---- Chapter 24 Richard Carter, his face purple with rage, strode over to Ethan and struck him. A hard, open-handed blow that sent Ethan sprawling. "You are no son of mine!" Richard roared. Ethan got to his feet, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. He looked not at his father, but at Ava, a wild, defiant glint in his eyes. "See, Ava? See what I'm willing to endure for you?" Ava felt a chill. His obsession was no longer just pathetic; it was frightening. This would not end well. She also felt a growing unease about the Carter family's reaction to her. Were they blaming her, even subconsciously, for Ethan's meltdown, for the public spectacle? Liam, sensing her distress, pulled her close. "Don't worry about them," he murmured. "They know this is Ethan's doing, not yours. | won't let them treat you any differently." Life settled into a strange new rhythm. Ava and Liam built their quiet life together, but the shadow of Ethan's vow loomed. They heard updates, through the society grapevine, of Ethan's struggles. He'd started a rival investment firm, trying to poach Carter clients. But without the family name, the resources, the connections, he was floundering. His recklessness led to significant losses. ---- He was living in a small, rented apartment, a far cry from his Tribeca loft. He was working himself to the bone, fueled by coffee and his burning obsession. He still didn't regret his choice. Every setback only hardened his resolve. He would prove them all wrong. He would win. Months passed. One crisp autumn afternoon, Ava was walking in Central Park, enjoying a rare moment alone. She turned a corner and there he was. Ethan He looked... terrible. Thin, haggard, dark circles under his eyes. His expensive suit was rumpled, his hair unkempt. He looked like a man running on fumes. Their eyes met. Ava offered a brief, polite nod, her expression carefully neutral, and started to walk past him. "Ava... wait..." he croaked, his voice raspy. He took a step towards her, then stumbled, his face suddenly pale. He pitched forward, collapsing onto the path. Ava rushed to his side, her medical training kicking in despite herself. He was unconscious, his breathing shallow. She called 911. Ethan woke up in a hospital bed, the now-familiar scent of antiseptic filling his nostrils. He felt weak, disoriented. He heard voices from the hallway. A nurse, talking to someone. "yes, Mrs. Carter, your husband, Mr. Liam Carter, is just signing some papers. You can see your brother-in-law in a moment... Oh, and congratulations again on the baby! Such wonderful news!" ---- Baby? Ava was pregnant? With Liam's child? The news hit Ethan with the force of a physical blow. A baby. A family. Everything he'd wanted, everything he'd thrown away, now belonged to his brother. It was the final, irrevocable nail in the coffin of his hopes. He had lost. Utterly. Completely. When Ava and Liam entered the room a few minutes later, their faces etched with a mixture of concern and weariness, Ethan pretended to be asleep. He couldn't face them. He couldn't bear to see their pity, or worse, their happiness. He lay there, eyes closed, listening to their hushed voices, the quiet rustle of Ava's coat as Liam helped her with it. He was consumed by a regret so profound, so absolute, it was a living torment. It was too late. It had always been too late, from the moment he'd chosen his selfish dream over the reality of Ava's love. He had destroyed everything. And now, he had nothing. Months later, Ava and Liam welcomed their daughter, Eleanor Ava Carter, named in a gesture of reconciliation towards Ethan's mother, who had, over time, shown Ava genuine warmth and acceptance. Two anonymous gifts arrived for the baby. One was a substantial trust fund, established through a series of complex offshore accounts. Untraceable, officially. But Liam's investigators quietly confirmed it was linked to Ethan's new, surprisingly successful, albeit smaller-scale, international ventures. He had, it seemed, finally found a measure of success, far from New York, far from them ---- The other gift was a collection of rare, first-edition children's books. Beautifully bound, timeless classics. It arrived with a simple, unsigned card, postmarked from a small town in the Italian countryside. Chloe. Ava looked at Liam, a quiet understanding passing between them. The haze of the past, the pain, the betrayals, had finally lifted. They turned their attention back to their daughter, to their future, a future built on honesty, respect, and a love that was real, enduring, and hard-won. The Hudson River haze had cleared, revealing a bright, clear path ahead.