CHAPTER 17. THE SCANDAL
897 Words
Amelia's phone started ringing at 6:17 AM.
She ignored it.
Still half asleep, she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.
A second later, it rang again.
Then again.
And again.
By the fifth call, she sat upright.
Confused.
Anxious.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
She reached for the phone.
Unknown number.
Another unknown number.
Then another.
Dozens of missed calls.
Her stomach tightened.
A notification appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Messages flooded her screen.
She opened the first one.
Her blood ran cold.
The headline stared back at her.
BILLIONAIRE HEIR SECRETLY EXPECTING CHILD WITH EX-WIFE
Amelia stopped breathing.
No.
No.
No.
Her trembling fingers opened the article.
There was a photograph.
A recent one.
Her leaving the clinic.
Ethan beside her.
Another image showed Alexander.
Another headline screamed:
ALEXANDER BLACKWOOD'S SECRET BABY EXPOSED
The phone slipped from her hand.
Landing on the bed.
Her entire body shook.
Someone had leaked everything.
The pregnancy.
The timeline.
The speculation.
Everything.
A knock sounded on her bedroom door.
Then it opened.
Margaret entered.
Looking furious.
"Don't look online."
Amelia laughed bitterly.
"Too late."
The older woman's expression softened immediately.
She sat beside her granddaughter.
Pulling her into a hug.
"It's going to be okay."
Amelia wished she believed that.
But she didn't.
Not right now.
Because for the first time since the divorce...
The entire country knew her name.
And they all had opinions.
Meanwhile, Alexander Blackwood was having the worst morning of his life.
His phone hadn't stopped ringing.
Board members.
Investors.
Reporters.
Friends.
Enemies.
Everyone wanted a statement.
Everyone wanted answers.
He ignored them all.
Because only one thing mattered.
Amelia.
He immediately called her.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
His frustration grew.
Not because she wasn't answering.
Because he knew exactly how overwhelmed she must feel.
For years Amelia avoided attention.
Avoided gossip.
Avoided scandals.
Now she had become one.
And it was his fault.
Another consequence of his mistakes.
Across the city, Ethan stared at a television screen.
His expression was terrifyingly calm.
Which meant he was furious.
Several executives stood nearby.
None of them dared speak.
Because Ethan Knight angry was dangerous.
Ethan Knight quiet was worse.
Much worse.
One of his investigators finally cleared his throat.
"We traced the leak."
Silence.
The man swallowed.
Hard.
"It originated from Victoria Stone."
Nobody seemed surprised.
Least of all Ethan.
Slowly, he stood.
The room became colder.
Immediately.
"Prepare the car."
The investigator blinked.
"Sir?"
Ethan's blue eyes turned icy.
"I'm done being patient."
Across town, Victoria sat in her penthouse drinking champagne.
For the first time in weeks, she felt victorious.
The media frenzy was everywhere.
News channels.
Social media.
Blogs.
Television.
The scandal was spreading rapidly.
Exactly as she intended.
Soon Amelia would be overwhelmed.
Embarrassed.
Humiliated.
And hopefully—
Gone.
Victoria smiled.
Then her apartment door opened.
Without permission.
Without warning.
Her smile disappeared instantly.
Because only one person would dare do that.
Ethan Knight.
He entered slowly.
Elegantly.
Dangerously.
Victoria's heart skipped.
Not from attraction.
From fear.
Because something in his eyes looked different.
Darker.
Far darker.
"Ethan."
His expression remained blank.
"Get out."
Victoria blinked.
"What?"
Ethan stepped closer.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Much smaller.
"You leaked the story."
Not a question.
A fact.
Victoria forced herself to laugh.
"Can you prove it?"
Ethan smiled.
And for the first time, Victoria wished he hadn't.
Because there was nothing pleasant about that smile.
Nothing at all.
"Yes."
Her stomach dropped.
Ethan continued.
"I have the emails."
Silence.
"I have the payments."
Another silence.
"I have the witnesses."
Victoria's confidence cracked.
Just slightly.
But Ethan noticed.
Of course he noticed.
"You made one mistake."
His voice remained calm.
Terrifyingly calm.
"You involved Amelia."
Victoria tried to recover.
"You're choosing her over business?"
Ethan's eyes hardened.
"I'm choosing justice."
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Ethan took one final step forward.
Close enough that Victoria could clearly see the warning in his eyes.
"If her stress harms that child..."
His voice dropped.
"...there won't be a place on earth where I won't find you."
Victoria stopped breathing.
Because she believed him.
Completely.
Back at Margaret's cottage, Amelia sat on the porch trying to process everything.
The world had changed overnight.
Reporters were already gathering near the property.
Social media was exploding.
And she felt trapped.
For the first time in months...
She wanted to run.
A car pulled into the driveway.
Then another.
Her heart sank.
Alexander stepped out of the first.
Ethan stepped out of the second.
Both arrived at exactly the same moment.
Both immediately noticed each other.
Both looked annoyed.
Amelia nearly laughed despite the situation.
Unbelievable.
The two men approached.
One from each side.
Like rivals entering a battlefield.
Alexander spoke first.
"Are you okay?"
Ethan spoke at the same time.
"Did you eat?"
The synchronized concern caught everyone off guard.
Including Amelia.
For one ridiculous moment, she almost smiled.
Then emotion overwhelmed her.
The fear.
The pressure.
The attention.
Everything.
Tears filled her eyes.
Instantly.
Both men moved toward her.
At exactly the same time.
Then stopped.
Because this wasn't about them.
It was about her.
And for the first time, Amelia realized something important.
No matter what happened next...
She wasn't facing it alone.
One man wanted redemption.
The other wanted to protect her.
And somewhere in the middle...
Her future was waiting.
- Writer
