Billionaire Pretended to Be Poor to Test His Fiancée – What Happened Next Shocked Everyone!
Chapter 4
Two days later, Victoria called with an emergency.
“Ethan, I need to see you.”
They met at her apartment.
Her mother was there.
So was Madison.
Ethan immediately knew something was wrong.
Victoria’s mother, Eleanor Bennett, was holding a folder.
“Sit down,” she said.
Ethan remained standing.
“I’d rather not.”
Eleanor placed the folder on the table.
“This is about the wedding contract.”
Ethan frowned.
“What contract?”
Victoria looked uncomfortable.
Eleanor opened the folder.
“It was prepared before your recent financial difficulties.”
Ethan slowly took the papers.
He read them.
His expression changed.
The document was not a standard prenuptial agreement.
It included clauses granting Victoria access to several family trusts if Ethan died during the marriage.
It also contained provisions that would give her significant influence over personal assets.
Assets Ethan had never intended to include.
He looked at Victoria.
“You knew about this?”
She said nothing.
“Victoria.”
“My mother handled the legal side.”
Ethan laughed quietly.
“You knew.”
Victoria finally stood.
“Everyone signs agreements.”
“Not like this.”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
Ethan closed the folder.
“Am I?”
Eleanor crossed her arms.
“You’re not in a position to be difficult anymore.”
The room went silent.
Ethan slowly looked at her.
“What did you say?”
Eleanor realized what she had revealed.
But she didn’t apologize.
Instead, she said:
“You’ve lost your leverage.”
Victoria whispered, “Mom.”
But Ethan wasn’t listening anymore.
He looked at Victoria.
She looked away.
That was all he needed.
Ethan placed the folder back on the table.
“Thank you.”
Victoria frowned.
“For what?”
“For finally being honest.”
He walked toward the door.
Victoria followed.
“Ethan, wait.”
He turned.
“What?”
“You’re overreacting.”
“No.”
His voice was calm.
“For the first time in months, I think I’m reacting exactly the right amount.”
He left.
Victoria called after him.
He didn’t stop.
Outside, Ethan stood on the sidewalk.
He felt strangely empty.
Not angry.
Not devastated.
Just finished.
He called Marcus.
“It’s over.”
Marcus exhaled.
“Finally.”
“Yeah.”
“You okay?”
Ethan looked across the street.
“No.”
Then he paused.
“But I will be.”
That evening, he went to Maggie’s.
Lily saw his face.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“Today was a ten.”
Ethan sat down.
“You said seven last time.”
“You’ve upgraded.”
He smiled weakly.
Lily brought him coffee.
Then she sat across from him.
He told her.
Not every detail.
But enough.
When he finished, Lily was silent.
Then she said:
“You did the right thing.”
“It doesn’t feel like it.”
“Most difficult things don’t.”
Ethan looked at her.
“Do you ever regret doing the right thing?”
Lily thought about it.
“Yes.”
He laughed.
“That wasn’t inspiring.”
“But eventually,” she said, “you regret doing the wrong thing more.”
For the first time, Ethan told her the truth.
Almost.
“I wasn’t really poor.”
Lily blinked.
“What?”
“I was pretending.”
She stared at him.
“What kind of person pretends to be broke?”
“A paranoid one.”
She laughed.
Then stopped.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To see if my fiancée loved me.”
Lily stared at him for several seconds.
Then she leaned back.
“And?”
“She didn’t.”
Lily’s expression softened.
Ethan continued.
“But now I have another problem.”
“What?”
“You know too much.”
She smiled.
“I already knew you were weird.”
He laughed.
Then Lily looked at him more seriously.
“So who are you really?”
Ethan hesitated.
He could tell her.
One name.
One explanation.
And everything between them might change.
Instead, he said:
“Someone trying to figure out who he wants to be.”
Lily nodded.
“That, I understand.”
But Ethan didn’t notice the man sitting in a car across the street.
The man had been watching him for nearly an hour.
And moments later, that man sent Victoria a photograph.
Ethan and Lily.
Together.
Victoria stared at the image.
Then slowly smiled.
If Ethan thought she was going to let him walk away that easily, he didn’t know her at all.
