WHO IS THAT FROM”
+25 BONUS
WHO IS THAT FROM?
Scarlett
Ethan’s jaw clenched so tightly Theard his teeth grind. His pride was bleeding out right in front of him, but greed had always been stronger than dignity where he was concerned.
“Hold on a second,” Ethan cut in quickly, shaking himself out of his daze. “I’m the CEO of EH pharmaceuticals. Scarlett is just assisting with the research, so surely, Hartley Global should be working directly with me.”
Mr. Alfred barely glanced at him. “That would have been possible if the patents belonged to you, Mr. Ethan. However, the ownership document clearly states that Mrs. Scarlett is the sole inventor and patent holder, which means any cooperation regarding the drug must go through her.”
His gaze shifted toward me. “Unless, of course, you still intend to transfer the patents to your husband, Mrs. Scarlett.”
My fingers tightened lightly around the folder, the smooth edges of the patent certificate pressing against my skin. The last time these papers had left my hands, I had willingly walked into my own grave.
I would not walk into that trap again.
“I did, I’m afraid the transfer process might be currently stuck in the systembut.” I looked at Ethan, my eyes wide and full of worry. I leaned in, my voice trembling slightly. “If you’re uncomfortable with this…. we can decline. I don’t want you to look like an accessory in your own company.”
Ethan froze. He looked at Alfred’s cold indifference and then at the ten-million-dollar opportunity. Greed instantly crushed his remaining shreds of dignity.
“…No, it’s fine,” Ethan said, forcing a twisted smile. “Scarlett, your name is EH’s name. Signing the contract is the same thing.”
“Are you sure, Ethan?”
“Yes,” he lied through his teeth. “It’s fine.”
Mr. Alfred adjusted the cuff of his suit calmly. “Wonderful. Then, do we have an agreement, Mrs. Scarlett?”
I watched Ethan from the corner of my eye. In my previous life, he had stood above me like a master while I handed over all I
owned with both hands.
And now? Now whether his business deal fell through or not depended on the words that came out of my lips.
Reaching into my bag, I handed Alfred a sleek ivory business card. “Yes, we do Please contact me personally regarding future discussions.”
୮
Rising to his feet, Alfred accepted the card. “I certainly will. Looking forward to working with you, Mrs. Scarlett.”
The door clicked shut behind himn minutes later.
I slowly gathered the documents off the table, shifting my mask back to one of concerned confusion. “Ethan? Why are you just standing there? You just handed over the partnership to me. How could you agree to that without protecting your own position first?”
Ethan yanked at his tie harshly. “It was either that or lose ten million dollars on the spot!”
There it was–the real Ethan. Not loving, concerned, or devoted..
He dragged a hand through his hair before lowering his voice. “And while we’re discussing this, why didn’t you tell me the patent transfer failed?”
I blinked slowly. “What? But I did transfer them.”
WHO IS THAT R
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“You obviously didn’t!” His voice cracked louder this time. Pulling out his phone, Ethan logged into his company’s internal systern, his fingers moving faster the more desperate he became.
Then, his face drained of color. “It shows here that the transfer was unsuccessful.’
“W-What?” I stuttered. “But that’s not possible. I thought it was stuck in the system.”
He refreshed the page three more times, but nothing changed. Panic flashed across his face. “Most of the company’s deal depends on those patents, Scarlett! Couldn’t you have made sure the transfer went through?!”
The sharpness in his tone made my shoulders stiffen because, for a second, I remembered this version of Ethan. He must have noticed the slight shift in my expression because Ethan’s demeanor softened almost instantly, like a snake changing colors.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you,” he murmured, stepping closer and pulling me into his arms.
The scent of vanilla musk perfume off him nearly made me gag, as it was the same cologne he had worn the same day he pushed me down his office stairs.
A cold nausea rolled through my stomach.
“You know how important those patents are,” Ethan continued softly, his palm moving against my back. “You’ve never liked handling complicated business matters. That’s why I have always taken care of everything for you.”
Liar. I felt nothing but a wave of profound disgust. It was the same old script he used whenever he wanted to strip me of my leverage.
“You’re my wife, Scarlett. What’s mine is yours and vice versa, so it shouldn’t matter whose name those patents are under.”
If ownership truly didn’t matter to him, he wouldn’t be sweating through his tailored suit just to get his hands on them.
I gently pulled away from his embrace, my voice laced with feigned hesitation. “Although the transfer failed, we are married after all. I can still help you. I’m willing to sign an exclusive authorization agreement, granting EH Pharmaceuticals the right to use these patents.”
His eyes lit up immediately. Hooked. Greed was such an easy leash to pull.
“An authorization agreement? That… that’s a solution.” He took a deep breath, puffing out his chest to project an air of magnanimity, desperate to hide the embarrassment of his earlier failure. “Since you’re willing to help, let’s settle on that.”
I tilted my head slightly, my gaze sweeping over his expensive, tailored suit. My voice was light, yet it pierced through his fragile dignity like a needle.
“I could even authorize it for free, honestly. I just worry… what if people in the office start whispering? What if they say Ethan couldn’t negotiate a simple agreement on his own and is just living off his wife?”
1 deliberately emphasized the words living off his wife, casting a side-long glance at the staff outside the conference room who
were watching the scene unfold.
Ethan’s face turned an ugly shade of gray, as if he’d been slapped hard in public. The weight of his employees’ gazes made him
squirm.
“Who says I’m relying on you?!” he roared, his face flushed a deep, vein-popping red.
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he shouted before he could even think, “I’ll match Alfred’s offer and pay you directly! I’ll show everyone that I’m not a leech!”
The bait had been swallowed whole. I watched his flustered, performative display with a cold, internal sneer.
“Since you insist on paying,” I said, suppressing my derision as I slid the checkbook toward him, “then by all means, Ethan, please sign the check now. After all, business is business between husband and wife-my lawyer will need to audit this entry”
WHO IS THAT FROM?
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Trapped by his own ego, he grabbed the checkbook, scribbling his signature with trembling hands before shoving the check into my palm.
I tucked the check into my bag, right next to my legal documents. This ten million was supposed to buy him a partnership, but to me, it was just the refund for the years he spent treating me like his unpaid employee.
My phone buzzed softly inside my bag. I checked to see a message from Leonard
“Time and location confirmed for blind date with Adrian Hartley,’ it read.
I had almost forgotten about that arrangement entirely.
“What is it?” Seeing me staring at the phone, Ethan leaned in, his voice dripping with suspicion. “Who is that from?”
