Chapter 158 Price

Chapter 158 Price
Hugo had spent the entire morning trying to hold Sinclair Group together with tape and prayers.
Shareholders were calling nonstop, reporters camped outside the building, employees frantic with rumours. Ethan was supposed to give a press address, something to calm the uproar, but he never showed. It was unlike Ethan to vanish, especially in a crisis. He was Max Sinclair's heir; he was raised to face storms, not run from them. And yet... he had disappeared.
The board was split. Some members were already sharpening their knives, eager to use this crisis to unseat him permanently. But others, especially those who respected Max, argued that whatever happened, Ethan still carried the Sinclair name, and that counted for something in a family empire.
Hugo had defended Ethan all day, but there was only so much he could do from behind a boardroom table.
By 4 p.m., he snapped.
"It's not even closing hour," his assistant reminded him when he grabbed his keys.
"I don't care," Hugo muttered, jaw tight. "If he won't come to the company, then the company will go to him."
The drive to Ethan's house felt longer than usual. Hugo's thoughts churned with dread. Ethan was proud, painfully so. What would this do to him? Being forced to step down, the media dragging him, the woman he cared about gone...
When the butler opened the front door, Hugo didn't wait to be announced.
He headed straight for Ethan's room. The hallway was dim, curtains drawn, as if the house itself was holding its breath.
He pushed the door open quietly.
Ethan was sprawled across the bed, one arm thrown over his eyes, shoes still on the floor where he'd kicked them off carelessly. His usually immaculate room was a mess, files scattered, his tie abandoned on the carpet, a half-finished glass of whiskey untouched on the nightstand. The man who never lost composure looked nothing like the polished CEO who walked into boardrooms with ice in his veins.
For a moment, Hugo just stood there. He had seen Ethan angry, furious, cold, ruthless... but never like this.
"Ethan," he called softly.
No response.
He walked closer. Ethan's chest rose and fell shallowly, his breathing uneven as if he hadn't slept properly in days. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling, but he didn't blink when Hugo stepped into his line of vision.
"Ethan." Hugo tried again, firmer this time.
Still nothing, not even a flicker of acknowledgment.
Hugo's heart tightened. He sat on the edge of the bed and spoke anyway, voice low, almost careful.
"You should have been at the conference today. The press is tearing you apart. The board is restless. I've been keeping things under control but... I need you." He exhaled shakily. "The company needs you."
Silence.
"What's the point, Hugo?"
Hugo swallowed hard. "The point is that it's not over. We fight back. We fix this. You get your position back."
Ethan let out an empty, humourless breath, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh of disbelief.
Hugo ran a hand through his hair, choosing his next words carefully. Ethan looked like one wrong sentence could shatter him completely, but time was slipping through their fingers.
"Ethan... the best solution right now is to speak to Sir Levi," Hugo said quietly.
Ethan's jaw clenched. He didn't lift his head, but his eyes shifted, just slightly.
"No."
"It's not a request," Hugo replied, trying to keep his tone light but firm. "Sir Levi respects you. If you explain what really happened"
Ethan gave a low, tired scoff. "You think he cares? He signed the suspension without blinking."
"He signed because he didn't have a choice," Hugo countered. "The board cornered him. But if you talk to him privately, he may help reverse it."
Ethan turned his face away, his voice flat. "I'm not begging anyone."
"This isn't begging, this is strategy," Hugo said, rising to his feet. "And right now, strategy is the only thing standing between you and losing everything your grandfather built."
Ethan's shoulders stiffened at the mention of Max Sinclair. For a second, something flickered in his eyes... pride, anger, pain, Hugo couldn't tell.
Hugo pressed on. "Sir Levi has influence. If he backs you, others will follow. But if you stay here" He gestured at the darkened room, the untouched whiskey, the undone tie. "This is how they win."
Ethan shut his eyes, exhaustion weighing heavily on his features. "I'm not going."
"Yes, you are."
"Hugo.."
"No." Hugo's voice cracked, his own frustration peeking through. "You don't get to give up, Ethan. Not like this. Not after everything you've fought for."
Silence hung, thick and suffocating.
Hugo stepped closer, his tone softening. "I know you're hurting. I know this is more than just the company. But if there is anyone, anyone, who can help us right now, it's Sir Levi."
Ethan shifted slightly, the first sign of internal battle. He hated being told what to do, but he knew Hugo wasn't wrong.
Hugo took advantage of the hesitation. "I'm not leaving this house without you. Either you walk out with me, or I drag you out. Your choice."
Ethan's glare was weak at best. "You wouldn't dare."
Hugo folded his arms. "Try me."
A few beats passed. Ethan's breathing grew heavier, like standing up was the greatest burden. But eventually, with a defeated exhale, he sat up. Hugo held out his hand, not in pity, but in solidarity.
Ethan ignored the hand, but he stood.
Minutes later, they were in Hugo's car. Ethan sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window, expression blank as the city lights blurred past. He didn't say a word the entire drive, but Hugo noticed his fingers tapping restlessly against his thigh... a sign of nerves Ethan would never admit to.
When they pulled up to Sir Levi's estate, large, well-guarded, intimidating in the night, Hugo turned to him.
They stepped out of the car.
They didn't wait to be announced. The butler had barely finished informing them that "Sir Levi is in his study" before Ethan was already walking, long strides, determined, Hugo rushing to keep up.
Ethan knew this house like the back of his hand. Too many childhood weekends had been spent here, learning manners, discipline, and control under Sir Levi's strict supervision. His feet moved instinctively through the familiar corridors, past the polished portraits and glass cabinets that never changed.
But as they approached the study, both men slowed.
The door, normally firmly shut, was wide open.
And a voice, sharp with fury, echoed from inside.
A woman's voice.
"...you had NO right making that decision without consulting me!"
Ethan and Hugo exchanged a quick look, both stepping back. Hugo reached for the door to quietly shut it, they shouldn't be listening. It was a private argument, and Ethan had no desire to be dragged into anyone else's conflict.
But the next sentence from the woman's voice slammed into them, hard enough to root both men to the floor, their breath stuck in their throats.
"I gave up my place as his mother just to ensure he was trained properly by Max!"
The words ricocheted through Ethan's skull.
Hugo's hand froze on the doorknob.
Ethan's heartbeat pounded in his ears raw, stunned, disbelieving.