---- Chapter 16 16 Chloe continued to rant. About her ruined reputation. Her lost investment. Her unfair treatment by the press. She didn't once ask him if he was okay. Didn't offer him a glass of water, an ice pack. Nothing. Ethan thought of Ava. How she would have fussed over him. How her eyes would have filled with concern. How she would have gently cleaned his wounds, her touch feather-light. The contrast was stark. Painful. He closed his eyes, a wave of dizziness washing over him. His injuries, combined with the emotional toll, were too much. He slumped forward, consciousness fading. He woke up in a hospital bed. Again. This time, it was a public hospital. No Cole family connections pulling strings. He heard a familiar voice. Chloe She was on her phone, in the hallway. Loud. Agitated. "yes, a live stream! Right now! | need to tell my side of the story!" He struggled to sit up. His head was pounding. ---- He saw a TV in the corner of the room. It was on. A news channel. And there was Chloe. On the screen. Tears streaming down her face. Looking artfully distressed. She was live on social media, from what looked like the hospital waiting room. "..andthat horrible woman, Ava Cole, my ex-husband's ex-wife... she did this! She's always been jealous of me, of my success, of Ethan's love for me!" Chloe held up a piece of paper. The divorce papers Ethan had left on his desk. Ava's signature clearly visible. "She's trying to destroy me! She sabotaged my restaurant! These divorce papers prove how bitter and vindictive she is! She couldn't stand that Ethan chose me!" Ethan felt a surge of rage so powerful it almost choked him. He ripped the IV from his arm, ignoring the pain He staggered out of the room, towards Chloe. She was still broadcasting, oblivious. "she's a monster! A manipulative..." "Chloe!" His voice was a roar. She jumped, startled, her phone clattering to the floor but still streaming. "Ethan! What are you doing out of bed?" "Stop it, Chloe! Stop these lies!" He was shaking with fury. "Ava had nothing to do with this! You know it!" ---- Chloe's eyes narrowed. The tears vanished. "Don't be naive, Ethan. It's good publicity. People love a good catfight. A scorned ex-wife. It sells." She actually smirked. "You need to retract everything you said. Publicly. Now." His voice was dangerously low. Chloe laughed. A harsh, ugly sound. "Retract? Are you insane? This is my chance to be the victim! The survivor!" "You are the perpetrator, Chloe! Not Ava! Ava is the victim here! Of your lies! Of my... my blindness!" Chloe's face hardened. "What's gotten into you, Ethan? Don't tell me... don't tell me you've actually fallen in love with that pathetic, boring little mouse?" The question hung in the air. Fallen in love with Ava?