Chapter 27

Ethan stood frozen in place, like a battered doll abandoned in the wilderness. He watched as Natalie and another man walked away together, her hand on his arm. He stared at the blinding ring on her finger, heard the muffled whispers and sneers of the guests all around him... Suddenly— He coughed up a mouthful of blood. It splattered onto the polished floor, spreading into a pool of glaring, crimson red. His vision swam. Darkness closed in. He lost all strength and collapsed hard to the ground. The last things he heard were gasps and panicked footsteps. And the final image in his mind before it all faded—the most ruthless scene before he lost consciousness—was Natalie’s retreating figure, resolute and merciless. News traveled fast: Ethan Fletcher collapsed from a sudden surge of fury at the Paris jewelry exhibition, blood on the floor. He was rushed to the hospital. The doctors said the attack was triggered by acute emotional agitation on top of old injuries. He needed time to r