Chapter 5

My heart sank.

"I didn’t sign off on that, and I definitely didn't approve it."

"Call finance immediately. Halt the transfer under the pretext of a flagged suspicious transaction."

Liam nodded and immediately stepped aside to make the call.

I turned around to look for Ethan, but he was no longer in the ballroom.

As I walked down the quiet hallway of the lounge area, I heard familiar voices coming from a slightly ajar door.

It was Ethan and Maya.

Today, Maya wore a simple white shirt, looking pale and vulnerable.

She was clutching a hospital bill, her voice cracking with tears.

"Ethan, I really didn't want to bother you today."

"But the hospital said if I don't pay the deposit for Leo's bone marrow treatment by noon, they'll give his spot to someone else. I had no other choice..."

Ethan looked around nervously, patting her shoulder.

"Didn't I tell you I'd handle it? Why did you come here? What if someone sees you? The money will hit your account in ten minutes. Go back to the hospital now."

But Maya wasn't intimidated. Instead, she leaned closer to him, speaking softly.

"I’m just so scared."

"No one cares about us except you."

Her act worked perfectly.

Ethan’s tense face softened.

He wrapped his arm around her, speaking in a gentle, comforting tone.

Right then, one of our major investors, Mr. Vance, walked out of the restroom at the end of the hall.

Seeing me, he smiled and walked over to say hello.

Since the lounge door wasn't fully closed, Mr. Vance easily spotted the two people cuddling inside.

The smile faded from his face. Frowning, he pushed the door open and pointed at Maya.

"Wait a minute. Aren't you the woman who threw a screaming fit at our branch office last month, begging us not to sue your husband for fraud?"

The air in the hallway turned dead cold.

Every drop of color drained from Ethan’s face.

He violently pushed Maya away, rushed to my side, and grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Chloe! Why is the cleaning lady you hired last month showing up here to beg for an advance on her paycheck?"

He leaned in close, whispering in my ear with a desperate hiss:

"Play along with me! If Mr. Vance pulls his investment, the company is finished!"

He was threatening me.