“So this is where you hide, spending time with employees and their children while I fix the mess you left behind.”
The words struck like a slap, and Ethan stood up immediately while Avery dropped her toy in the sand. Rachel remained still, but her eyes turned sharp with controlled tension.
“Do not start, Victor,” she said firmly.
He laughed bitterly and replied, “Do not start, I have been calling you for weeks while you disappear like none of this matters.”
Ethan stepped forward slightly and said, “There is a child here.”
Victor ignored him and asked mockingly, “And who are you supposed to be?”
Rachel intervened before things escalated and said, “He is a colleague, and this is none of your concern.”
Victor pointed at Ethan with a smirk and said, “Of course, just another colleague benefiting from what you took from my brother.”
Ethan frowned while Rachel closed her eyes briefly, already expecting what would come next.
“Leave now,” she said firmly.
“Not until you tell me what you will do with the company,” Victor replied, “because some of that belonged to my family.”
Avery moved closer to Ethan, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders while tension filled the air.