Chapter 53 (Drama Channel)
Ethan''s POV
I was up early doing some extreme workouts in the gym when Halley came in.
"Good morning," she said as she stood, watching me with her doe eyes.
Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
"What''s up?" I asked, still running on the treadmill. I was determined to get in twenty miles.
"I have something you might be interested in seeing. I''ll be at my chambers." She left and left me
wondering what that was all about.
After Ipleted my twenty miles and refreshed, I went to check on Emma. She was still fast asleep,
wrapped up in the sheets like a burrito. I closed the door quietly and went to find Halley.
"This came over GSDC this morning. They interviewed your former COO." She handed me her tablet.
Linda was being interviewed by the host of the channel.
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Host: How long were two you having an affair?
Linda: Well, it wasn''t really an affair, it''s not like he was married.
Host: Wasn''t he engaged to Sharon Constantine?
Linda: Yes he was, but we were together before she even came along. It started when I began working
for hispany. He offered me the position of COO. Of course I was well qualified, but he just wanted
me closer to him.
Host: Aw, so a little office fever, huh?
Linda: ughs* Please don''t get me started on that. He was quite the lover.
Host: So what was the dispute between you and his current fiancee?
Linda: Oh, she was just doing what most typical fiancees do— mark their territory.
Host: So he was cheating on Sharon and Emma Cole with you?
Linda: Yes he was. And it blew up in Emma''s face when she found my underwear in his jacket.
Host: Oh, juicy stuff. What underwear was it?
Linda: *Laughs* Redce.
Audience and Host: Ooh.
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I couldn''t watched anymore of that shit. I handed the tablet back to Halley.
Linda was ndering my name. I admitted I touched her, but I never had sex with her. I was having
enough of this crap thrown at me and had been quiet and private about my life for far too long. I was
going to fight fire with fire.
I called my damage control manager so she could get me on the show ASAP.
__________________
"Good morning," Emma greeted, covering her mouth from a yawn.
"Hey, baby." I said as I got dressed.
"Where are you going?"
"GSDC studios."
"What? Why?"
"Because I''ve been quiet for far too long Emma, and everyone thinks they can throw shade at me and I
won''t react."
"Okay, but where''s thising from?"
"Linda Steele! She was on the showst week and I''m going to go clear some shit up."
Emma leaped out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom. "I''ming with you!"
"Well, hurry up! I''ll have the chef pack your breakfast; you can eat in the car. My damage control
manager set this up and I have to be there in the next hour."
"Okay!"
Emma was eating in the car while I was focusing on the road. My jaws tightened with anger and
frustration. My hold on the steering wheel tightened.
"We''re here," I told her as we pulled into the building''s parking lot.
I helped her out of the car and we made our way to the entrance. We were greeted by a show
organizer who wiped our faces of any traces of sweat and inserted microphones on our clothing.
The host who interviewed Linda met us backstage. "Thanks foring on. Are you two ready?"
"Yeah," Emma and I answered.
"Okay. Wait for my cue."
She ran out onstage. "Ladies and Gentlemen, wee back to Gossip and Sweet Drama Channel. I''m
your host, Leslie Anne Harty, and today in the studio, we have famous billionaire, Ethan Hollen, and his
fiancee, Emma Cole."
The audience apuded as we made our way to the seats on stage. Emma sat down next to me and I
took her hand in mine.
Host: Thank you foring here today. I believe you saw the interview we held with Linda Steele,
former COO of yourpany, Hollen Tower,st week; so, today, you''re here to set the record
straight?"
Me: That''s correct.
Host: So, firstly, was she telling the truth?
Me: She put things way out of proportion.
Host: borate on that for us.
Me: Five years ago, Iunched Hollen Tower, and, of course, I needed employees with qualifications by
my side to assist in its development. I hired Ms. Steele because she had the qualifications. Our
rtionship was strictly professional. I trusted Ms. Steele the most. She ran a lot of the operations of
thepany, especially when I was out of town or away on business trips. She was good at her job.
When I met my ex-fiancee, Sharon Constantine, Ms. Steele and I were never having an affair, nor did
we have an affair before Sharon."
Host: Oh, so she lied about that part. What was she telling the truth about?
Me: She was telling the truth about one asion in the office.
Audience: Oooohh
Me: Hold on, hear me out. I have this friend, and he came to see me one day at work. I was under a lot
of pressure— at home, at work. That friend and I started drinking. I got drunk and Ms. Steele came in
the office. We started dancing. My friend left. That was when I kissed her and we made out for a brief
moment, but there was no intercourse. I stopped it because I knew I was caught up in the moment and
would regret in the future. I told her to leave my office. I went to the bathroom. When I got home, my
fiancee, Emma, found her underwear in my jacket. Apparently, Linda put them there when I was in the
bathroom."
Host: Emma, did you believe him when he told you that story?
Emma: It''s not a story; It''s the truth. But I admit I didn''t believe him at first. We were having problems,
just like every other rtionship, so I thought that he started having an affair. But I asked myself, if he
was having an affair, why would he bring home someone''s panties in his jacket when I do theundry?
It just didn''t make any sense; he''s smarter than that."
Host: That does make some sense. So, Ethan, nothing happened?
Me: No. Nothing happened except for that one brief make out moment, which was due to alcohol.
Audience: *signing* me it on the alcohol.
Emma: Linda knows, definitely, that she''s lying. I love my fiance and I would stand by him through
anything because he loves me too."
Me: That''s right. This is the woman I love; the woman I intend to marry; and, Leslie, guess what? She''s
having my babies. Twins!"
Host: Aw, congrattions to the both of you. That''s tremendous news.
Audience: Congrattions!
Me: Thanks.
Host: Well, that''s all the time we have today, folks. And you''ve heard it from the man himself, Ethan
Hollen, and his beautiful fiancee, and mother of his unborn twins, Emma Cole."
Audience: *Loud apuse*
Emma and I walked off stage.
"Thank you so much foring and congrattions on the babies," the show organizer said to us as
we shook her hand.
"Thank you for having us," Emma said and we made our way to the car. "Are you alright?" I asked,
opening her door.
"Yes. Babe, do you smell something?" she asked as she sat, looking around the car as she threw her
purse on the floor.
I leaned my head into the car. There was a scent, like gasoline.
"Emma, get away from the car!" I shouted, but, by instinct, I had already grabbed her wrist, pulling her
from the car and running away from it, pulling her with me.
Less than twenty secondster the entire car went up in mes with a loud explosion. The floor shook
from the st. Car rms from the cars parked close to mine went off. ss shattered. Emma began
to cry in my arms as I held her tightly near the furthest elevator lobby of the parking lot.
"Shh, baby it''s okay. We''re okay!" I told her
People from the show began to run toward.
"What happened?" Leslie asked.
"We smelled gasoline and the car exploded just as we got out and ran over here," I summarized.
"Oh my goodness. Call 911!" she instructed to anyone who had a cellphone in their hands.
Emma''s was in the car, along with her purse, and mine had broken in my bag when the force mmed
us against the ss of the elevator lobby.