Chapter 4

The night before the trial, I received an urgent call from Ethan's assistant, Marcus.

He informed me that Ethan had abruptly withdrawn our key anonymous witness from the court filing.

I couldn't believe my ears.

To protect Hailey's reputation, Ethan was willing to throw my father's entire defense under the bus!

Clutching the witness files, I barged into Ethan's corner office like a woman possessed.

When I threw the door open, Hailey was sitting comfortably on his leather sofa.

Ethan was leaning over his desk under the warm lamp, patiently explaining to her how the opposing lawyers might try to cross-examine her in her own divorce settlement.

The scene was so cozy it made my blood run cold.

"Ethan Vance!" I slammed the files onto his desk. "Why did you withdraw my father's key witness?"

He took off his gold-rimmed glasses, rubbed his temples, and spoke in a dismissive, matter-of-fact tone.

"That witness is a liability. His financial background is messy, and his testimony would inevitably drag Hailey's personal finances into the spotlight. It would ruin her ongoing settlement."

He said it so logically, as if my father's life was a fair price to pay.

"But that witness is my dad's only hope of proving he was framed!" I screamed, my voice cracking with rage.

Ethan looked at me with the smug confidence of an elite corporate attorney.

"Maya, you need to trust my professional expertise. Even without that witness, I have plenty of ways to win this trial."

On the sofa, Hailey stood up, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she put on her classic innocent act.

"Maya, please don't be mad. I didn't want to hurt your dad..."

She sniffled, adding another dose of pure poison: "But you're rich. You can afford to have Ethan protect you. Me? I have no one else but Ethan."

I turned my cold gaze to her. "Hailey, tell me honestly. Who is the one hurting who here?"

Hailey's face stiffened.

Ethan immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her from my gaze. "Maya! Watch your tone! Hailey is a vulnerable victim of domestic abuse. Any negative press could push her over the edge. Protecting her is a matter of basic human decency!" He used his grand, moralistic tone to justify his blatant favoritism.

"As the lead counsel, I have to manage all risks."

"Really?" I let out a bitter, cold laugh. "So the risk of my father's company going bankrupt and his reputation being destroyed is less important than Hailey being mildly criticized by the public?"

Once again, when forced to choose between me and Hailey, he chose Hailey without a single second of hesitation.

Hailey stepped out from behind him, holding out a cheap, fabric protection charm she had bought online.

"Maya, please don't pressure Ethan. He's already so stressed. Take this. It'll bring your dad good luck."

With a sudden wave of fury, I smacked her hand away. The cheap charm flew across the room and hit the wall.

"Get out!" I snarled.

Ethan's face turned icy cold.

"Hailey already apologized to you. What more do you want?"

He declared with absolute authority, "The witness list is locked. I am the attorney here, and I make the decisions. Stop trying to tell me how to do my job!"

I looked at him, and suddenly, the urge to fight just evaporated.

I nodded slowly, turned around, and walked out.

Behind me, Hailey's quiet sniffling instantly turned into comforted whispers from Ethan.

I leaned against the cold wall at the end of the long hallway. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

It was my father.

I answered it, blinking back my tears, and kept my voice steady. "Everything is under control, Dad."

At the other end of the hall, the elevator doors opened.

I watched Ethan personally escort Hailey out of the building.

Under the dim parking garage lights, the silver St. Christopher medal around Hailey's neck caught the light, gleaming like a cruel joke.