Rejected By My Ex, I Married A Hidden Billionaire

Chapter 12 The Leak

The drive back to our mansion was quiet, the city lights blurring past the car windows as Ethan’s thumb brushed steady circles over the back of my hand, his grip firm like he was scared I’d slip away. When we pulled into the driveway, he turned to me, his blue eyes soft in the dim glow of the dashboard. “I still can’t believe what you did back there,” he said, a faint, proud smile tugging at his lips. “You stared down the most intimidating man in Seattle and didn’t flinch.”

I leaned into his side, my head resting on his shoulder. “I didn’t have anything to be scared of,” I told him honestly. “Not when I have you beside me.”

Inside the mansion, we curled up on the couch in front of the crackling fireplace, glasses of red wine in hand. For a little while, there was no Liam, no scheming family, no contract hanging over our heads. It was just us, quiet and warm, like we’d been doing this for years instead of weeks. Ethan traced the back of my hand with his finger, his voice soft when he spoke again. “I’ve spent my whole life waiting for someone to see me, not just the Hale name and the money. You’re the only one who ever has.”

Before I could reply, his phone buzzed violently on the coffee table, the screen lighting up with his assistant’s name. He answered it, his smile fading fast, his jaw tightening with every word. When he hung up, his face was cold, the warm, soft version of him gone in an instant.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my stomach twisting.

“Liam,” he said, his voice sharp with rage. “He leaked our original contract to the press, and to the board members who’ve been gunning for my job. The financial sites are running the story right now—saying I faked a marriage to manipulate the board, that I lied to the shareholders. The stock’s already dropping in after-hours trading.” He paused, his hand clenching into a fist. “He also added lies about you. Called you a gold digger, said you’ve been blackmailing me this whole time.”

My chest tightened, but I didn’t flinch. I reached for his hand, lacing our fingers together. “Then we’ll fix it. Together. Just like we did with your grandfather.”

Ethan pulled me into his arms, his hold tight, like he was shielding me from the storm already heading our way. “I won’t let him hurt you,” he murmured against the top of my head. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

But as we stood there, watching the first damning headlines pop up on his tablet, I knew this wasn’t just a fight for the company. It was a fight for us. And Liam wasn’t going to stop until he’d taken everything we had.