Chapter 23
Sarah woke with a start.
She was in Lily’s bed.
Ethan’s arm was around her, his hand still loosely holding hers.
Lily was snuggled between them, a peaceful smile on her small face.
Embarrassment, hot and swift, flooded Sarah.
She tried to disentangle herself without waking them.
Ethan stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
He smiled, a soft, sleepy smile. “Morning,” he murmured, his voice husky.
Sarah flushed. She scrambled out of the bed, smoothing down her clothes.
“I… I should go,” she stammered, backing towards the door.
She fled the room, her heart pounding.
Ethan watched her go, a tender, understanding look on his face.
He knew this wouldn’t be easy.
He had a lot to atone for.
Later that morning, Ethan called a press conference.
The media gathered, buzzing with speculation.
What was the powerful CEO Ethan Hayes going to announce?
Ethan stood at the podium, calm, resolute.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice clear, steady. “I have called you here today to make a personal announcement.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room.
“For many years, I have lived a life driven by… misguided priorities. By revenge. By darkness.”
He took a deep breath.
“But I have been given a second chance. A chance to make amends. A chance to embrace the light.”
He looked directly into the cameras.
“I am here today to declare my profound and unwavering devotion to Sarah Miller. And to our daughter, Lily.”
Gasps rippled through the room.
“Effective immediately,” Ethan continued, “I am transferring all my personal assets, my entire fortune, to a trust fund for Sarah and Lily. They are my life. They are my everything.”
He raised his hand, silencing the ensuing uproar.
“I know I have caused Sarah immeasurable pain. I have wronged her in ways that are unforgivable. This gesture… it is not enough. It will never be enough. But it is a start.”
His voice choked with emotion.
“Sarah, if you are watching this… please know. I love you. I have always loved you. And I will spend the rest of my life trying to earn your forgiveness. Trying to be worthy of your love.”
The news exploded.
Ethan Hayes, renouncing his fortune, declaring his love for a mysterious woman and child.
It was the story of the year.
Sarah watched the press conference on a small TV in the kitchen, her hands trembling, tears streaming down her face.
His words. His public declaration.
It was overwhelming.
She didn’t want his money. She didn’t want his fortune.
She wanted…
What did she want?
She was so confused.
Ethan found her there, his eyes searching hers.
“Sarah…”
“I don’t want your money, Ethan,” she said, her voice choked. “I can’t accept it.”
“It’s done, Sarah,” he said gently. “It’s not about the money. It’s about… showing you. That you and Lily are all that matters to me now.”
She looked at him, at the sincerity in his eyes.
But the past, the trauma—it was still a heavy weight.
“I… I need time,” she whispered.
Ethan was gone for most of the afternoon.
Sarah had a feeling she knew where he was.
Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Her parents’ graves.
He returned in the late evening, his clothes dusty, his face streaked with dirt.
He looked tired. But peaceful.
He didn’t say where he had been. He didn’t need to.
He had gone to their graves. The ones he had ordered desecrated in another life.
He had knelt there for hours, clearing weeds, planting fresh flowers.
He had spoken to them—to David and Maria Miller.
He had begged for their forgiveness.
He had vowed to them, to their memory, that he would spend his life cherishing their daughter. Protecting their granddaughter. Making amends.
Sarah hadn’t followed him.
But somehow, she knew.
She saw it in his eyes.
A cleansing. A release.
That night, as she lay in bed, listening to the quiet sounds of the mansion, a profound shift occurred within her.