Chapter 5 - The Lake Forest Fortress
The Mercer estate in Lake Forest was not a house; it was an eighteenth-century French chateau set behind fifteen-foot iron gates, surrounded by hundreds of acres of manicured oak forests and private security patrols.
As our convoy wound up the cobblestone drive, sunlight caught the gleaming stone pillars, massive fountains, and manicured hedges of the sprawling compound.
I looked down at my clothes. I had changed into a simple, elegant navy wool dress that Ethan’s staff had quickly sourced for me, but I still felt deeply out of place among the towering marble statues and uniformed footmen standing near the front entrance.
Ethan held my hand firmly as we stepped through the double oak doors into a grand foyer featuring a dual staircase and a ceiling painted with intricate renaissance frescoes.
Standing at the top of the grand staircase was a woman.
Julianna Mercer was in her late fifties, but she possessed the timeless, striking beauty that only immense wealth and world-class care could maintain. She wore an impeccably tailored emerald-green silk gown, her silver-blonde hair pulled back into a flawless twist. Her eyes were sharp, dark green, and entirely unreadable.
Beside her stood a younger woman with striking features, wearing a white designer jumpsuit and holding a glass of white wine. I instantly recognized her from business magazines: Charlotte Vance, daughter of the Senator from Illinois and heiress to Vance Energy.
"Ethan," Julianna’s voice echoed down the marble foyer, cool and commanding. "You have caused quite a spectacle in the city today. The family’s PR firm has been working non-stop for three hours to control the media storm."
Ethan didn't bow his head. He stood tall, keeping me firmly at his side as we stepped toward the center of the room.
"Hello, Mother," Ethan replied evenly. "I believe you remember Emma."
Julianna descended the staircase with slow, measured grace, her high heels clicking softly against the marble. Charlotte Vance followed behind her, her eyes scanning me from head to toe with a cool, calculating amusement.
Julianna stopped five feet away from us. Her eyes dropped briefly to my bandage-covered wrist, then to the sapphire ring on my finger, before finally landing on my face.
"Miss Collins," Julianna said, her tone devoid of any warmth. "I hear you had quite a dramatic afternoon on Oak Street. A public brawl outside a bridal shop is hardly the kind of press the Mercer family invites."
My blood boiled slightly, but I forced myself to remain completely calm, standing up straight.
"It wasn't a brawl, Mrs. Mercer," I replied clearly, my voice steady. "I was assaulted by a security guard after being insulted by the boutique owner. Ethan simply made sure justice was served."
Julianna raised a fine eyebrow, clearly surprised by my lack of stuttering or submission.
"Justice?" Charlotte Vance chimed in with a light, airy laugh, taking a sip of her wine. "Charlotte Vance, by the way, Miss Collins. In our world, darling, we don't send seven armored SUVs and ruin commercial leases over a little rudeness from a retail clerk. It’s... a bit uncouth, don't you think? It screams new money."
Ethan stepped forward, his body blocking Charlotte’s view of me. "Charlotte, if you insult my fiancée again in my presence, I will personally revoke Vance Energy's transport access to our Gulf ports."
Charlotte’s eyes flashed with anger, but she immediately backed down, knowing Ethan’s power in Mercer Global was absolute if he chose to exercise it.
Julianna raised her hand, silencing Charlotte. She looked at her son with a cold, analytical expression.
"Ethan," Julianna said softly. "We need to speak privately in the library. Now."
Ethan looked at me, hesitant.
"Go," I whispered to him, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I can handle myself for ten minutes."
Ethan stared at his mother for a long moment. "Ten minutes, Mother. Not a second more."
He followed Julianna into the massive oak-paneled library down the hall, leaving me alone in the grand foyer with Charlotte Vance and two uniformed butler staff.
May you like
Charlotte smiled, stepping closer to me, her eyes glinting like a hawk watching a mouse.
"You really think you're going to marry him, don't you, little nurse?" Charlotte murmured, her voice dripping with poison. "You think because he played hero today that you belong here? Let me tell you a secret, Emma. Julianna Mercer has already arranged Ethan's political merger. And it isn't with a hospital clerk who lives in a rented apartment."
