Chapter 3: The Truth Beneath the Surface
Hours later, the storm hadn’t settled.
Ethan sat alone in a private office, hands shaking.
Across from him sat Elena.
No crowd.
No cameras.
Just truth.
“I’m going to ask you one last time,” she said. “Why?”
Ethan exhaled slowly, defeated.
“…Because I thought I could,” he admitted.
The words tasted bitter.
“I built myself up from nothing,” he continued. “I worked my way into this world… and somewhere along the way, I started believing that staying on top meant pushing others down.”
Elena studied him.
Not with sympathy.
But with understanding.
“That’s not strength,” she said. “That’s fear disguised as power.”
Ethan lowered his head.
May you like
“I know,” he whispered.
For the first time, he meant it.
