The words struck like a slap, and Ethan stood up immediately while Avery dropped her toy in the sand. Rachel remained still, but her eyes turned sharp with controlled tension.
“Do not start, Victor,” she said firmly.
He laughed bitterly and replied, “Do not start, I have been calling you for weeks while you disappear like none of this matters.”
Ethan stepped forward slightly and said, “There is a child here.”
Victor ignored him and asked mockingly, “And who are you supposed to be?”
Rachel intervened before things escalated and said, “He is a colleague, and this is none of your concern.”
Victor pointed at Ethan with a smirk and said, “Of course, just another colleague benefiting from what you took from my brother.”
Ethan frowned while Rachel closed her eyes briefly, already expecting what would come next.
“Leave now,” she said firmly.
“Not until you tell me what you will do with the company,” Victor replied, “because some of that belonged to my family.”
Avery moved closer to Ethan, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders while tension filled the air.
Rachel took a deep breath and said, “I did not take anything unfairly, my husband and I built that company together, and after he died his family tried to erase me.”
Victor scoffed and replied, “You kept everything anyway.”
“I kept what I earned, including the debts he left behind,” she answered.
Ethan felt everything shift because he had always heard she came with power and connections, not knowing she was holding together something already broken.
Victor stepped closer and said, “The bank contacted me too, and if you do not sell soon, your employees will be gone.”
Ethan looked at Rachel, and she did not deny it.
“Do not involve my team,” she said.
“Your team,” Victor repeated mockingly, “like you actually care about them.”
Ethan suddenly felt anger rise and said, “That is enough.”
Victor smiled and continued, “Did you tell him about the merger meeting on Monday, or are you hiding that part too?”
Ethan turned to Rachel and asked, “Merger?”
She hesitated and said, “I am trying to avoid layoffs.”
Victor laughed loudly and said, “Tell him the truth, if you sign the deal, you stay, and people like him lose their jobs.”
Ethan felt his stomach drop as the words hit directly.
Rachel stepped forward and said firmly, “Leave now.”
“Not until you decide,” Victor replied, “or I will expose what I found in the audit.”