Chapter 96

No one ever expected to catch Ethan Blackwood off-guard like this. Yeah, he wasn’t a celebrity, sure—but his social impact? Way more explosive than any A-lister. People ate up the drama of the rich and powerful, and Ethan’s story? It had Fiona Barrington in it. That alone was enough to keep the gossip mill running overtime. A reporter shoved a mic toward him. “Mr. Blackwood, is this your wife?” More reporters quickly swarmed over. Ethan’s first instinct was to pull Clara Walton into his arms, shielding her before anyone could snap a photo. Unlike Fiona, Clara liked to keep things low-key. She wasn’t into crowds, and she definitely wasn’t cool with losing her privacy. She’d rather avoid the spotlight altogether. So Ethan did what he had to do—kept her hidden. Clara flinched slightly, but kept her head lowered. She felt his arm slide firmly around her waist, his voice low in her ear, calm and steady. “Let me handle this.” Then he turned to the growing crowd of reporters. “Yes. She’s my w