Chapter 6: The Fall of Yvette Jenkins

By sunrise, I was hundreds of miles away from Yvette.

The private jet landed on an airstrip hidden beyond the White family's estate, and a line of black cars waited beneath the gray morning sky.

I had not returned here in ten years.

Yet the moment I stepped from the plane, every memory came rushing back.

The iron gates. The stone mansion overlooking the valley. The armed guards stationed at every entrance.

This was the world I had abandoned for Yvette.

Dozens of men stood in two perfectly straight rows beside the runway.

The instant they saw the black signet ring on my finger, they lowered their heads.

"Welcome home, Young Master."

Their voices rang out together.

I paused.

Ten years ago, I would have hated hearing that title.

Today, I simply walked past them.

My father followed beside me.

"The succession ceremony is tonight," he said. "The capos have already arrived."

"Good."

He glanced sideways at me.

"You're certain?"

I knew what he was asking.

Was I really finished with Yvette?

I looked down at the faint marks the ropes had left around my wrists.

"I've never been more certain of anything."

My father nodded and said nothing more.

After arriving at the mansion, the family doctor examined me again.

My lungs had suffered from the near-drowning, my back was badly bruised, and the stress had aggravated my heart condition.

The doctor wanted me in bed for several days.

I gave him six hours.

There was too much unfinished business.

The first thing I did was call my attorney.

"Terminate every private financial arrangement connected to Jenkins Group."

There was a short silence on the other end.

"Every arrangement, Mr. White?"

"Every one."

For years, I had secretly supported Yvette's company.

The investment fund that had rescued Jenkins Group during its first financial crisis belonged to me.

The overseas contracts that transformed her small business into a multimillion-dollar company had been arranged through White family connections.

Even the bank that repeatedly extended her credit had done so because I personally guaranteed the debt.

Yvette knew none of it.

I had never wanted gratitude.

I only wanted her to succeed.

Now I wanted nothing from her at all.

"Do not sabotage the company," I added. "Anything she genuinely earned remains hers. I only want everything belonging to me removed."

"Understood."

"And prepare a legal notice concerning the pregnancy. If she publicly identifies me as the father, demand a paternity test immediately."

"I'll handle it."

I ended the call.

My father had been standing near the window.

"You're still being merciful."

"I'm being fair."

"She tried to kill you."

"Then let the law deal with that."

His eyebrows rose.

Perhaps he had expected the old White family answer: retaliation.

But I was not returning to inherit the family just so I could become a monster.

Yvette had already taken ten years of my life.

I refused to give her another day through hatred.

My phone, which I had finally switched back on, immediately began vibrating.

There were more than a hundred missed calls.

Most were from Yvette.

Some were from her parents.

Others were from wedding guests who suddenly seemed very interested in speaking with me.

I ignored them all.

Then a message appeared.

Yvette: Jayden, answer me. We need to talk.

Another followed.

Yvette: Your father misunderstood what happened. Tell him I never intended to hurt you.

Then another.

Yvette: Ethan is gone. I told him to leave. Are you happy now?

I stared at that message for several seconds.

Yesterday, she had nearly drowned me because I tried to leave her.

Today, she thought dismissing Ethan would somehow fix everything.

I turned the phone face down.

Several hours later, Yvette finally learned what my absence truly meant.

I did not witness it myself.

My attorney told me afterward.

At nine in the morning, Jenkins Group's chief financial officer rushed into Yvette's office with a stack of documents.

"Ms. Jenkins, we have a problem."

Yvette had apparently spent the entire morning calling me.

She barely looked up.

"Handle it."

"I can't."

"Then find someone who can."

"Three investors have withdrawn."

That finally caught her attention.

"What?"

"Not exactly withdrawn," the CFO corrected nervously. "Their agreements expired, and they're refusing renewal."

"Then negotiate new terms."

"We tried."

He placed another document before her.

"The Meridian credit facility has also been suspended."

Yvette stared at him.

"That's impossible. Meridian has supported us for years."

"Apparently our credit line was backed by a private guarantor."

Her expression changed.

"Who?"

The CFO hesitated.

"Jayden White."

For several seconds, Yvette reportedly said nothing.

Then she laughed.

"Jayden? That's ridiculous. Jayden doesn't have that kind of money."

The CFO slid another document across the desk.

"There's more."

Contracts connected to three overseas distributors would expire within the month.

A logistics company that had always given Jenkins Group unusually favorable rates had returned its pricing to normal.

Several private introductions that Yvette had once considered lucky opportunities were now revealed to have come through the same source.

Jayden White.

Me.

Yvette's face slowly lost its color.

"How much of this company came from him?"

The CFO swallowed.

"I don't know."

"Find out!"

"I'm trying."

According to my attorney, Yvette swept everything from her desk.

Then she called me again.

I watched her name flash across my screen while a tailor adjusted the black suit I would wear for the succession ceremony.

I declined the call.

She called again.

Declined.

Again.

Declined.

Finally, she sent a voice message.

I should have deleted it.

Instead, I listened.

"Jayden, what is going on? Why is everyone saying you financed my company? Why didn't you tell me?"

Her voice was angry rather than grateful.

"And why are you pulling everything now? Are you trying to punish me because of Ethan?"

I almost laughed.

Even now, she believed everything revolved around Ethan.

Another message arrived a minute later.

This time, her voice was softer.

"Jayden, come back. We can talk about the wedding. I'll give you the ring you wanted. I'll never let Ethan wear it again, okay?"

The ring.

She still thought the ring was the problem.

I deleted both messages.

That afternoon, my attorney received something even more interesting.

Ethan had disappeared from Yvette's house.

Not only had he disappeared, but he had taken the wedding ring with him.

Yvette found his closet empty.

His phone had been disconnected.

The man she had defended against me, humiliated me for, and nearly killed me over had vanished the moment trouble reached her doorstep.

My father entered while I was reading the report.

"Carter ran."

"I heard."

"We can find him."

"Don't."

My father frowned.

"He played a part in this."

"If he committed fraud, give the evidence to the authorities. Otherwise, let him run."

"You've changed."

I looked at him.

"Is that a bad thing?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"No. Maybe you're finally ready to lead this family differently than I did."

At seven that evening, the doors to the White estate's great hall opened.

Men and women representing every branch of the family stood inside.

Some had traveled from across the country.

Others had flown in from Europe.

At the far end of the hall stood my father.

Ten years ago, many of those people had believed I was dead.

Others believed I had permanently abandoned my birthright.

Now their attention settled on me as I walked forward.

My body still hurt.

Every breath reminded me of the lake.

But my steps remained steady.

My father held out his hand.

I placed mine over his.

The family ring caught the light.

"Jayden White," he said, his voice carrying through the hall, "do you accept the responsibility that comes with this name?"

I remembered Yvette asking me to become her boyfriend.

Favor number one.

I remembered her asking me to marry her.

Favor number two.

Then came years of requests.

Money.

Connections.

Forgiveness.

Silence.

Compromises.

Ethan.

Until there was nothing left.

"I accept."

My father stepped aside.

One by one, the family leaders lowered their heads.

"Don White."

The title echoed throughout the hall.

I had returned.

Not because Yvette betrayed me.

Not because Ethan stole the woman I loved.

I returned because I finally understood that sacrificing myself for someone was not the same as loving them.

After the ceremony, my father handed me a glass of wine.

"To your new life."

I lifted it slightly.

"To endings."

My phone vibrated again.

This time, the message came from an unknown number.

There was a photograph attached.

Ethan was standing at an airport beside another woman.

His arm was wrapped around her waist.

Below it was a message from one of our investigators.

Carter has been seeing her for eight months. She appears to be his legal wife.

I stared at the screen.

Then another file arrived.

Marriage certificate.

Ethan Carter had been married for almost two years.

Yvette did not know.

For a moment, I considered sending everything to her.

Then I stopped.

That was what the old Jayden would have done.

He would have protected Yvette from the consequences of every terrible decision she made.

I locked my phone.

Not this time.

The next morning, however, Yvette discovered the truth without my help.

Ethan's wife posted their airport photograph publicly after seeing the wedding scandal online.

Within an hour, it spread everywhere.

The same reporters Yvette had lied to outside our wedding venue began asking new questions.

Was Ethan Carter already married when Yvette slept with him?

Was Yvette carrying a married man's child?

Had she falsely tried to name Jayden White as the father?

Her carefully protected reputation collapsed before noon.

At exactly 12:17 p.m., my phone rang.

Yvette.

For some reason, this time I answered.

There was silence.

Then I heard her crying.

Not the theatrical tears she had shed for Ethan.

These sounded different.

"Jayden..."

I said nothing.

"Ethan was married."

"I know."

She stopped breathing for a moment.

"You knew?"

"I learned last night."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The question was so absurd that I almost could not answer.

"Why would I?"

"Because..."

Her voice cracked.

"Because you love me."

I closed my eyes.

Once, those words would have destroyed every defense I had.

Now they only made me tired.

"I did."

Silence.

"What do you mean, did?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

"Jayden, please. I made a mistake."

"You made choices, Yvette."

"I was confused! Ethan was my first love. When he came back, I didn't know what I was feeling."

"So you slept with him."

She sobbed.

"I'm sorry."

"You gave him our wedding ring."

"I'll get it back."

"You tried to force another man's child on me."

"I was scared!"

"And you tied my hands before throwing me into a lake."

Yvette went silent.

For once, she had no excuse.

I continued calmly, "You didn't lose me because Ethan lied to you. You lost me before you ever discovered his lie."

"Jayden... please come home."

I looked around the office that had belonged to generations of White family leaders.

"I am home."

Her breathing hitched.

"Then I'll come to you."

"Don't."

"I need to see you."

"There is nothing left to see."

"There is! We spent ten years together! You can't erase that overnight!"

"I'm not erasing it."

My voice remained quiet.

"I'm accepting that it's over."

She began crying harder.

I moved the phone away from my ear.

"Goodbye, Yvette."

"Jayden, wait—"

I ended the call.

For several seconds, I sat alone in silence.

Then my office door opened.

My father's second-in-command entered carrying a sealed envelope.

"Don White, this was delivered for you."

"From whom?"

"Yvette Jenkins."

I opened it.

Inside were courthouse documents.

But they were not the papers I expected.

Yvette had not signed an agreement ending our relationship.

Instead, she had filed a statement claiming that we had entered a legally binding marriage arrangement before the failed ceremony and that she was entitled to recognition as my spouse.

Attached to it was another declaration.

She was still claiming I was the father of her unborn child.

I stared at the papers for a long moment.

Then I laughed.

Yvette had mistaken my silence for weakness one final time.

I picked up the phone and called my attorney.

"File the paternity challenge."

"Immediately?"

"Immediately."

I glanced at the documents again.

"And release nothing to the press. We'll settle this in court."

My attorney paused.

"If the DNA result excludes you, her claim collapses."

"I know."

"And if Carter is confirmed as the father?"

I looked through the window at the White family crest flying above the estate.

"Then Yvette can finally have exactly what she chose."