Chapter 6 - Shadows on the Estate
The retaliatory strike from the board was swift, dirty, and public.
By noon the following day, tabloid headlines and financial blogs were flooded with leaked stories targeting Hannah Brooks.
THE MAID WHO FELL INTO MILLIONS.
SCHEMING WIDOW MANIPULATES TRAUMATIZED MERCER HEIR.
INSIDE THE SHADY PAST OF CALEB BROOKS.
Smear articles claimed Caleb had a history of workplace infractions, that Hannah was facing bankruptcy before moving into the Mercer Estate, and that Ethan was suffering from severe emotional instability following his father's death anniversary.
In the east cottage, Hannah sat at the kitchen table, staring at a printout of an article on her phone. Her hands shook violently. They were digging into her past, dragging Caleb's memory through the mud, calling her an opportunistic intruder.
A soft knock at the door signaled Ethan's arrival. He walked in holding two thick legal files, his face dark with fury.
"Don't read those stories, Hannah," Ethan said, walking over and gently taking the phone from her hands. "It's Richard Sterling’s legal team. They are trying to provoke a reaction so we lose our focus before the shareholder vote."
"They're calling Caleb a reckless worker, Ethan," Hannah said, her voice breaking as tears finally overflowed down her cheeks. "He worked himself to the bone for that company. He took extra shifts so Sophie could have dance lessons. And now they're calling him a criminal to protect their own money!"
Ethan pulled a chair beside her and sat down. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close into his chest. Hannah buried her face in his shoulder, her shoulders shaking as she wept freely for the first time since her husband's death.
"I won't let them ruin his name, Hannah," Ethan whispered into her hair, holding her tight. "I promise you on my life. They think money buys silence. They're about to find out what real accountability looks like."
Sophie ran into the kitchen from her bedroom, holding her teddy bear. She saw her mother crying and immediately squeezed onto Ethan’s lap, wrapping her tiny arms around both of them.
"Don't cry, Mommy," Sophie said softly. "Ethan will protect us."
Ethan looked down at the little girl, feeling an overwhelming wave of warmth and fierce protectiveness wash over him. He kissed the top of Sophie's head, then looked at Hannah, whose eyes met his through her tears.
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In that quiet kitchen, amidst the storm of corporate greed and media lies, the three of them looked like something Ethan had never believed he would have: a family.
"They think I'm doing this out of madness," Ethan whispered, gazing softly at Hannah. "They don't understand that for the first time in my life, I am completely sane."
