Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Ethan, disgusted, released her and stepped back: “Get out. I don’t want to see you right now?
Emily wasn’t ruined.
He first saw me years ago at a business gala.
I was eighteen, standing beside my father, radiating youthful innocence yet holding my own among the business elite.
At twenty–five, Ethan had been instantly captivated.
The next time he saw me, his princess had been dragged through the mud.
Originally, he had only been tasked with acquiring Wilson Group by his father, a move that would solidify his position as the new head of Ford Enterprises.
He thought that by buying Wilson Group, he could eventually hand it back to me, giving him a reason to stay close.
But somewhere along the way, things went horribly wrong.
He had gone abroad for a brief trip, and when he returned, my father’s company had collapsed, and he had jumped to his death.
I had been assaulted, left with severe depression, and the perpetrators were still at large.
Emily wasn’t ruined.
It was because of him that I bore this shame, this unbearable weight.
Ethan sat alone in the living room until late into the night.
He remembered coming home one evening to find me sitting in the dark, just like this.
A strange ache filled his chest.
Emily, what will it take for you to come back?
10:43
76.1%
The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights
Chapter 4
Is it because of Olivia?
That had been a mistake, a drunken night.
She had latched onto him, and he hadn’t pushed her away.
But Ethan believed that a man of his status was entitled to a few flings.
As long as his heart and his marriage belonged to me, wasn’t that enough?
Being the wife of Ethan Ford, the wealthiest man in New York, wasn’t that honor enough?
His thoughts were a tangled mess, and he poured himself a drink to numb the pain.
But before he could sort through his emotions, a greater crisis struck.
Ethan’s assistant alerted him to the news.
Headlines about Ford Enterprises were everywhere.
The scandals ranged from product quality issues to executive misconduct and even financial fraud.
If it had just been competitors spreading rumors, it would have been manageable, but the evidence was solid–documents, transaction records, and even video proof.
Any one of these scandals could have crippled Ford Enterprises. All three together were a death
blow.
Ethan, drunk and distracted, hadn’t been paying attention to the news and hadn’t acted quickly to control the damage.
By the time he sobered up, Ford’s stock was already plummeting.
His plans to find me were put on hold as he scrambled to handle the company’s crisis.
But before he could address the PR disaster, the company’s cash flow began to dry up.
The negative press had spooked Ford’s major creditors, who started tightening their loans.
Companies began buying up Ford’s short–term debt.
76.3
Chapter 4
Ethan, already in a foul mood, was overwhelmed by the relentless blows.
At a time when he needed his team the most, key members of his technical staff and several senior executives suddenly resigned.
He raged, then tried to placate them, but they left anyway.
With the executive scandals spreading, the remaining leadership at Ford Enterprises split into factions, turning on each other in the chaos.
Ethan was at his wit’s end.
If this continued, Ford Enterprises would face a catastrophic collapse:
If the companies that bought the short–term debt demanded early repayment, Ford’s financial strain
would worsen.
And if competitors seized the opportunity to attack, Ford’s market share would be decimated…
As if on cue, the following days unfolded exactly as he feared.
Hudson Corporation, Ford’s arch–rival, returned from overseas.
It poached Ford’s employees, launched competing products, and slashed prices, draining the company’s resources.
Ethan stared out the window, a sense of déjà vu washing over him.
He remembered how Ford had used similar tactics to take down Wilson Group.
If that was the case, it was clear someone was orchestrating this.
And the worst was yet to come–if Ford’s trade secrets fell into the wrong hands, the company would be mired in endless legal battles.
The storm was brewing, and everyone at Ford was on edge.
Ford had always been a dominant force in New York.
Who could be behind this?
76.5%
Chapter 4
A name flashed in Ethan’s mind: Emily.
Of course, who else could it be?
The daughter of a former business tycoon, with access to Ford’s inner workings, and a motiv
revenge…
Ethan sighed, but instead of thinking about how to fight back, he found himself longing:
“Emily, where are you? Can you just let me explain?”
♡ (0)