Chapter 187

Chapter 187
Ethan's POV

I watched Cora follow Spencer and felt a little sorry for her. The truth was that I was only planning to see Jess in the evening. That was our plan with Mom.
Mom felt extremely uncomfortable watching her two children struggle with each other. It was still a bit odd to think about Spencer and Cora being together, but I knew how they felt. Even though they had grown up together, both of them were still in love with each other.
During a discussion with Mom, I suggested encouraging them to find their way, especially given Cora's determination to ignore Spencer. After hearing the same story about Spencer's behaviour and what he told Cora that evening, I understood their perspectives. Spencer was suffering because he couldn’t erase that night from memory, while Cora was struggling to forgive him because that evening held her back. Mom, however, had a different opinion. She believed that they should reconcile and start fresh unless they had feelings for each other. While Mom worried about both of them, what concerned her most was Ellie.
She realised how much Spencer had come to love Ellie in just a few days and believed that Ellie needed both of her parents. Mom said that from now on, I would be the one who spent the most time with them, so she made me promise to do everything I could to help them reunite.
When Cora asked me if I could drive her home, I didn't want to disappoint her, but I remembered my promise to my mum. I sighed as I got into my car and returned to my apartment.
Upon entering, I noticed a few of Jess's belongings scattered in the living room. She had spent the night with me again, as she often did recently, but I didn't have time to wait for her to wake up, so I left before she was up.
After I began dating her, my opinion of her changed. Despite being younger than me and having a successful career as an actress in the film industry, her kind heart captured mine. Initially, she didn't know much about me; she thought I was just an ordinary man working for my father's company. However, as my feelings for her grew stronger, I found it increasingly challenging to confess that I hadn't reached out to her more often back then: I was the CEO of the well-known Astor Corporation.
During dinner one evening, she frowned and said she didn’t even know my name. Although I was worried she might call me a liar, I decided to be honest and tell her. At first, she struggled to find the right words, but she wasn’t angry with me. She said she understood why I had hesitated to reveal that I came from a wealthy family.
Jess wasn’t just a talented actress; she was also brilliant. We always had plenty to talk about; she was beautiful, and we were also perfect partners in bed. I had no reason to refuse her any longer and didn’t want to.
After she learned everything about my past and forgave me, I felt it was essential to be honest with her. I shared the entire story about my family. At first, I worried that it might be too much for her, but instead, she became very concerned about Cora, Ellie, and Spencer. I wasn’t surprised when she encouraged me to help them reconcile, just as my mum had done.
My mum had already met her, and I was delighted to see their immediate connection. I couldn’t wait to invite her to dinner, which everyone attended.
I undressed first and then made myself comfortable on the couch. As I settled in, my mobile vibrated with a message from Mum. She expressed her pride in me and mentioned that Cora and Spencer had arrived together. She noted that Spencer planned to stay with Ellie for the rest of the day, and Cora hadn't said anything about it.
I smiled at the message. Even though I found their relationship odd, I had to admit I was happy for them.
I continued doing nothing, which was boring. After an hour, I dressed and planned to join my family at my mum's house. However, just as I left my apartment, my phone vibrated again. I saw that the caller was my uncle Ryan Astor, our father's brother, whom I hadn't seen in a long time. I answered the call with a frown.
"Ethan, is that you?" he asked.
"Yes, Uncle Ryan. How may I help you?"
He sighed. "I received some bad news recently, and I want to know what is happening with my brother."
His question took me by surprise. I knew he had several agricultural companies in Kentucky, but rarely contacted us. We last met when I was about fourteen during a visit to his farm.
"What do you want to know?" I replied.
"Everything. I heard the whole story, and I'm shocked, to be honest. I called you to discuss how we can help Ray."
I sighed. "Ryan, I don't know who discussed Ray's case with you, but I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong idea."
There was a brief silence on the other end. "What?" he asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
"Ryan, the truth is that Ray did commit those acts. No one intends to help him."
"Ethan, are you serious? How can you believe such nonsense? I remember Cora and wasn’t surprised to hear what she did. And now she wants to send Ray to jail?"
I closed my eyes in disbelief.
"Ryan, I’m sorry to say this, but we have all the evidence showing that Ray is the culprit. Mum has hired the best legal team, and let me tell you, I’m surprised by what they’ve uncovered about my father."
"Ethan, how can you speak like that? Do you seriously defend that girl from the slums?"
"It’s not just me. Mum, Spencer, and I are all defending her because she did nothing but suffer from Ray's actions."
"I can't believe you think this way. Can you imagine what this case will do to your father? Are you aware that his life will be ruined?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes, I am aware of that. He will only get what he deserves."
"Ethan, I warn you. I’ll also contact my legal team and do everything I can to help my brother."
"You're free to do that, but it will only waste your money and time."
"Bye, Ethan," he said in frustration before hanging up on me. I took a deep breath and rushed down to my car.