Chapter 264
Ethan was momentarily still.
“Khloe…” His voice lowered. “So you already knew Fox Group was working with us?”
Khloe let out a soft breath, turning fully toward him.
She took a step closer.
Not hurried. Not cautious.
Controlled.
“There are too many deals happening every day in Morrison Group,” she said lightly. “I don’t have the time to monitor every single one.”
A faint smile appeared—polished, almost polite.
“But I have to admit something, Ethan.”
Her gaze settled on him.
“I’ve always admired your dedication. You never stop watching me.”
The words sounded complimentary.
They weren’t.
Ethan’s expression tightened slightly.
Khloe lifted her phone, tapped a few times, then sent something directly to him.
A notification chimed.
Ethan glanced down.
And in that instant, his expression changed.
Subtle at first.
Then completely.
The color drained from his face.
“Khloe…” he said slowly. “You investigated me?”
Khloe didn’t deny it.
“It goes both ways,” she replied simply.
The silence that followed felt deliberate.
Not empty—measured.
Ethan stared at her, recalculating. Khloe’s demeanor today wasn’t like before. There was no hesitation in her. No soft edges. No attempt to maintain surface politeness.
Just clarity.
And confrontation.
He exhaled once, then let out a short, dismissive laugh.
“Do you really think something like this can touch me?” he asked. “Without the Hunt family backing you, Khloe, you’re nothing.”
Khloe tilted her head slightly.
“I’m still Niel’s daughter,” she said evenly. “And Nick is my husband. Using the Hunt family’s resources isn’t something I need permission to justify.”
A pause.
Her eyes sharpened.
“But you…”
Her voice lowered slightly.
“Do you really think you can keep relying on Clarice forever?”
Ethan’s expression didn’t change, but his silence deepened.
Khloe continued, unfazed.
“You’ve been by her side long enough. You must already understand her pattern.”
Ethan’s mouth curved faintly.
A controlled smile.
“Khloe,” he said, almost amused, “are you trying to sow discord between me and my mother?”
He leaned back slightly, studying her.
As if evaluating a failed tactic.
“I’m just pointing out reality,” Khloe said.
Then her tone shifted—cooler, sharper.
“We both grew up without stable parents. That’s something we have in common.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Khloe didn’t stop.
“Your parents used to work under Clarice’s family. When her family withdrew from the business, your parents were reported. Investigated. Found guilty.”
A pause.
“Then they died in a car accident.”
Ethan’s expression finally shifted.
“Khloe…” His voice tightened. “Why are you telling me this?”
For the first time, something unsettled him.
Not anger.
Not denial.
Disruption.
Because he knew the story.
Just not all of it.
He had been too young when Clarice took him in. He remembered the accident. The loss. The vague explanations.
And then—Clarice.
She had raised him.
Guided him.
Positioned herself as the only constant in a life that otherwise had none.
Over time, that dependency had become a structure.
And structure had become loyalty.
Even when he recognized her coldness… even when he understood her methods… he had chosen to stay.
Because in business, nothing comes without cost.
And Clarice had always taught him one thing clearly:
Everything has a price—especially people.