Chapter 10 - The ShockwaveEthan was inside the glass-walled study, closing a deal with a European tech mogul, when the sudden drop in ambient noise caught his attention. He walked out onto the balcony overlooking the pool deck and froze.
His mother was in the water, shivering, struggling to pull herself onto the steps. Vanessa was standing over her, looking down with cold indifference.
Ethan did not run; he flew down the stairs. The crowd parted for him like the Red Sea, terrified by the sheer, unadulterated fury radiating from the young billionaire. He dropped to his knees at the edge of the pool, reaching down to grab his mother’s frail arms. With a strength born of pure adrenaline and love, he hoisted her out of the water.
The poolside remained utterly silent. No music. No laughter. Only the rhythmic, agonizing sound of water dripping from the elderly mother’s clothes onto the million-dollar marble floor.
Ethan immediately stripped off his custom-tailored tuxedo jacket and wrapped it around her shivering frame. He grabbed a warm, plush towel from a nearby lounger and gently wrapped it around her shoulders. His hands, usually so steady during multi-billion dollar negotiations, were trembling violently.
“I’m so sorry, Mom,” he choked out, his voice thick with emotion.
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The elderly woman shook her head, her teeth chattering as she looked at her son. “I never wanted to come between you.”
He looked into her tear-filled eyes, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. “You never did.”
