Chapter 5 - THE BOMBSHELL AT THE TABLEBefore Ethan could intervene, the front door of the cabin swung open with a sharp creak. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, and a tall, imposing man in a sharp grey suit walked into the dining room, holding a thick manila folder.
It was Victor Sterling. And right behind him was a younger man carrying a professional video camera and a recording device.
Ethan leaped out of his chair, knocking his wine glass over. The red liquid spilled across the white tablecloth like fresh blood. "What is the meaning of this? Amelia, are you out of your mind? You brought press into a private meeting?"
"Sit down, Ethan," Victor commanded, his voice carrying the iron authority of a federal judge. "Mr. Cole, you are currently being served with a formal notice of injunction and a corporate restructuring demand under Blue-Horizon LLC."
Ethan stared at Victor, then back at Amelia, his face turning an ash-grey color. "You... you planned this. This wasn't a dinner. This was an ambush."
"An ambush implies you were innocent, Ethan," Amelia said, standing up gracefully from the table, smoothing her emerald dress. "You brought a stranger into my home while our divorce was pending, flaunted your betrayal, and thought you could walk away with a multi-billion-dollar empire built on the foundation of my sacrifices. You forgot who held the pen when we signed our first contract twelve years ago."
Chloe looked frantically between Ethan and Amelia, her face twisting in sudden realization. "Wait... empire? What empire? Ethan, you said you were self-made! You said you built Cole Enterprises all by yourself!"
Ethan didn't answer her. He was staring at Amelia with a look of absolute terror and disbelief. The mask of the arrogant tycoon had completely shattered, leaving behind the desperate, terrified poor boy from twelve years ago.
"Amelia... please," Ethan whispered, taking a step toward her, his voice breaking. "Let's talk about this. Just the two of us. We can drop the lawyers. We can fix this. Remember when we promised each other—"
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"Don't you dare," Amelia interrupted, her voice cutting through the room like a razor blade. "Don't you dare invoke our past to save your future. You traded twelve years of loyalty for a summer fling and a fragile ego. Enjoy your mansion, Ethan. Enjoy your money. Because by Monday morning, the board of directors will know that you don't legally control a single share of Cole Enterprises."
She turned to the cameraman and nodded. "Record everything. Make sure the public knows the truth about the self-made king."
