family, stole his wealth, and when I went to reason with her, she had her security guards physically throw me out of the building. She even threatened to harm her own baby if Ethan didn't write the company over to her!"

I gasped, my blood running cold as I listened to her outrageous, inverted lies.

The host looked at the camera with outrage. "It is heartbreaking to see a loving mother treated this way by a gold-digging manipulator. The internet is demanding justice for Victoria Bennett!"

Comments were scrolling down the screen at a dizzying speed:

"What a toxic woman! Ruining a family for money!"

"Boycott Bennett Global until Ethan apologizes to his mother!"

"Protect Victoria!"

"She’s turning the entire country against you, Lily," Ethan whispered, his jaw tightening until a muscle leaped in his cheek.

"Ethan... the stock price of Bennett Global is already dropping," Marcus added quietly. "The board of directors is calling an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning in Chicago. They want to vote on removing you as CEO due to public moral scandal."

I looked at Ethan, my heart sinking. "She’s going to ruin everything you worked for..."

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Ethan looked down at the tablet, then looked at me. A slow, terrifying smile spread across his face—a smile of a man who had been waiting for his enemy to step directly into a trap.

"She thinks she’s playing chess," Ethan said softly, handing the tablet back to Marcus. "Marcus, call the news network. Tell them I will attend the board meeting tomorrow, and it will be broadcast live to the nation."