Chapter 53: Ethan is Mine
The Shepherd house was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that felt heavy and oppressive. Steve sat on the edge of the leather couch, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together. His jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed on the clock above the fireplace. The ticking of the seconds seemed to grow louder with each passing minute.
Stefan, his younger brother, paced back and forth across the living room, his boots thudding against the hardwood floor. Stanley and Stafford’s fists were clenched, their face flushed with a mix of anger and frustration. Celeb stood abruptly, turning to Steve with a glare.
"I can’t believe you just let him take her," Celeb snapped, his voice sharp. "You didn’t even try to stop him. I wanted to follow them, but you said no. Why, Steve? I thought you hated Ethan. I thought you’d do anything to keep him away from Stefania."
Steve exhaled slowly, his gaze never leaving the clock. "I do hate him," he said, his voice low and steady. "But Stefania isn’t a child, Celeb. She’s a grown woman. She can make her own decisions. If she wanted to go with him, we couldn’t stop her."
"But she didn’t want to go with him!" Celeb shot back, his voice rising. "He practically dragged her out of here. I saw the look on her face. She was scared, Steve. Scared! And you just stood there and let it happen."
Steve’s hands tightened, his knuckles turning white. He knew Celeb was right.
He’d seen the fear in Stefania’s eyes when Ethan had shown up at the gate, his presence as commanding and intimidating as ever. He’d seen the way she’d hesitated, the way she’d looked to her brothers for help. But Steve had told himself perhaps it was time Mara put an end to Ethan’s fantasy. She was strong, independent. She could handle herself. Or so he’d thought.
But as the hours stretched on and Mara didn’t return—or even call—Steve’s resolve began to waver. Doubt crept in, gnawing at the edges of his mind. What if he’d made a mistake? What if Mara was in trouble? What if Ethan had—
"Steve," Stanley said suddenly, his voice cutting through Steve’s thoughts. He was holding his phone, his face pale, his eyes wide with shock. "You need to see this."
Steve stood, crossing the room in a few quick strides. He took the phone from Stanley, his stomach twisting as he read the notification on the screen. It was a post on social media, shared by Ethan Anderson himself. The caption was short, but it hit Steve like a punch to the gut:
"Proud to introduce my wife, Mara Anderson, at tonight’s company celebration. The future of Anderson & Co. has never looked brighter."