Chapter 5 - The Snake's Venom
The retaliation came swift and dirty, just as I had predicted.
Three days later, a prominent tabloid published a heavily biased article claiming that I had deliberately trapped Ethan with a fraudulent pregnancy, used the children as a blackmail tool to extort millions from Montgomery Enterprises, and that the triplets' paternity was highly questionable. The article included edited photos of me with various male clients from my consulting firm, hinting at a "wild, unprincipled lifestyle."
The media circus descended upon my penthouse building. Paparazzi blocked the entrance, flashing cameras in the faces of anyone who entered or left.
I was furious, but I remained calm. I called my legal team, but before they could even schedule a meeting, Ethan had already acted.
He didn't issue a boring corporate press release. Instead, he bought an hour of prime-time local television airtime on Chicago’s largest network for a live, unscripted interview.
I watched the screen from my living room as Ethan sat opposite a notorious, hard-hitting journalist. He looked sharp, dangerous, and completely in control.
"Mr. Montgomery," the journalist started, leaning forward. "The rumors circulating suggest your ex-wife kept these children a secret to launch a hostile takeover of your company. Is it true you are demanding a second DNA test?"
Ethan leaned forward, his eyes burning into the camera. "Anyone who questions the paternity of my sons is blind, illiterate, or paid off by parties who have a vested interest in lying. The DNA tests were verified by three independent, top-tier medical facilities. I did not ask for them; my ex-wife provided them because she is a woman of impeccable integrity."
He paused, taking a deep breath. "The real story here is not a hostile takeover. The real story is corporate and familial abuse. Four years ago, my mother, Eleanor Montgomery, used resources within my company to terrorize a young, pregnant woman out of this city. She faked documents, threatened her life, and isolated me from my own blood. Sophia Vance didn't trap me. She escaped a den of wolves to protect our children."
The journalist looked stunned. "Those are heavy accusations against your own mother, Mr. Montgomery. And what about Senator Hastings' daughter?"
"Caroline Hastings knew exactly what my mother was doing," Ethan revealed, pulling out a document and holding it up to the camera. "This is a signed agreement between Eleanor Montgomery and the Hastings campaign, dated two weeks before the wedding. It details a transfer of fifty million dollars in corporate donations in exchange for fast-tracking shipping regulations that would benefit our firm. My wedding was a business transaction built on the backs of my stolen children. I have already turned these documents over to the FBI."
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. Ethan hadn't just defended me; he had pulled the pin on a grenade and dropped it right into the lap of Chicago's political elite.
The phone on my counter began to ring frantically. It was Ethan.
"Are you watching?" he asked, sounding breathless.
May you like
"Ethan... you've destroyed the Senator," I said, my heart pounding. "They will come after you with everything they have."
"Let them come," Ethan said, a sudden warmth in his voice. "As long as you and the boys know I am fighting for you, I don't care if the whole city burns down around me."
