Chapter 2 - The Test
Isabella found him a temporary seat near the edge of the dance floor.
Not the kitchen.
Not hidden.
Visible.
That mattered.
“You want me to call the event manager?” she asked.
“No.”
“She moved your chair.”
“I noticed.”
“I noticed that too.”
Isabella frowned.
“You’re weirdly calm.”
Ethan adjusted the blanket over his legs.
“Are you actually okay?”
Not “what happened to you?”
Not “can you walk?”
Just: Are you okay?
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Good.”
Ethan watched the room.
Two months earlier, Vance Holdings had quietly acquired controlling debt in Sterling Biotech, Brooke’s family company.
Not even Brooke.
Ethan had delayed the public announcement for one reason.
He wanted to see who the company’s leadership had become when they believed he was gone.
A year earlier, a private plane accident had injured his spine.
Recovery had been slow.
But few people knew.
He had chosen the wheelchair tonight because public reports still described his condition as “severe and permanent.”
But they were brutally honest around someone they believed had lost it.
At Table Twelve, Brooke leaned toward Chad.
Chad smirked.
“Used to.”
Brooke’s father, Martin Sterling, joined them.
He glanced toward Ethan.
His face tightened.
“Why is he here?”
Brooke whispered, “I’m handling it.”
Martin looked relieved.
Ethan noticed.
Then Isabella returned.
“Your sparkling water.”
“Thank you.”
“Also, the event manager says Table Twelve is your assigned table.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“And?”
“Meaning?”
Ethan looked toward the manager, Victor Hale.
Victor saw him.
Then turned away.
Interesting.
Isabella lowered her voice.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because now I know something I didn’t know ten minutes ago.”
“What?”
Ethan looked at Victor.
“He answers to Brooke.”
Then the lights dimmed.
Martin Sterling stepped onto the stage.
“Tonight,” he announced, “we celebrate the future of Sterling Biotech.”
May you like
Ethan almost laughed.
Because Martin had no idea who owned that future.
