Chapter 5 - A Deceptive Game of Tears
The puzzle pieces snapped together with terrifying clarity.
Julian Mercer hadn't resigned out of grief or career changes; he had coordinated with Vanessa from the very beginning. They had targeted Ethan when he was at his most vulnerable, broken by Clara’s sudden battle with aggressive cancer. Vanessa had fabricated her entire backstory of being Clara’s old acquaintance to gain entry into the Vance household, establish an emotional dependency with Ethan, and position herself to seize Clara’s multimillion-dollar trust fund.
Ethan snapped high-resolution photos of every single document, every bank slip, and the incriminating photographs with his phone. He meticulously placed every folder back in its exact position, wiped the lock keypad clean of fingerprints, and silently locked the door.
He had to be smart. If he confronted Vanessa right now in a blind rage, she would call Julian, shred financial trails, destroy offshore accounts, and claim domestic dispute defenses through high-priced defense attorneys. She had abused Lily. She had planned to rob his daughter’s legacy. She deserved absolute, catastrophic ruin.
Ethan descended the stairs and walked back into the main living room.
Vanessa was waiting for him by the fireplace. She had changed her strategy completely. Her hair was down, her makeup freshly touched up, and she held a box of tissue in her lap, looking the picture of a devastated, remorseful partner.
"Ethan..." she whispered, her eyes brimming with theatrical tears as she looked up. "I can't sleep. I’ve been sitting here crying, realizing how horribly I handled things tonight."
Ethan kept his expression unreadable, leaning against the archway with his arms crossed. "Have you?"
"Yes," Vanessa sniffled, walking toward him with her head bowed. "I let my stress get the better of me. The wedding preparations, managing this huge house, trying to be the perfect stepmother to Lily... I broke down. When she spilled the drink, I became frustrated. I made her clean it because I wanted her to learn, but I went way too far. Making her mop the foyer was cruel, and I hate myself for it. Please, Ethan... can you ever forgive me?"
She reached out, attempting to place her delicate hand on Ethan’s chest.
Ethan looked down at her hand, feeling an overwhelming revulsion that required every ounce of his willpower to suppress. Instead of pushing her away, he gently caught her wrist—not roughly, but with enough firmness to make her pause.
"We both need to think about what's best for Lily," Ethan said, his voice flat, perfectly ambiguous. "I was shocked by what I saw tonight, Vanessa. But I know this transition hasn't been easy on anyone."
Vanessa let out a breath of relief, believing her manipulation had worked. "Oh, Ethan, thank you! I promise I will make it up to Lily. Tomorrow, I’ll take her shopping, buy her any dress she wants, take her out for ice cream—"
"No," Ethan interrupted smoothly. "Tomorrow, Lily and I are going to my sister’s house in the countryside for the weekend. We need some fresh air. You stay here and finish organizing the wedding paperwork."
May you like
Vanessa’s eyes lit up with predatory excitement. "Of course! Yes, take the weekend. I’ll make sure all the financial documents and the trust amendments are completely organized for the lawyers on Monday."
"Good," Ethan said with a cold, ghost of a smile. "Make sure everything is in order, Vanessa. Because Monday is going to be a day none of us will ever forget."
