Chapter 6 - Midnight Blue
The grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of black ties, diamond necklaces, and glittering crystal chandeliers.
Ethan Mercer stood near the center of the room, holding a glass of vintage scotch, wearing a tailored tuxedo. Beside him, Sabrina Vale beamed for the press photographers, wearing a emerald-green couture gown.
"Everything is under control," Ethan assured a cluster of wealthy board members. "The tabloid rumors regarding my former marriage were completely blown out of proportion. My ex-wife was... emotionally volatile. But we’ve reached a quiet, amicable understanding."
"Is it true she had triplets, Ethan?" one board member asked, frowning slightly. "The papers said they were born prematurely."
Ethan offered a practiced, sad sigh. "Tragically, Claire chose to isolate herself during the final weeks. I tried repeatedly to provide financial support, but she refused my calls. I’m simply praying for the children's well-being."
Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the entrance of the ballroom swung open.
A quiet hush rippled through the front entryway, spreading like a cold wave across the five hundred guests.
Ethan turned, his confident smile freezing in place.
Claire walked into the ballroom.
She wore a breathtaking, midnight-blue silk gown that clung gracefully to her restored figure. Her hair was styled in elegant waves, her skin glowing, looking every bit like royalty.
Beside her walked Julian Cross, looking impossibly handsome and commanding in a charcoal tuxedo.
And in their arms were the triplets.
Julian carried Maya and Nora in two soft silk slings across his chest, while Claire pushed a custom double-wide velvet pram containing Chloe, who slept soundly under an embroidered cashmere blanket.
The room went completely, utterly silent. Photographers immediately lowered their cameras in shock before flashes began going off like strobe lights.
Ethan stood frozen, his face turning from pale white to deep crimson.
He took three fast steps forward, stopping so abruptly in front of them that a waiter behind him nearly spilled a tray of champagne glasses.
"What are you doing here?!" Ethan hissed under his breath, his eyes darting frantically toward the staring board members. "Claire, have you lost your mind? You brought infant children to a black-tie gala?!"
Ethan stared at the three tiny, familiar faces resting against Julian’s chest and demanded, “What are you doing with my children?”
The conversations nearest them died almost instantly.
Julian adjusted the blanket around Maya and answered without raising his voice, “You should have thought about that before you abandoned their mother.”
Ethan looked from Julian to Claire as if he could not understand how his wife, his daughters, and a man he had known for years had somehow built a life that no longer centered him.
Claire met his glare and said quietly, “This is what happened after your twenty-four hours ran out.”
"Claire, stop this madness!" Sabrina Vale interjected, stepping up beside Ethan, her eyes flashing with fury. "You’re ruining Ethan’s night! Security!"
"Don't bother, Sabrina," Julian said, his voice echoing cleanly across the quieted ballroom. "I own sixty percent of the security firm managing this venue. No one is touching them."
Claire took a step forward, bringing the stroller right up to Ethan’s polished shoes.
"Ethan," Claire said, her voice carrying clearly to every high-net-worth investor standing within twenty feet. "You told Wall Street I refused your support. You told the papers I was crazy. So I brought your daughters to meet you. This is Maya. This is Nora. This is Chloe. They spent ninety-eight days in the NICU while you were buying diamond necklaces in L.A."
"That’s a lie!" Ethan stammered, sweating beneath his heavy collar as he caught the horrified looks of his lead investors. "I... I was working to provide for them!"
"You cut off her bank cards while she was twenty-eight weeks pregnant," a prominent female board member interrupted sharply, stepping out from the crowd. "We saw the bank records in the court filings this morning, Ethan."
"You locked her out of her home," another shareholder added in disgust.
Ethan panicked. He reached out frantically toward the baby sling on Julian’s chest. "Give me my daughters! They are my blood! I am their father!"
Julian didn't flinch. He simply shifted his weight, blocking Ethan’s hands with his broad shoulder.
"You aren't their father, Ethan," Julian said, looking down at him with utter contempt. "A father doesn't leave his children on a public bus in the rain. You’re just a donor whose time has expired."
Evelyn Vance stepped out from behind Julian, pulling a thick legal document from her portfolio and slapping it directly into Ethan’s trembling hand.
"Mr. Mercer," Evelyn announced loudly enough for the entire room to hear. "You have just been served with a total termination of parental rights petition based on severe abandonment, alongside a final corporate fraud lawsuit filed by the board of Mercer Capital."
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"What?!" Ethan gasped, looking at the papers. "Board fraud?!"
Julian leaned in close to Ethan’s ear, his voice a low, terrifying whisper. "The board held an emergency vote an hour ago, Ethan. You’re fired. Effective immediately."
