Chapter 4: The Counter-Attack
Chapter 4: The Counter-Attack
By Thursday, Isabella realized she was completely locked out. Her platinum cards were declined at the country club. The security team had boxed up her personal belongings and placed them in a storage unit, changing the locks and access codes on the Willow Crest estate.
Cornered, Isabella chose to strike first.
Ethan’s phone exploded with notifications. Isabella had gone straight to a prominent Nashville lifestyle blog and local news outlets. The headline read: NASHVILLE BILLIONAIRE LOCKS WIFE OUT, FLEES WITH TRAUMATIZED DAUGHTER.
In the interview, Isabella played the victim flawlessly. She wept on camera, claiming Ethan was a controlling, absent husband who suffered from paranoid delusions. She spun a sickening tale, alleging that Ava was a troubled, rebellious child who needed structure, and that Ethan had kidnapped her in a manic episode.
"He's destroying our family," Isabella sobbed to the reporter, dabbing her dry eyes with a tissue. "I just want my husband to get the psychological help he needs, and I want my sweet stepdaughter back home."
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Ethan watched the broadcast from the hotel suite, muting the television as Ava slept in the next room. His public relations team was in a frenzy, begging him to release a statement.
"Do nothing," Ethan texted his lead PR manager. "Let her talk. Let her dig the hole as deep as she wants."
