The Christmas Mall Ambush: Cheating Husband Thinks He's Safe, But His Own Mother And Wife Team Up For The Ultimate Payback!

Her phone, sitting on the small mahogany tray table, remained dead silent. No missed calls. No frantic texts. Just the quiet hum of the jet engines and the steady heartbeat of a new beginning three thousand miles away.

In New York, however, the penthouse was a war zone of realization. Ethan stood amidst the scattered shards of the broken glass, his hands clenched into tight fists until his knuckles turned white.

"Marcus!" Ethan shouted, his voice echoing off the high ceilings as he strode out into the hallway.

A moment later, his uncle appeared from the study, looking grave. "I read the letter, Ethan."

"You knew!" Ethan accused, stepping right up to Marcus, his eyes blazing with fury and disbelief. "You knew all along that Clara was working with the federal task force, didn't you? That's why you had those security clearances ready for the board meeting!"

Marcus didn't flinch. He met his nephew's furious gaze with steady, aged wisdom. "I suspected it when she accessed my old encrypted channels three months ago. She was digging into Julian's offshore accounts long before we managed to crack his firewall. If I had told you, your emotional reactions would have blown her cover within forty-eight hours. Julian is ruthless; he would have eliminated her to protect his syndicate."

Ethan stepped back, running a hand through his hair, the weight of his own rash judgment crashing down on him. "I accused her of betrayal. I threw her out. I let her walk away thinking I hated her."

"Then fix it," Marcus said simply, walking over to the bar and pouring a glass of water. "True loyalty is rare in our world, Ethan. Most people sell out for a percentage point. She risked her reputation, her safety, and your love to dismantle a monster from the inside out. If you let her go across an ocean because of your pride, you're a bigger fool than your father was."

Ethan looked at the flash drive still clutched in his left hand. Without a word, he turned on his heel, grabbed his car keys off the marble console, and bolted toward the private elevator.

"Where are you going?" Marcus called out.

"Teterboro," Ethan yelled back over the chime of the elevator doors opening. "Hold the board meeting until tomorrow afternoon!"

The luxury elevator plunged downward, but to Ethan, every second felt like an eternity. He dialed his private pilot while sprinting across the underground parking garage.

"Prepare the Gulfstream V immediately," Ethan commanded into his phone, his breath fogging in the cool air of the garage. "Flight plan to London. I need clearance within twenty minutes."