25. Ethan

twenty-five

I stared at the tabloid headlines for the umpteenth time this morning.

I shouldn’t be surprised that the media had done their thing. In fact, I should have expected it.

They’d been starved of my gist for so long. It was only logical for them to cling to the next thing they saw and make a scandal out of it.

The images stared back at me.

My hands were on the small part of her back. They’d coined the gentlemanly act into something else.

Evie wasn’t too pleased with the situation.

There’s trouble, Ethan.

The worry was clearly etched in her eyes. It wasn’t baseless.

Her professional image was at stake.

I didn’t know if her dream academy was directly against issues like this, but it was best to be safe. All she wanted was to be safe.

And I would make sure I gave her that.

It was the least I could do. I couldn’t let her be collateral damage.

Without wasting more time, I nudged the telephone closer before dialing the appropriate teams. I”d told them to work on taking the news down that same night.

“Good morning, si—”

“My office, now,” I interrupted. I was probably being irrational but there was nothing good about the morning if the news was still circulating.

After ending the call with my PR manager, Whitney, I dialed the digital media strategist, Alex.

“My office now.”

I slammed the telephone back in place, running a hand down my face as I leaned into the chair.

Even without this incident, I knew the two teams were working for damage control.

They constantly worked overtime to ensure that news about my personal life remained minimal.

It’s why the public remained unaware of Sophie’s condition.

When I heard a sharp knock, I quickly replied.

Their frames came into sight as they approached the desk.

Whitish blonde hair, green eyes, and a tall frame belonged to Whitney. Short brown hair, short frame, and grey irises belonged to Alex.

Before they could say anything, I started.

“What”s the update on addressing the rumors? The media has completely misconstrued our relationship, and as I said, I want to annul any potential negative effect it may have on the young lady and our company”s image. I want those false reports taken down from the internet as fast as possible.”

They both nodded.

“We have started drafting a statement to clarify the nature of your relationship with Evie,” Whitney started. “We”ll emphasize that she is a valued member of our company and that any rumors suggesting otherwise are baseless and untrue.”

Alex chimed in, ”I”m already working with our digital media team to identify the platforms and websites where these rumors are spreading. We”re working on getting things done and issuing corrections where necessary.”

“Good.”

Both of them walked out. When the door was shut, I stood up. Sitting wasn’t doing it for me anymore. I needed to think.

I grabbed my cup of coffee and made my way to the other side of the office– the glass walls that overlooked the city and gave a perfect view of the skyline.

Bringing the cup to my lips, I watched as the sun began ascent.

The warm glow radiated through the morning. It was a bright morning, but that didn’t extend to me.

The coffee was still a little warm, judging that I’d brewed it around 7:30 a.m. Now it was a few minutes to nine.

I brewed the coffee myself because I didn’t have the guts to face my secretary.

I didn’t have the balls to request a cup of coffee when she was clearly going through important dealings of life.

Yesterday, after she told me the news, I almost wanted to give her the day off. Hell, even give her the week off.

Doing that meant I’d have time to focus— to plot things and put everything in order.

But things had to go on as usual.

Releasing a deep sigh, I tightened my fist around the cup, slowly swirling the coffee.

I wondered if James had seen the news. He wasn’t a tech person… barely used the internet, but the news…

He kept up with the TV news religiously. I knew one of these days I”d pop up with his daughter on screen.

What would he think?

News aside, if James called now, I wasn”t sure I had the guts to pick the call. What would I say?

Different thoughts hit me at once as I sorted through my mind for answers.

The urge to smash the coffee against the wall was getting stronger with each second.

Gritting my teeth, I made my way to my seat.

For a moment, I contemplated going to see Dr. Amelia, but I decided against it.

All I needed was work. More work.

I stood up again and moved to the shelves that housed the hard copy files. With papers jotting out from between the covers, the files seemed to need a little rearrangement.

Shrugging one hand in my pocket, I grabbed the first three, straightened them, and tilted their position to balance with the rest of the files underneath them.

Moving to the second shelf, I repeated a similar motion. When I got to the third compartment, I realized it was even messier than I thought.

In one motion, I untucked my hands from my pocket.

Then, I started to sort through alphabetically. The files were titled with the letters of the alphabet.

As I sorted through the files one by one, I couldn”t help but marvel at the volume of paperwork. Contracts, reports, and memos all reminded me of the demands of my role as the CEO.

They reminded me of my struggles, my relentless efforts, and the narrow path I had to fight through to achieve success.

I”d really come this far.

I finished that compartment and moved to another.

This part contained details of my employees. I released a deep breath, brushing through the edges with the tip of my fingers.

I moved to arrange them when a file fell out. The sound of the thick covers of the file against the floor was short-lived when I picked it up.

It was Evie’s.

It just had to be hers...

Briefly I was torn between returning it and moving along with my work but I didn”t know when I turned the first page.

It was her resumé. I”d read it before.

It was one of the requirements for working here, full-time or not. But I let my eyes run through its content again.

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Minnesota (2024)

Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Education, University of Minnesota (2024)

Relevant coursework: Child Development, Educational Psychology, Introduction to Counseling, Developmental Psychology, Classroom Management.

Indeed, she was a smart lady.

Skills:

Knowledge of child development theories and principles, Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

I let my eyes skim over the page when I turned to the next.

Academic Achievements:

Capstone project on the impact of social-emotional learning programs on elementary school students” academic performance and well-being.

Conducted research on the effects of early childhood experiences on later academic achievement and behavior…

She loved what she did, and evidently, she was good at it. She was good at helping Sophie.

Apart from her laudable records, the resume was a reminder that she”d be with Sophie for two years until her volunteering experience expired. Or less if Sophie resumed school before then. Still, for now, I had no intentions of letting her go, even when Alicia was ready to resume taking care of her sick mother.

Two years was a long time. I recalled the words of the therapist.

“It may be lust now, but how long till it becomes something more? It may be a battle of the mind now, but how long till it becomes a battle of the heart?”

I moved to close the file when my eyes captured something at the bottom.

Personal information.

Date of Birth: 14th April, 2002

Narrowing my eyes, I returned the file to its position, then briefly walked back to my seat.

Today was the 13th. Her birthday was tomorrow.

Guilt yanked at my chest, drilling a large, gaping hole.

I messed things up for her a day before her birthday.

Fucking great.

The abrupt sound of the door opening brought my attention to it.

Evie appeared at the entrance. Her strides were small, tailored to fit the elegance of her dark dress.

I stared at her for what seemed to be a minute until she reached my table. I clenched my fist when I recalled the tears in her eyes… her fear.

I wondered what she was here for.

“I”m here to tell you that I”ve compiled the lists.” She didn”t meet my eyes.

It took me a moment to recall her words. Before the fundraiser, I gave her a list of names to compile. They were employees in the testing facility.

“Is there anything else you’d like for me to do, sir?” I didn”t like the title. She still didn”t meet my gaze.

The only thing I wanted her to do was sit. But I didn”t say anything.

“Just email me the list, and I”ll go through them.”

“I emailed them already.”

“Thank you. That’d be all.”

She didn”t hesitate to start walking out. I clenched my fist as she did so. She was halfway through when she stopped and then turned. “Also, sir.”

I gave her rapt attention.

“It’s umm… It”s about Sophie. I”ve been meaning to ask why she has no hair clips.”

I stared at her for a moment trying to place a picture to the title.

Suddenly, it dawned on me.

“She used to, but her previous nanny took them away, supported by her therapist at the time. She said she wasn”t sure if it was necessary at the time.”

She released a sigh. “I think Sophie would love to have one.”

“Have Lewis drive yo—”

“No,” she interrupted.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. “No?”

“I— I mean,” she stuttered, tucking a bit of her hair behind her ears.

“I— want to get it for her myself.”

My eyes narrowed involuntarily. “I”ll have the money transferred to y—”

“No.”

I stopped to really stare at her. She continued.

“I just want to get it for her by myself, without your money.”

As I stared at her, it dawned on me.

A gift. She wanted to give Sophie a gift. The first nanny or therapist to do that.

“Okay.”

She gave a curt bow.

“Thank you, sir.”

I watched her hips hurriedly sway as she took her leave.

The door closed, and I brought my fingers to the bridge of my nose.

If I wanted anything meaningful to come out of her stay in the mansion, I had to constantly remind myself of the guilt. I had to put James at the forefront of my mind.

I”d barely had the thought when my phone buzzed. Harsh thumping struck my chest when I glanced at the screen. James.

The next few seconds that followed were the worst seconds of my life.

My mind was a catastrophe. A disaster.

Forcing a greedy amount of air into my lungs, I answered the call.

“Hey, friend. Long time no talk.”

Perfect time to call me a friend.

“James.” I struggled to match his cheery tone.

“Yeah, it has been a while. How have you been?”

“Busy busy. How about you? How”s life treating you these days?”

Even though my guilt-filled haze, I recognized a different answer. His response to my greetings was usually fine, notbusy.

I also couldn”t detect if he”d seen the news or not.

I barked out a chuckle. “The usual. Running the company.”

“Tell you what,” he whispered. I swallowed. “I didn”t expect your response to be any different.”

Exhaling a breath, I spoke. “Yours was.”

He chuckled. “Exactly. Now, guess what?”

Umm… I was bad at guessing. But whatever it was, it definitely wasn”t the news.

“You”ve gotten busy?”

“Close enough. Try again.”

“A… business deal?”

“Yes!” He exclaimed.

Wow.

“It happened suddenly. I just got a call from an old client and he said he had a project for me. He narrated the ordeals and I got the contract on the spot!”

All other emotions vanished momentarily. After years of being unstable in business, he finally got a contract. And from the way he spoke, it seemed like a huge deal.

“I’ve immediately contacted my wood supplier. I”ve been busy making preparations since. I can”t wait to share this with Evie. Oh, let me also share the terms of the contract with you.” He rushed out.

I was truly happy for him. “I”m happy for you, James.”

“I knew you”d be. Thank you, Ethan, for not giving up on me.”

I would never.

“It feels like just yesterday we were graduating college, ready to take on the world. And now here we are,” he continued. “It”s been quite the journey, that”s for sure. But hey, it wouldn”t have been the same without you by my side, man.”

My throat clenched. “Right.”

“I”ll send you the terms of the contract, and maybe you could even review it, you know,” he chuckled.

I laughed, too.

“Yeah. Will do. Congratulations again, James.”

“Thank you, buddy.”

He ended the call, and I placed my phone on the table.

After years of fighting, he was finally getting what he deserved. Life had finally given him another chance.

Perhaps life would be kind and give me another chance, too.

Once I fixed this mess, I”d have a clean slate. And this time, I wouldn”t mess it up.

The buzz from my phone was short-lived but enough for me to pick it up again.

A small smile tilted my lips at the thought that James had sent the message.

But when I checked, it was a message notification from an unknown number.

My brows scrunched together as I tapped on the screen.

When I took in the contents, I froze before my insides collapsed in trepidation.

This wasn”t an ordinary message.

It was a threat. A threat with half-naked pictures of me and Evie in the conference room. And a short message.

I know what you did.