THE BILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER FELL IN LOVE WITH HER UBER DRIVER
Chapter 6
The report was eighteen pages long.
Most of it contained technical details Sophia barely understood.
But three pages mattered.
Ethan had documented unauthorized component replacements on several aircraft.
Some parts had been removed from damaged planes and installed into active aircraft.
The records were falsified to make the parts appear new.
At the bottom of the report were signatures.
Victor Hale.
Gerald Bennett.
And another name.
Charles Bennett.
Sophia stared at it.
“No.”
Ethan looked at her.
“That’s why I never knew whether your father was involved.”
Sophia’s hands trembled.
“My father signed this?”
“Apparently.”
“Maybe he didn’t know.”
“Maybe.”
She read the page again.
Then noticed another line.
AUTHORIZED FOR COMMERCIAL USE.
Beneath it was a second signature.
Charles Bennett.
Sophia felt sick.
“My father approved the parts.”
Ethan said nothing.
She called Charles.
He answered immediately.
“Where are you?”
“Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Atlas.”
Silence.
Sophia continued.
“Did you know about the falsified maintenance records?”
Charles didn’t answer.
“Dad!”
“Yes.”
The word hit her like a slap.
“You knew?”
“I discovered it later.”
“Then why did you sign the approval?”
“I was told the parts were legitimate.”
“By Gerald?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever tell Ethan?”
“No.”
“You let them destroy his career.”
“I didn’t know he had filed the report until after.”
“That isn’t true.”
Charles sighed.
“I knew there was an internal investigation.”
“Then why didn’t you help him?”
“Because I was trying to protect the company.”
Sophia closed her eyes.
“You protected the company instead of people.”
Charles’s voice became quiet.
“I made mistakes.”
“You destroyed someone’s life.”
“I know.”
Sophia hung up.
Ethan watched her.
“I’m sorry.”
She shook her head.
“Don’t apologize for something he did.”
Ethan reached toward her hand.
She let him take it.
For the first time, neither of them pretended there wasn’t something between them.
Sophia looked at him.
“You could have walked away.”
“So could you.”
“I don’t want to.”
Neither did he.
Their hands remained together.
Then Ethan’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
No one spoke.
Then a voice whispered,
“Stop digging.”
The call ended.
Sophia looked at him.
“They know.”
“Yes.”
That evening, Ethan took Sophia to his apartment.
Lily was doing homework at the kitchen table.
She looked up.
“Dad!”
Then noticed Sophia.
“Who’s she?”
Ethan smiled.
“This is Sophia.”
Lily studied her.
“Are you his boss?”
Sophia laughed.
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
Ethan nearly dropped his coffee.
“Sophia?”
Sophia’s cheeks turned pink.
“Not exactly.”
Lily nodded.
“Yet?”
Ethan covered his face.
Sophia laughed.
Later, after Lily went to bed, Ethan and Sophia sat quietly in the living room.
“This feels normal,” Sophia whispered.
“What?”
She looked around.
“Dinner. Homework. A kid upstairs. No security guards.”
Ethan smiled.
“I guess this is normal.”
“I like it.”
“I know.”
She looked at him.
“How?”
“Because you’re smiling.”
Sophia smiled.
Then Ethan leaned toward her.
She closed her eyes.
Their first kiss was gentle.
Uncertain.
But real.
And for a moment, neither cared about billionaire families, aircraft records, or old scandals.
Then someone knocked on the door.
Ethan stood.
The second knock came harder.
He looked through the peephole.
Nobody.
Only an envelope on the floor.
He opened the door and picked it up.
Inside was one photograph.
Ethan and Sophia together.
Taken earlier that evening.
On the back were six words.
SHE WILL NOT SURVIVE YOUR SECRET.
