The humidity in the hallway was suffocating, or maybe it was just the crushing weight of twenty-seven years of existence in the Miller household. Ethan adjusted his tie in the mirror, his hands trembling slightly. It wasn’t fear—it was adrenaline. Today was the day.
For three years, Miller & Co., the manufacturing firm his father, Robert, had inherited and run into the ground, had been bleeding money. Robert was a man of bluster and ego, refusing to adapt to modern markets. He spent company funds on luxury cars and vacations to keep up appearances, all while the ledger turned a deep, violent crimson.
Ethan, on the other hand, had spent those three years in the shadows. Under the pseudonym “E.M. Vance,” he had built a reputation as a savage corporate restructuring consultant. He worked remotely, late at night, fixing broken businesses for venture capital firms. He was the ghost in the machine, highly sought after and incredibly well-paid.
But his parents didn’t know that. To Robert and Linda Miller, Ethan was just the live-in disappointment who couldn’t find a “real job” and spent too much time on his computer. To them, the sun rose and set on Chloe, his twenty-year-old sister whose modeling career consisted mostly of Instagram posts and expensive entry fees for local pageants.
“Ethan!” his mother’s voice shrilled from the kitchen. “Why is your car still in the driveway?”
Ethan stepped out of his room, clutching his leather portfolio. Inside was the contract. The biggest private equity firm in the state, Blackwood Capital, had agreed to buy out Miller & Co.’s debt and save the company from liquidation. There was only one condition: E.M. Vance had to be installed as the acting CEO.
Ethan was going to save his father’s legacy, reveal his identity, and finally force them to respect him. The meeting with the Blackwood representative was in forty-five minutes.
“I’m leaving now, Mom,” Ethan said, reaching for his keys on the foyer table.
His hand hit empty wood.
He looked up. His mother, Linda, was dangling the keys in front of Chloe, who was checking her makeup in the hall mirror.
“Mom, I need those,” Ethan said, his voice tightening. “I have a meeting. A life-changing meeting.”
“Chloe has her regional competition today,” Linda said dismissively, dropping the keys into Chloe’s manicured hand. “She needs the car. Her Uber canceled, and she can’t arrive in a taxi. It looks cheap.”
“Take my car,” Chloe said without looking at him, smacking her lips together to test her gloss. “Yours has better AC anyway.”
“No,” Ethan said, stepping forward. “I am not missing this meeting. Chloe can take dad’s truck.”
“The truck is dirty!” Chloe whined.
The heavy footsteps of his father, Robert, thundered down the stairs. “What is this noise?”
“Ethan is being selfish again,” Linda sighed. “Refusing to help his sister.”
“I have an investor meeting,” Ethan insisted, looking his father in the eye. “Dad, listen to me. This is important. It’s about the company.”
Robert laughed—a harsh, barking sound. “The company? What would you know about business, boy? You fix spreadsheets for pocket change. Chloe is the one with the potential. She’s the face of this family.”
“I need the car,” Ethan said, his voice dropping an octave. He reached for Chloe’s hand to take the keys back.
Robert moved faster than a man of his size should have. He lunged, grabbing Ethan by the lapels of his suit jacket and slamming him hard against the drywall. Pictures rattled. The breath left Ethan’s lungs in a painful whoosh.
“Don’t you dare touch her,” Robert spat, his face inches from Ethan’s. “Your career is worthless. It’s a hobby. Chloe is going places. You? You’re here to support us. That is your function. Now get out of my sight before I throw you out of this house.”
Ethan looked at his father. He saw the veins bulging in Robert’s neck, the absolute contempt in his eyes. He looked at his mother, who was fussing over Chloe’s hair, completely ignoring the violence. He looked at Chloe, who was smirking, twirling the key ring on her finger.
They don’t want to be saved, Ethan realized. The thought washed over him like ice water, crisp and clarifying. They don’t deserve to be saved.
The contract in his portfolio felt heavy. It was a lifeline. A pardon.
Ethan gently placed his hands on his father’s wrists. He didn’t push. He just waited. The lack of resistance confused Robert, who loosened his grip.
Ethan smoothed his lapels. He took a deep breath. The anger that had burned in his gut for years flickered and went out, replaced by a profound, peaceful indifference.
“Alright,” Ethan said softly.
“What?” Robert blinked, expecting a fight.
“I said, alright. You’re right, Dad. My career… it shouldn’t get in the way of Chloe’s big day.” Ethan offered a small, polite smile. “Go ahead. Good luck, Chloe.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Finally.” She strutted out the door, the parents trailing her to the porch to wave her off like she was royalty departing for a coronation.
Ethan walked calmly into the living room. He sat on the sofa and pulled out his phone. He opened the text thread with Marcus Sterling, the senior partner at Blackwood Capital.
Ethan: Emergency came up. Family matters. I am withdrawing my recommendation for the Miller & Co. acquisition.
Sterling: You’re the lynchpin, Vance. No you, no deal. Are you sure? The audit shows they are insolvent. They’ll collapse by Monday.
Ethan: I know. Let it burn. I’m out.
Sterling: Understood. Terminating the offer immediately.
Ethan powered off his phone. He walked to the kitchen, made himself a cup of coffee, and sat on the back porch, watching the birds.
When his parents came back inside, high on the thrill of sending Chloe off, they ignored him. Robert went to his home office to pour a scotch, muttering about how Chloe was going to make them rich.
Twenty minutes later, the screaming started.
“No! No, that’s impossible! Get me Sterling on the phone!”
Ethan took a sip of coffee.
Robert burst out of the office, his face a mask of purple rage and sheer terror. He was clutching the landline phone. “Ethan! Where is your cell phone?”
“Off,” Ethan said calmly.
“Turn it on! The bank… Blackwood Capital just pulled the bailout! They sent a courier letter rescinding the offer citing ‘loss of key personnel.’ Who did they talk to? Why is this happening?”
Ethan stood up slowly. “They were buying the debt because of me, Dad.”
Robert froze. “You? What are you talking about?”
“I’m E.M. Vance,” Ethan said. The name hung in the air.
Robert’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. Even he knew the name. Everyone in the industry knew the name.
“I arranged the deal,” Ethan continued, his voice steady. “I was going to step in, restructure the debt, and save your company. I was on my way to sign the papers to become the new CEO. But…” Ethan shrugged. “You told me my career was worthless. You told me Chloe was the future. So, I decided not to be selfish. I gave her the car.”
“You… you canceled the meeting?” Linda whispered, horror dawning on her face.
“I canceled the bailout,” Ethan corrected. “Miller & Co. is bankrupt. You have nothing. The house, the cars, the club memberships… the bank will take it all within the month.”
“Fix it,” Robert commanded, though his voice shook. “Call them back. Fix it right now!”
Ethan picked up his portfolio. “No. I don’t think I will. I have a flight to catch. Sterling offered me a position in New York if this deal fell through. I think I’ll take it.”
He walked past his father, who looked suddenly old and frail. He walked past his mother, who was sobbing into her hands.
At the front door, he paused and looked back at the keys to the truck sitting on the hook—the truck Chloe was too good to drive.
“You might want to call Chloe,” Ethan said over his shoulder. “Tell her she needs to win that competition. She’s the only breadwinner now.”
He grabbed the truck keys, walked out the door, and didn’t look back.
