Chole charged at me, eyes wild, as if I were her prize. But I didn’t


    meet her halfway. I raised a single hand, palm outward, and she


    halted about three meters off, confusion flickering in her


    flushed cheeks.


    “You fucking stay back,” I hissed. It came out harsher than I


    intended.


    A tumble of words rushed around me–my parents whispering, aunts gasping–but I ignored them all. I stepped right past Chole into the heart of the room, illuminating the tension like a


    spotlight.


    “Amelia,” I snapped, voice trembling yet anchored in controlled fury, “what in God’s name made you go public with those lies


    against Olivia?”


    Amelia, cool andposed in her tailored suit, brushed <i>a </i>lock of hair behind her ear. She raised a single eyebrow. “Because Chole deserves her name cleared, and… frankly, this was for the good


    of everyone.”


    “For the good of who?” I spat. “You drag Olivia’s reputation through mud, manufacture evidence–fabricated messag staged photos–and you call it ‘for the good“?”


    “Ethan,” Bob intervened softly, stepping between us. “Emotions


    are running high-


    I cut him off. “They’ve destroyedherlife, Dad”


    Madeline shot me a furious look. “Then so be it! We lost


    everything–respect, standing. There are whispers now. What are you going to tell your friends? What about family legacy?”


    I took a breath. “I’m going to tell them the truth. She’s innocent. I married her, and I will not undo that because of your political


    theater!”


    Silence. Chole blinked and shrunk back, even as irritation red


    in her eyes.


    Madeline huffed. “You’re either with us or with her. We


    deserve loyalty.”


    I squared my shoulders. “I’m with Olivia.”


    Felix–Amelia’s younger brother–stepped forward, expression taut with frustration. “Ethan, you’re making things worse, man. She’s your wife… but you don’t know what this is doing to us. It’s toote. She’s probably moved on. This may be bigger than we


    can repair!“‘


    My breath hitched <i>at </i>his words. “Moved on?” I echoed. “Don you thinkIfeel that, too?”


    Felix pressed on, voice low. “You’re being irresponsible. You oweallof us an exnation. You’re our blood, brother. But you


    run off with Olivia, leave us behind,thenlet her drag us into


    public scandal?”


    “You thinkIdon’t know what’s on the line? You think I don’t know how this looks? She’s family–I married her; she’s been there for me when… when we needed each other most. You


    think I have blood on my hands?”


    I felt my voice crack. “You think I wanted scandal? You think I’d


    choose this?”


    Silence again. Even Amelia, the so–called architect of the


    statement, looked uneasy.


    Felix’s eyes softened a fraction, but his tone stayed clipped. “Honesty, Ethan. You need to own what you’ve done–if it was a mistake, say so. But to just dig in? You’re going to lose everyone. We can’t just lose our reputation because of you.”


    “I don’t care about y’all reputation,” I said quietly, voice firm despite everything. “I promised her I loved her. I mean it.”


    I returned to the table, straightened my spine, and looked each


    of them in the eye,


    “I’m not marrying Chole,” I said coldly. “But I’m still open t continuing the business partnership, as long as it remains


    separate <b>from </b>personal matters<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    The room turned ice–cold.


    “What did you say?” Amelia hissed, her wine ss trembling <b>in </b>


    her fingers.


    “I said what I said,” I replied, voice sharp and calm. “I’ll honor the


    contract–strictly on a business level.”


    “Are you insane?” Madeline Windsor exploded, rising from her


    chair. “You disgrace Chole, humiliate our family in public, and


    now have the audacity to act like you’re doing us a favor?”


    “Madeline, calm down-” Bob started, but she ignored him.


    “No, Bob. This boy needs to hear it. His little whore dragged our


    name through the mud. And now, with this scandal, we’ve lost face in the entire East Coast circle!”


    “Your family will disappear from New York,” snapped another


    Windsor uncle. “You think people will still want to partner with


    a name that’s been dragged through social garbage?”


    “I don’t care about the noise,” I said. “I’m not selling my life for


    your appearances.”


    “You think you’re untouchable?” Madeline seethed. “You may have inherited the Alpha’s name, Ethan, but you’re still just a pawn in this alliance. If you don’t marry Chole, there will be


    <b>consequences</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>


    <b>My </b>mouth twitched, but I held myposure.


    “I’ve faced worse,” I said tly. “And frankly, I’ve been <b>more </b>


    threatened by mosquitoes.“”


    “You arrogant-” Amelia started.


    Before she could finish, Felix’s secretary burst into the room,


    sweating and breathless.


    “Mr. Felix,” she said urgently. “We’ve just received a notice from


    Green Bank.”


    Felix stood up slowly. “What about it?”


    “They’ve frozen the second phase of the Hawthrone–Windsor project loan.”


    Everyone fell silent.