Part 35 –
Power may burn bridges.
But love?
It can burn kingdoms…
Or rebuild them from ash.
A Calm Before the Ruin
For forty-eight hours, Wolfe Enterprises soared.
Lila's truth-telling had sent shockwaves through the financial world. Investors rallied behind her. Journalists praised her bravery. Eleanor Whitmore's legacy became a rallying cry for women in leadership.
Even employees at Luthor Enterprises began leaking internal memos, whispering stories of a "toxic kingdom" built on intimidation and manipulation.
And through it all, Ethan stayed by Lila's side.
Unflinching. Steady.
At night, they shared quiet dinners, whispered laughter, stolen moments of peace like they were learning what love looked like outside of survival.
But they both knew peace wouldn't last.
Because monsters don't die quietly.
The Blowback
On the third morning after the Geneva release, Wolfe's media room exploded with alerts.
Hundreds of outlets were reporting the same headline:
"Lila Whitmore Involved in Secret Affair with Wolfe Board Member While Climbing to CEO."
Lila stared at the screen, unblinking.
The article included screenshots emails, private chats, blurry photos of her and Ethan entering hotels on business trips. They were heavily edited. Some were fake. Some real but twisted.
It painted her not as a leader, but a schemer. A woman who slept her way to power. Who used Ethan as a pawn in her mother's company.
And at the bottom of every article:
"Leaked by anonymous source connected to Luthor Enterprises."
Marion rushed in, furious. "We're taking legal action. This is slander."
But Lila just sat there.
Not shocked. Not angry.
Just… exhausted.
The Doubt Creeps In
That night, she sat in her penthouse office, blinds drawn, staring out at the city.
Ethan arrived, having just come from a failed PR meeting.
"They're pushing it hard," he said. "Even some of our allies are turning cautious."
Lila didn't look at him.
"Do you regret it?"
He blinked. "Regret what?"
"Us. The way we fell into this. The timing. Maybe we fed their narrative."
His expression shifted hurt, raw, but calm. "No. I don't regret a second. And you shouldn't either."
She turned, eyes glistening. "I'm not ashamed of loving you, Ethan. But they're using you. As a weapon against me."
"I don't care."
"But I do!" Her voice cracked. "They're not just coming after me anymore. They'll ruin you to get to me."
He stepped closer.
"Lila, listen to me. If I had to do it all over again every meeting, every stolen glance, every risk I'd still choose you."
"But I might lose everything," she whispered.
Ethan cupped her face, gentle but firm. "Then we lose it together. And rebuild it. Together."
The Fallout Spreads
The board convened an emergency session.
Some members demanded Lila step back, at least temporarily, to "protect the company's image." Others defended her, citing her leadership through crisis.
Lila, sitting at the head of the table, looked each of them in the eye.
"If you want to remove me," she said, "you'll need more than rumors and tabloids. You'll need facts. And there are none."
Silence.
She continued, voice steady.
"This company was built by a woman who fought every day to prove that power didn't have to look like corruption. I won't dishonor her by backing down."
Marion smiled subtly. Kai nodded.
The board didn't vote her out.
But the room left her with one truth: she was still at war.
A Whisper from the Enemy
That night, a manila envelope was slid under Lila's office door.
No return address.
Inside an invitation.
Dinner. One night. Discretion promised.
At the bottom: Lucien Luthor's personal signature.
She held it like a live wire.
Ethan walked in moments later, catching the name.
"You're not actually considering it, are you?"
"I have to," she said quietly. "He's not going to stop unless I look him in the eye and end this… face to face."