Chapter 4 - A Beggar's Tear
News of SV Global’s hostile takeover hit the financial markets like a megaton bomb.
Within twenty-four hours, the Sterling family had lost their mansions, luxury cars, and private jets. Marcus Sterling, the golden boy of the city, was evicted from his penthouse and spent the night in a cheap motel.
Meanwhile, panic consumed the Vance household.
Camila sat in her bedroom, staring at her phone in absolute horror. Social media was flooded with images of Ethan. He was no longer the quiet, modest architect who drove a beaten-up sedan. He was being crowned as the youngest billionaire tycoon in the country, featured on the cover of Forbes and Bloomberg.
"How could you not tell me?!" Camila screamed at her mother, who was hysterically crying on the sofa downstairs. "He was a billionaire, Mom! He was the grandson of the richest man in the state!"
"I didn't know!" Victoria sobbed, pulling her hair. "He dressed like a beggar! He ate cheap food! Who hides that kind of wealth?!"
"He did it because he wanted to be loved for who he was!" Camila wept, collapsing onto her knees. "And I threw him away for Marcus... a fraud who doesn't have a single dollar to his name!"
The doorbell rang loudly.
Richard Vance rushed to open it, hoping it was a bank representative offering a lifeline. Instead, two men in black suits served him with an eviction notice.
"You have forty-eight hours to vacate the premises," the officer stated coldly. "This property belongs to SV Global."
Desperate, Camila grabbed her coat and ran out of the house. She knew where Ethan’s new corporate headquarters was located—the iconic glass tower in the heart of the financial district.
An hour later, Camila stood in the grand lobby of SV Global. The security guards who once would have let her pass now blocked her path.
"I need to see Ethan! Please!" Camila begged, tears streaming down her face. "Tell him it’s Camila! Tell him I’m sorry!"
From the top-floor executive balcony, Ethan looked down through the reinforced glass. He saw Camila begging the guards, looking small, broken, and desperate.
"Should I have security clear her away, Mr. Sterling?" his assistant asked quietly.
Ethan paused, watching her weep. Three weeks ago, he would have done anything to wipe away her tears. Today, those tears felt meaningless.
"No," Ethan replied coldly. "Bring her up."
Five minutes later, Camila stepped into Ethan’s massive corner office. The room overlooked the entire city skyline, bathed in the sunset's golden light. Ethan stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, holding a glass of Scotch.
"Ethan..." Camila choked out, taking a step toward him. "Ethan, I... I made a mistake. A terrible mistake."
Ethan didn't turn around. "Did you?"
"My mother forced me!" Camila cried, trying to grab his arm, but Ethan stepped away smoothly. "She manipulated me! She told me you would ruin my life! I was scared, Ethan! But I still love you... I swear I do!"
Ethan finally turned to look at her. His gaze was so sharp, so devoid of affection, that Camila froze in her tracks.
"You loved me?" Ethan asked, a bitter smile touching his lips. "You didn't love me when I stood in front of two hundred people getting dragged out by security. You didn't love me when your mother called me trash. You loved the idea of comfort, Camila. And now that you know who I am, you love the money."
"That’s not true!" Camila sobbed.
"It is true," Ethan said softly. "And that's why I'm going to give you exactly what you asked for on our wedding day."
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Camila looked up, hope flashing in her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You said you couldn't marry a poor man," Ethan whispered, leaning close to her ear. "So I’m going to make sure that everyone in your family knows what true poverty actually feels like."
