Chapter 27: The Rain and the Rolls-Royce
Two years later.
It was a cold, rainy autumn evening in the city.
Ethan Carter had just been granted work-release for good behavior, working as a night-shift dishwasher at a small diner near the financial district. His hands were red and chapped from the harsh chemicals, and his once-handsome face looked ten years older.
As he finished his shift and walked out of the back alley into the rain, he saw a fleet of luxury cars parked outside the city’s opera house across the street.
Dozens of photographers were standing in the rain, eagerly snapping photos of the arriving guests.
A custom rose-gold Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up to the red carpet entrance.
The chauffeur opened the door, holding a massive black umbrella.
Natalie stepped out, wearing a breathtaking champagne-gold evening gown designed with delicate pearl embroidery. She looked like a goddess walking among mortals.
Standing beside her was Lucas Vance, dressed in a sharp navy tuxedo, escorting her with utmost grace and respect.
Ethan stood in the dark alleyway across the street, shivering under the cold rain. He pulled his thin jacket tight around his shoulders, watching the woman he had once called his wife ascend the marble steps surrounded by glory and applause.
He remembered five years ago when they lived in a drafty apartment, sharing a single bowl of warm soup on rainy nights. Natalie had held his cold hands and told him, “Ethan, as long as we work hard together, we will build a bright future.”
He had possessed the most precious treasure in the world. And he had traded it for fool’s gold.
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