Chapter 15: Shadows of the Past Return
The peaceful momentum Ethan and Clara had built was suddenly shattered on a rainy Tuesday morning. Clara arrived at her studio to find a
mysterious thick brown envelope left on her desk, marked with the words: “For Miss Montgomery’s Eyes Only.”
Inside was a collection of old legal documents and financial reports dating back ten years. The documents alleged that Vance Global’s early
expansion into European markets had been built on acquiring a smaller design agency—the very agency that belonged to Clara’s late father, Marcus
Montgomery. The reports framed Arthur Vance as the man who forced Marcus into bankruptcy, ultimately leading to the collapse of her family’s
business.
Attached was a short, handwritten note from Julianna: “Ask your beloved Ethan how his empire was truly built. You are sleeping with the son of the
man who destroyed your father.”
Clara felt the floor beneath her sway. Her breath caught in her throat as tears blurred her vision. Was Ethan’s initial interest in her agency
driven by guilt? Did he know about this all along?
An hour later, Clara walked into Ethan’s private penthouse, holding the documents in her trembling hands. Ethan, who was standing near the
fireplace reviewing reports, turned around with a warm smile that instantly faded when he saw her pale, tear-streaked face.
“Clara? What’s wrong?” Ethan asked, taking a step toward her with deep concern.
“Did you know?” Clara’s voice shook as she held up the papers. “Did you know that your father ruined my father’s business ten years ago?”
Ethan stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the documents, his face turning ghostly white. He reached out to take them, his hands shaking
slightly as his eyes scanned the old corporate filings.
“Clara… I swear to you on my mother’s memory, I had no idea,” Ethan said, his voice raw with pain. He looked up at her, desperation filling his
blue eyes. “Ten years ago, I was still in university in America. I had nothing to do with my father’s corporate acquisitions back then.”
“But it’s his bloodline, Ethan! It’s Vance Global!” Clara sobbed, stepping back as tears streamed down her cheeks. “My father lost everything…
his health, his dignity… because of Vance Global!”
Ethan looked at her, feeling his own heart shatter into a thousand pieces. The thought that his family’s dark legacy had hurt the woman he loved
more than life itself was a burden too heavy to bear.
“If you hate me, Clara… if you want to walk away and burn Vance Global to the ground, I won’t stop you,” Ethan whispered, his voice cracking as
tears filled his own eyes. “I will sign over whatever compensation you want. But please… never doubt that my love for you was pure.”
