The courthouse steps were a frenzy of flashing cameras and shouted questions. Ethan Cross, the man who had once ruled his world with arrogance, now shuffled forward like a ghost. His shoulders slumped, his designer suit hung loose, and the lines etched on his face betrayed sleepless nights. Behind him, Eva clung to her fading facade, dressed impeccably yet exuding desperation.
“Mr. Cross, what do you have to say about the charges?”
“Ethan! Do you regret betraying Julian Grey?”
The questions cut like daggers, but Ethan remained silent, his lips pressed in a thin, bitter line. Eva glanced nervously at the reporters, gripping her purse so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Inside a luxurious penthouse across the city, Julian Grey watched the scene unfold on live television. The once-might
