Chapter 123: Let Go Peacefully
Stefan let out a breath and dropped onto the couch, his shoulders slumped. "I don’t know, man. This just feels... messy. I hate that it’s come to this."
Ethan sat beside him. "It is messy. But you’re not the one who made it this way. She did. She walked away from your wedding. She toyed with your emotions and even had to drag her sister through her evil. And now she might’ve even hurt someone. You’ve got to think about your future. About Ruby. About the baby."
The mention of Ruby made Stefan’s chest ache. He hadn’t spoken to her since she stormed out of Ethan’s place. He missed her terribly, even though he didn’t think he had the right to. But maybe, just maybe, if this worked, he could finally put Ivy behind him and chase the life he really wanted—with Ruby.
"Alright," he said finally. "Let’s say I do this. Who’s going to release the news? You? My mom?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. It has to come from you. People need to see your face, hear your voice. It’ll make it more real. Post it on your Instagram account. You’ve got more than enough followers. Once it’s up, the blogs will do the rest. Trust me."
Stefan’s jaw tightened as he thought about it. Going public with something so personal felt like opening a wound and letting the world see it. But maybe that’s what was needed now.
"Fine," he said after a beat. "But I want to make it clear that I don’t know if Ivy hurt Eliana. I don’t want to accuse anyone without proof since agreeing might actually put my mother’s life in danger."
Ethan nodded. "Good. Stay neutral on that part. Focus on your truth."
Stefan pulled out his phone and sat upright, dropping his now empty cup of coffee. His heart was pounding in his chest as he opened the camera and switched to video mode. He stared at the screen for a long moment before hitting record.
"Hi, everyone," he began, his voice calm but serious. "I wasn’t going to say anything. I really wasn’t. But with everything that’s been circulating in the news lately, I think it’s time I cleared the air so everyone knows the truth."