CHAPTER 44 A NEW CHAPTER

Ethan, his jaw clenched, shot Madeline a warning look. “I think that’s enough, Madeline.” Madeline, refusing to be cowed, took a step closer to Ethan. “Oh, come on, Ethan. You know how much this company means to me.” She paused, her eyes hardening. “And I think it’s only fair that I have a say in who gets promoted.” Claire, her heart pounding, could feel the atmosphere grow tense, like the air before a storm. Madeline, her eyes wild and reckless, took a long swig from the bottle of wine, the liquid staining her lips a dark red. “You ungrateful fool,” she spat, the words heavy with alcohol. “You know what I’ve done for you, for this company? Without me, you’d be bankrupt, hiding from the IRS like a rat in a drain. How comes I didn’t get appreciation for that, huh? You don’t think I deserve some appreciation, Ethan? This is all about you using me and dumping me like a thrash!” Claire’s mind raced as she tried to recall the day she’d first met her. Claire’s memory of that morning wa