Chapter 10
The executive elevator ascended in absolute silence.
Outside the glass walls, the city of Valeon stretched into the horizon, a sea of gray concrete and flashing lights. But inside the gold-trimmed elevator car, the world had shrunk to just two people.
Ethan Cole.
And Martha.
Ethan still had his custom-tailored suit jacket draped gently around his mother’s frail shoulders. His eyes, usually cold and calculating, were red and swollen.
He couldn’t stop looking at her.
He was terrified that if he blinked, she would vanish again. Just like that winter night twenty-four years ago.
“You’re shivering,” Ethan said softly, his voice echoing in the small space.
Martha looked down at her scuffed black work shoes. They were covered in soapy water from the mop bucket she had been using just fifteen minutes earlier.
“I’m just… I don’t belong up here, Ethan,” she whispered. Her hands, still bearing the thick, ugly burn scars from the fire, trembled as she pulled his jacket tighter. “The top floor… this is for important people.”
Ethan stepped closer, his jaw tightening.
“You are the only important person in this building, Mom.”
The elevator chimed.
Ding.
Floor 85. The Penthouse Suite.
The doors slid open, revealing an expansive, ultra-modern living space. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a 360-degree view of the city. Polished black marble floors reflected the expensive crystal chandeliers above.
It was beautiful. But it was cold. Completely devoid of warmth.
Until now.
Ethan gently guided Martha into the room. He called his private medical team immediately. “I want a full check-up. The best doctors. Now.”
As Martha sat tentatively on the edge of a white leather sofa, looking entirely out of place in her faded blue uniform, Ethan’s phone began to vibrate violently.
Then his secondary phone.
Then his smartwatch.
The news had leaked.
Within twenty minutes of the lobby incident, a video recorded by a junior executive had gone viral across every major social media platform.
The headlines were ruthless.
“Valeon CEO Breaks Down: The Billionaire and the Cleaning Lady.”
“From Powerhouse to Pathetic: Is Ethan Cole Losing His Mind?”
In the ruthless world of high finance, vulnerability was not a heartwarming story. It was blood in the water.
And the sharks were already circling.
Down on the 50th floor, in a shadowy, soundproof office, Vice Chairman Marcus Vance watched the viral video on his tablet. Marcus was forty-five, sharp-featured, and had spent ten years trying to overthrow Ethan.
A cruel, thin smile crept across Marcus’s face.
He paused the video right at the moment Ethan was on his knees, crying into the old woman’s scarred hands.
“So,” Marcus whispered to the empty room. “The invincible Ethan Cole has a weak spot after all.”
He picked up his phone and dialed a private number.
“Call the Board of Directors,” Marcus commanded. “Tell them we need an emergency vote of no confidence. Our CEO has suffered a mental breakdown. It’s time to take the company.”
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Up in the penthouse, Ethan knelt before his mother again, pouring her a cup of warm tea.
He had no idea that the war for his empire—and his life—had just begun.
