Chapter 5 - The Glass Wall
The lobby of the Sterling International Tower was bustling with security personnel and executive staff when Ethan burst through the revolving glass doors at five in the afternoon.
"I need to see Claire Bennett!" Ethan demanded of the front desk guard, his eyes bloodshot, his collar undone, and his hair wild from running through the rain. "I’m her fiancé! It’s an emergency!"
The security guard looked him up and down with stoic skepticism before pressing an intercom button. Within two minutes, Julian Sterling walked out from the private executive elevator.
Julian stood a head taller than Ethan, his posture calm, upright, and commanding, radiating the effortless poise of a man who commanded billion-dollar global projects.
"Mr. Brooks," Julian said calmly, stopping a few feet away with his hands casually resting in the pockets of his tailored trousers. "There is no need to disturb the front desk."
"Where is she, Julian?" Ethan snarled, stepping forward aggressively until security guards stepped in to flank him. "Where is Claire? I know she’s with you! You’ve been circling her for months like a vulture!"
"Claire is not here," Julian replied smoothly, his Swiss accent refined and cold. "And for your information, I haven't been circling her. I have been offering her the professional respect and personal appreciation she earned years ago."
"She’s my woman!" Ethan shouted, drawing looks from dozens of passing executives. "We’ve been together five years! You can’t just sweep in and take her from me!"
Julian let out a quiet, mirthless chuckle that cut Ethan deeper than any insult. "Five years, Mr. Brooks, and yet you let her sit in a hospital room receiving iron drips alone while you escorted another woman across the city."
Ethan’s face went pale. The guilt hit him so hard he took a step back, his shoulders slumping.
"How do you know about that?" Ethan whispered hoarsely.
"Because I was the one who drove her to the hospital every single morning before our board meetings," Julian answered, his gaze piercing through Ethan’s crumbling pride. "I was the one who made sure she had warm tea, who spoke with her gastroenterologist, and who held her portfolio so her bruised arm wouldn't strain."
Ethan felt the floor drop out from beneath his feet. While he was crafting elaborate lies about foreign business trips to appease Vanessa’s demands, another man had been quietly filling the void of his neglect.
"You don't love her," Ethan choked out, desperate to find a flaw in the fortress Julian had built around Claire. "You're her boss! This is inappropriate!"
"I am her business partner, Mr. Brooks," Julian corrected firmly. "And as of noon today, Claire signed a five-year contract as the Chief Structural Architect for our European Alpine Infrastructure Initiative."
Julian stepped closer, his voice dropping into a razor-sharp whisper that only Ethan could hear. "She boarded an eleven-thirty flight to Zurich four hours ago. She is currently cruising at thirty-five thousand feet over the Atlantic Ocean, far away from your lies, your ex-girlfriend, and your empty promises."
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"Zurich?" Ethan gasped, his breath tearing from his lungs. "She... she left the country?"
"She left your life," Julian said, turning smoothly toward the private elevators. "Security, please escort this gentleman off the premises. If he returns, file a formal trespass order."
