Chapter 5 - The Truth Serena Tried to Hide
As Vance Global struggled, Serena returned.
She appeared at Ethan’s office with tears in her eyes and a designer handbag hanging from her arm.
“I heard you are having trouble,” she said.
Ethan did not look up from the audit reports.
“What do you want?”
“To help.”
He laughed bitterly.
“You do not help anyone.”
Serena’s face tightened.
“That is unfair.”
“Is it?”
She stepped closer.
“I loved you.”
“No,” Ethan said. “You loved being chosen over Maya.”
Serena went still.
Ethan continued.
“You knew I was married. You knew Maya was alone. You watched me lie about loving her in public, then came home with me afterward.”
“She knew what she was doing.”
“No,” Ethan said. “She trusted me.”
For the first time, Serena looked uncertain.
Then she pulled out her phone.
“I have messages,” she said. “Messages that prove some of those decisions were not yours.”
Ethan frowned.
“What messages?”
“Your father pressured executives to hide the overseas reports. He wanted the company to look clean before the aerospace bid.”
Ethan took the phone.
The messages were real.
His father had been dead for a year, but his influence remained everywhere.
The records showed that Ethan’s father had directed financial officers to bury safety warnings, delay inspections, and reward executives who remained silent.
Ethan had not personally ordered it.
But he had benefited from it.
And he had never asked enough questions to stop it.
He turned to Serena.
“Why are you giving me this?”
“Because I do not want to be blamed for everything.”
Ethan stared at her.
“You are not responsible for everything,” he said. “But you are responsible for what you chose.”
May you like
Serena looked away.
For the first time, neither of them had anyone else to blame.
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