Chapter 5 - The Unmaking
The following weeks were a whirlwind of legal maneuvering, forensic accounting, and public fallout. The media had a field day. "The Billionaire’s Broken Wedding" was the headline of every tabloid from New York to London.
Ethan, however, retreated into the silence of his work. He became more focused, more driven, and more unreachable than ever.
But he wasn't lonely. Not entirely.
Maria had stayed. She hadn't run, even though she had every reason to. She continued to come to the penthouse, continued to clean, and continued to bring Lily.
Ethan found himself spending more time in the kitchen. He began to learn things he hadn't known before. He learned that Maria was a classically trained violinist who had given up her dreams to raise her daughter after her husband left. He learned that she read poetry in the evenings and that she was a far better judge of character than any of the CEOs he sat with in board meetings.
One evening, he found Lily at her tiny table, drawing.
“Is it finished?” he asked, sitting on the floor beside her.
Lily looked up at him, her eyes bright. She pushed the paper toward him.
It was the same house, the same sun. But this time, there were four stick figures.
One was tall, with a sketch of a tuxedo. One was slightly shorter, in a dress. One was small, and one was holding a violin.
“Who is the tall one?” Ethan asked, his voice catching.
May you like
Lily tapped the figure in the tuxedo. “That’s Mr. Ethan.”
Ethan felt a lump form in his throat. He looked at Maria, who was standing by the stove, her eyes shining.
