"So, my source gave me two different video footages of the incident six years ago," Christian said while navigating through his phone to show Ethan.
"Don't ask who the source was."
Ethan nodded silently.
"This one here," Christian continued, "shows Lena's parents driving properly in their lane, only to get rammed by this car."
"Yeah… SUV," Ethan said, eyes narrowing as he studied the screen.
"Now look at this angle—there's another car following closely, like it was chasing the one that hit her parents."
"I can see it," Ethan leaned in. "Both SUVs seem connected. Same plate pattern. Same model."
"Exactly," Christian confirmed. "Now watch this second footage. This one shows Lena's parents crashing into the SUV. It's the version that was shown to the media."
Ethan's expression darkened. "I see. There's definitely a cover-up."
"Right. So I asked around about who was involved and got a tip."
Christian paused before revealing, "It was the Henderson son."
"Henderson?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "The one with the closet business?"
"Yeah. His unruly son was racing cars in the middle of the afternoon. When the incident reached his father, everything was buried. The kid was shipped off, but I think he's back now. Quiet return last month since things cooled down and no one dares question them."
Ethan's jaw clenched. "Poor Lena… this could rip open old wounds."
"Exactly. So keep this away from her for now." Christian added.
As Ethan turned to leave, Christian called after him, "One more thing—I almost forgot. Not only Aud survived the crash… they had a dog. It ran off in shock and was never found."
Ethan stopped. "It would mean a lot if we found that dog. Closure comes in unexpected forms."
"I'll look into it," Christian promised.
"And don't make it obvious you know anything about this," Ethan warned. "I'll handle the Hendersons. Get the legal team ready—they're going to pay for this."
Christian watched him leave, silently marveling at how effortlessly Ethan went out of his way for Lena—without her ever knowing. Yet he never addressed his own trauma or past.
"Maybe he's opening up," Christian thought. "Maybe one day Lena will get him to talk."
---
Later That Evening…
Christian had already started digging into the whereabouts of Frederick Henderson—the infamous son of the billionaire mogul.
> Find him. He'll be at tonight's gala.
—Christian
> Send the address. Book me a reservation. I declined earlier because Lena wasn't attending.
—Ethan
Christian was surprised. Somehow, Lena had become a part of Ethan's life so naturally that he didn't even realize it.
Not long ago, Ethan would never have brought any woman to an official event. And Lena? Still unaware of the storm quietly swirling around her.
---
Meanwhile…
Lena was at the hospital, still with her brother.
When her phone rang and Ethan's name popped up, she smiled.
"Hey," Ethan said, his voice low. "Busy?"
"No," Lena replied. "Though I think Aud hates me. He keeps asking when I'm leaving. Clara's taken over as his personal storm and beat him at every game."
Ethan chuckled softly. He didn't mind hearing her talk about her day, her brother, or her frustrations. Maybe that was his way of listening… of caring.
"Maybe he misses you," Ethan said. "And maybe stealing you for the night will make him miss you even more."
Lena's smile faded slightly. "There's an event?"
"Yeah. An important one."
"Alright… I'll pack up. I'll visit Aud soon again anyway."
"You don't have to."
"But I want to," she insisted.
---
She returned to the mansion with Clara, heart heavy but excited.
It had been three days since she'd last seen Ethan. She rushed to get dressed, carefully doing her makeup—not wanting to look unkempt.
When Ethan reached for her hand before they left, the spark was still there. Stronger, maybe.
They drove silently into the night.
At the gala, Ethan scanned the room, waiting for Frederick Henderson—known for making dramatic entrances. But before that, he offered Lena his hand.
"Dance with me?"
They moved slowly in rhythm, her hand on his shoulder, his on her waist.
Ethan couldn't take his eyes off her. "You have blue eyes?" he finally said.
Lena chuckled. "Must be the lens."
"Maybe. But they've always been blue. Your brother had them too," he noted softly.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?"
"Noticing. You had to be close enough to see it. Oh right—forgot we were dancing."
They shared a quiet laugh.
"Aud… hmm?" Ethan asked.
"Audrey, actually."
"Why a female name?"
"Funny story," Lena said. "My parents always wanted daughters. They picked out 'Audrey' before he was born. Fell in love with the name. Then—boom—he came out a boy. But the name stuck."
"Wow. Your parents must've loved each other a lot."
"They did," Lena smiled sadly. "I used to be jealous of that."
Finally, they were having a genuine conversation. Until she asked:
"How about your parents?"
Ethan's expression shifted immediately. "Excuse me," he said upon spotting Frederick across the room.
And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd.
Lena stood alone, watching him walk away.
"He always shuts down when someone brings up his past," she whispered.
Maybe Clara wasn't wrong after all.
As she turned to take her seat, someone tapped her on the shoulder