She Was Forced to Marry a Poor Stranger — Unaware He Was a Billionaire Hiding His Identity
Chapter 2
Clara woke at six.
Ethan was already gone.
She found a note on the kitchen table.
Went for coffee. Back soon.
She frowned.
Then she noticed a second note beneath it.
Don’t worry. I won’t disappear.
For some reason, that made her smile.
She immediately stopped herself.
“This is absurd.”
They had been married less than twenty-four hours.
She wasn’t supposed to smile because he’d bought coffee.
When Ethan returned, he carried two cups.
“I didn’t know how you liked it.”
“Black.”
He handed it to her.
She took a sip.
It was perfect.
“How?”
He shrugged.
“Lucky.”
Clara sat down.
“Did you sleep?”
“Some.”
“What do you really do?”
He hesitated.
“I work in logistics.”
“You’ve said that.”
“It’s true.”
“What company?”
“Several.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You’re hiding something.”
“So are you.”
She froze.
“What?”
“The debt.”
Clara stared.
“My uncle said everything was settled.”
Ethan sat across from her.
“Was it?”
She didn’t answer.
He leaned forward.
“Your family’s business owes more than the amount your uncle told you.”
Clara’s expression changed.
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw the documents.”
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“I was a party to the agreement.”
She stood.
“My uncle said the debt was eight million.”
Ethan nodded.
“It’s closer to twenty-three.”
Clara’s knees nearly gave out.
“What?”
He caught her arm.
“Sit.”
She stared at him.
“How could you know that?”
“I’ve seen the creditors.”
“Who are you?”
Ethan looked at her.
“Someone who agreed to help.”
She pulled away.
“This isn’t helping.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
He hesitated.
“I will.”
“When?”
“When I know you’ll hear it.”
She hated that answer.
But there was something in his expression.
Something sincere.
That afternoon, Clara went to Bennett Industries.
The company belonged to her family.
Or what remained of it.
Employees looked frightened.
Invoices were unpaid.
Two major contracts had been canceled.
Her uncle was nowhere to be found.
She entered his office.
The desk was empty.
Then she found a folder.
Inside was a letter.
Clara,
I am sorry.
The company is in deeper trouble than I told you.
I borrowed against future contracts.
I used the family property as collateral.
And I sold controlling interest to an investor.
The investor’s name was missing.
Clara felt sick.
Someone else controlled the company.
She called Ethan.
“Where are you?”
“Outside.”
“What?”
He was standing across the street.
“How long have you been there?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Why?”
“Because someone has been watching you.”
She looked out the window.
A black SUV sat at the curb.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Ethan entered the building.
The way people reacted to him was strange.
A security guard stepped aside immediately.
A receptionist stopped talking.
The CFO hurried out of his office.
“Mr. Reed.”
Clara froze.
She looked at Ethan.
He gave the man a small nod.
Then he looked at Clara.
“Let’s go.”
“Why did he call you Mr. Reed?”
Silence.
“You said nobody here knew you.”
“They shouldn’t.”
Clara stared at him.
“What is happening?”
Ethan lowered his voice.
“I’ve been trying to keep you out of it.”
“Out of what?”
He looked toward the office where her uncle had worked.
“Your family’s company wasn’t ruined by accident.”
Clara’s heart pounded.
“Then who did it?”
Ethan looked at her.
“Someone who knew exactly where to strike.”
They left the building.
The black SUV was gone.
But Clara noticed something.
A man across the street was taking photographs.
Ethan saw him too.
The stranger disappeared into an alley.
Ethan’s expression hardened.
“This just became dangerous.”
Clara stared at him.
“How dangerous?”
“Dangerous enough that you need to stay with me.”
She almost laughed.
“You’re my husband.”
“Yes.”
“You’re a stranger.”
“Yes.”
“And now you’re telling me to trust you?”
Ethan looked into her eyes.
“I am.”
She didn’t know why.
But she did.
