Chapter 2

Ethan's gaze was locked on Mark, but his mind was on Sarah. He knew his sister. He knew her strength, her intelligence, her fire. Whatever this was, it wasn't her. It was something that had been done to her.

"I believe my sister," Ethan said, his voice flat and hard.

From behind him, a small, broken voice whispered.

"He… they made me… sign things…"

It was Sarah. Her words were weak, but they cut through the tension in the room like a razor.

Mark's face contorted with rage. He spun around, his hand raised. "You shut your mouth, you crazy-"

Before his hand could move another inch, Ethan was on him. He grabbed Mark's wrist, his grip like steel. Mark cried out in pain as Ethan twisted.

"Don't you ever," Ethan snarled, his face inches from Mark's, "touch her again."

He shoved Mark back. The bigger man stumbled, fear flashing in his eyes before he masked it with bluster.

"She's lying! She doesn't know what she's saying!" Mark shouted. "She's been like this for months! Ask anyone! She tried to ruin the company, drove it into the ground before I stepped in to save it!"

Ethan ignored the pathetic lies. He crouched down in front of Sarah, moving slowly so as not to frighten her. He gently reached for her arm. She flinched, but didn't pull away.

He pushed up the sleeve of her tattered shirt. Her skin was a roadmap of cruelty. Old yellow bruises mixed with fresh purple ones. There were thin, white scars, and angry red marks that looked like burns.

Ethan's blood ran cold. He looked up, his eyes burning with a hatred so intense it was a physical force.

"Explain these," he said, his voice dangerously low.

Mark stammered, his eyes darting around. "She… she's clumsy. She falls. She hurts herself. It's part of her illness."

That was the last straw. The cold rage inside Ethan erupted into a volcano. He stood up, his tall frame radiating pure menace.

"David," he said into his phone, which he had never put away. "Come in."

The front door, already broken, was pushed open. David Chen entered, followed by four large men in dark suits. They moved with silent, professional efficiency.

"Secure them," Ethan commanded, pointing at Mark, Brenda, and Jessica.

"You can't do this!" Brenda shrieked as two men grabbed her arms. "This is my son's house!"

Jessica started crying hysterically. "Let go of me! Mark, do something!"

Mark struggled against the men holding him. "This is my house! I own this house! You have no right!"

Ethan walked over to him, his steps slow and deliberate. He leaned in close, his voice a venomous whisper.

"You have lived in my family's house. You have eaten my family's food. You have spent my family's money. You are a parasite, Mark. And you own nothing."

He straightened up and hit Mark across the face. The sound slapped through the room. Mark's head snapped back, a red mark blooming on his cheek.

Mark spat on the floor, a defiant sneer on his face. "You think you're so tough? Things have changed, Ethan. I'm in charge now. I run Hayes Innovations. The board is with me. You're nobody."

Ethan almost smiled. The man's arrogance was astounding.

"Is that so?" he said softly. "We'll see about that."

He turned to David. "Search this entire house. Every room, every drawer. I want every piece of evidence you can find. Drugs, documents, anything."

David nodded. "It will be done, sir."

Ethan then turned back to Sarah. He gently unclipped the chain from the radiator. He scooped her up into his arms. She was as light as a child. She buried her face in his chest, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"It's okay, Sarah," he whispered, his voice softening for the first time. "I've got you. It's over."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a terrifying mix of hope and fear. "He'll hurt you," she sobbed. "He'll hurt us both. You don't know what he's capable of."

"No, Sarah," Ethan said, his voice firm and absolute. He looked over her head at the three pathetic figures being held by his men. "He has no idea what I'm capable of."

He carried her toward the door. As he passed a mirror in the hall, he caught a glimpse of her. He had to stop. He gently put her down and took off his expensive suit jacket, wrapping it around her thin, shivering frame. The jacket swallowed her whole.

He could see the marks on her neck where the chain had rubbed her skin raw. New fury rose in him, so powerful it almost choked him.

Sarah huddled in the jacket, avoiding his eyes. She seemed terrified of the kindness, as if it were a trick.

"He told me… he told me I was bad," she whispered to the floor. "He showed me videos. Of me… screaming and breaking things."

Ethan' s heart broke. He knew, with absolute certainty, those videos were fake. It was all a part of their sick game to break her spirit.

He knelt in front of her again. "Sarah, look at me."

She hesitated, then slowly lifted her head.

"We're going somewhere," he said gently. "We're going to your office."

She recoiled, her eyes wide with panic. "No! Not there! Jessica is there! They'll all laugh at me!"

"It's okay," he said, his voice a soothing balm. "You won't be alone. I'll be with you every step of the way. It's time for everyone to see the real CEO of Hayes Innovations."

A flicker of the old Sarah, the strong, confident businesswoman, appeared in her eyes for just a second before being swallowed by fear. She gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.

Ethan stood up and turned to David, who was overseeing the search.

"Keep them here. Don't let them leave. Don't let them talk to anyone. I want everything they've used to hurt her. Find it all."

David's expression was grim. "Consider it done, Mr. Hayes."

Ethan gently took Sarah's hand and led her out of the ruined house and into the waiting car, leaving the wreckage of her prison behind them. The battle was just beginning.