Chapter 9: The Truth About Ethan’s Choice
I didn’t sleep.
Not that night.
Not the next.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same moments.
Ethan holding my hand.
Ethan telling me he loved me.
Ethan asking about my company.
Every memory had changed.
Because now I knew the truth.
The moments I thought were love were research.
The questions I thought were curiosity were preparation.
The future I thought we were building was a plan.
But one question kept bothering me.
Why me?
Ethan had access to wealthy families.
Powerful investors.
People who wanted to be connected to the Harrington name.
Why choose me?
Why spend two years pretending?
At 3:17 AM, my phone rang.
Marcus.
I almost ignored it.
Almost.
Then I answered.
“Talk.””
No greeting.
No patience.
Marcus was quiet.
“You want the truth.””
“Yes.””
“Then listen carefully.””
I sat at my desk.
“Six years ago, Harrington Dynamics almost collapsed.””
I frowned.
“Six years ago?””
“Yes.””
“What does that have to do with me?””
“Everything.””
I waited.
Marcus continued.
“Your company saved them.””
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
His voice was calm.
“Your first major cloud infrastructure project wasn’t supposed to go to Harrington.””
I remembered.
A difficult contract.
A risky partnership.
A company nobody believed would matter.
“We chose them because you believed they deserved a chance.””
Marcus paused.
“Ethan never forgot that.””
I laughed bitterly.
“So he loved me because I helped his family?””
“No.””
The answer surprised me.
“He became obsessed with what you built.””
I said nothing.
“He watched Bennett Technologies grow.””
Marcus’s voice lowered.
“And he realized something.””
“What?””
“He could never compete with you.””
The words stayed with me.
“He didn’t want to become successful.””
Marcus continued.
“He wanted to own the thing that made him feel inferior.””
I closed my eyes.
“So he chose me.””
“Yes.””
The truth was worse than I expected.
Because it meant Ethan didn’t randomly hurt me.
He studied me.
He calculated me.
He selected me.
“What about you?””
Marcus was silent.
Finally:
“I thought I could control the situation.””
I laughed softly.
“Everyone says that.””
“I was wrong.””
“Why?””
“Because Ethan isn’t trying to win anymore.””
I looked at the dark city outside.
“What is he trying to do?””
Marcus took a breath.
“Destroy everything.””
My expression hardened.
“Where is he?””
“I don’t know.””
“Then why call me?””
Another pause.
“Because I found something.””
“What?””
“A backup plan.””
I waited.
“Ethan has been preparing for failure.””
My fingers tightened.
“What does that mean?””
“It means he knew you would discover the truth.””
A cold feeling spread through me.
“He expected this?””
“Yes.””
Marcus continued.
“He created a second move.””
“What move?””
Before he could answer, the line suddenly went quiet.
“Marcus?””
No response.
“Marcus?””
Then I heard something.
A door closing.
A voice in the background.
A voice I recognized.
Ethan.
My blood ran cold.
“Marcus.””
The call ended.
I immediately called back.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Rachel rushed into my office after I called her.
“What happened?””
I looked at her.
“Marcus found something.””
“Where is he?””
“I don’t know.””
Daniel entered behind her.
“What’s wrong?””
I turned toward both of them.
“Ethan knew we would find out.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“How?””
“Because he planned for it.””
I grabbed my coat.
Rachel stood.
“Where are you going?””
“To find Marcus.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
“Because if Ethan expected you to follow the evidence…”
He looked at the phone.
“Then Marcus wasn’t a discovery.””
A silence fell.
“He was bait.””
Before I could answer, every screen in my office suddenly went black.
The lights flickered.
Then my security system sent an alert.
One message appeared.
*UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED*
Rachel stared at the screen.
“That’s impossible.””
I looked at the message.
Because I knew exactly what it meant.
Someone wasn’t trying to attack my company from outside.
They were already inside.
And then another message appeared.
A video file.
Sent from Ethan.
May you like
The title was only four words.
*The Truth About Olivia.*
