“Sophia needed that wake-up call. Maybe next time, she’ll think twice before doing something so reckless.”
“As for Natalie… I never said I’d cover for her.”
Back then, Natalie had seemed perfect to him. He loved her, no question. But over the past few years, he’d started to see the cracks. He realized she wasn’t the flawless girl he thought she was, especially after he began pursuing Isabella and eventually married her. Natalie’s reactions, the subtle things she did behind his back—he noticed all of it.
Still, after all those years, the feelings didn’t just disappear. They grew up together. Before Isabella came into his life, Natalie had always held a special place in his heart.
Whatever Natalie did wrong, he always found a way to forgive her. He made excuses for her, let things slide. But that didn’t mean he’d turn a blind eye if she actually broke the law. He had limits.
Little jealous games between women, he could overlook. But a crime was a crime, and she’d have to face the consequences.
“Mom, trust me. I can handle this,” Ethan said gently. “Go home. When Sophia gets back, talk to her. She needs it.”
He watched his mom hesitate, torn between anger and worry, but eventually Jennifer left the hospital.
The second she was gone, Ethan turned to Susan. “Help me with the discharge.”
The doctor wanted him to stay one more night, paperwork wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow, but Ethan didn’t care. He was done with the hospital. He’d deal with the paperwork later.
He didn’t wait for an answer. “Ethan, Natalie’s been taken to the police station. Reporters caught it on camera, now it’s all over the internet. I had PR try to take it down, but someone keeps pushing it back up. It’s getting worse.”
“This could ruin Natalie’s reputation. Her dad’s trying to keep it quiet too, but it’s still trending. This has to be Isabella’s doing.”
“She wants to see Natalie fall. She’s mad that Natalie got your love, and now she wants revenge.”
“Ethan, please, have your people do something about it. Even if Natalie did ask Sophia to pull that stunt, it was just a prank. Isabella’s fine, isn’t she? An apology should have settled it. Why drag the police into this?”
“I told you, you need to keep Isabella in check. Don’t let her make a scene in public. It’s not like you can’t afford to take care of her.”

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