Chapter 9: Rebuilding
Chapter 9: Rebuilding
The mansion on Willow Crest Drive was sold within a month. Ethan couldn't bear to let Ava step foot in that house again, nor did he want to be surrounded by the marble floors and golden lights that had masked such terrible darkness.
Instead, he bought a sprawling, warm farmhouse twenty miles outside of Nashville. It had hardwood floors that creaked, a wraparound porch, and a massive backyard surrounded by old oak trees. It wasn't a showpiece for billionaires; it was a home.
Ethan also made a shocking move in the business world. He stepped down as the active CEO of his tech company, taking a position as the Chairman of the Board. He delegated the day-to-day operations, the endless meetings, and the international flights.
"You're walking away from a fortune," his board members warned him.
"I already have my fortune," Ethan replied, turning his phone off.
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The transition wasn't magically perfect. Ava still had nightmares. Sometimes, a loud noise or a broken glass would send her into a panic, apologizing profusely as she scrambled to clean it up. But every single time, Ethan was there. He would sit on the floor with her, help her sweep up the mess, and remind her that she was safe, loved, and allowed to make mistakes.
They started therapy together, learning how to communicate, how to trust, and how to heal the fractured bond that Isabella had exploited.
