Three days later, the board contacted him.
Emergency restructuring meeting.
Aria squeezed his hand before he left.
"No matter what they offer," she said, "choose what gives you peace."
He nodded.
But peace had always been foreign to him.
The boardroom felt different this time.
Less arrogant.
More afraid.
"We need stability," Thomas Reed began.
"You had stability," Ethan replied. "You voted it out."
Clara spoke next.
"We want you reinstated."
He didn't react.
"Under one condition," Richard added carefully. "You distance yourself publicly from the scandal."
"Meaning?" Ethan's tone sharpened.
"Separate from Margaret entirely. And from… certain external influences."
They meant Aria.
Ethan leaned back slowly.
"You want me back because investors trust me."
"Yes."
"And you want her gone because she reminds you of what you did."
Silence.
He stood.
"You had your chance to choose integrity."
He walked out.
Again.
This time not defeated.
But free.
That night he told Aria.
"I turned it down."
She blinked.
"You didn't even hesitate?"
"I hesitated for years," he said softly. "Not anymore."
Should Ethan build a new company from scratch?
BUILD NEW or TAKE BACK THE OLD? 👇