Chapter 17 - The Broken Highway
Three hundred miles away in New York City, Ethan Caldwell was sitting in a brightly lit boardroom.
The final contracts for the corporate merger were laid out on the polished mahogany table.
The CEO of the opposing company was holding out an expensive pen, waiting for Ethan's signature.
Ethan stared at the paper, but he could not focus on the words.
A heavy, suffocating feeling of dread had settled deep in his chest an hour ago.
He had tried calling Claire four times, but every call went straight to a dead signal.
He had checked the estate's security camera app, but it showed a complete connection failure.
"Mr. Caldwell, is there a problem?" the opposing CEO asked, looking slightly annoyed.
Ethan dropped the pen onto the table.
He thought about the worried look in Claire's eyes when she had spoken about the new tutor.
He remembered the absolute nightmare he had lived through with Margaret Hargrove.
His intuition, the same sharp instinct that made him a billionaire, was screaming at him.
"The deal is off," Ethan announced suddenly, standing up from his leather chair.
The room erupted in immediate, chaotic protests.
"You are walking away from a two-billion-dollar acquisition over a phone glitch?" his lead attorney shouted.
"I am walking away to protect my family," Ethan replied coldly.
He left the boardroom without looking back.
He ran to the elevator and dialed his head of corporate security.
"I need a helicopter ready on the helipad in five minutes," Ethan barked into the phone.
"Sir, there is a massive Category 3 storm moving across the coast," the security chief warned.
"The FAA has grounded all civilian flights, it is completely unsafe to fly."
Ethan cursed loudly and sprinted out of the building toward his waiting black SUV.
"Get out," Ethan told his driver, tossing him a thick stack of cash.
Ethan climbed into the driver's seat and slammed his foot on the gas pedal.
He drove like a madman, weaving violently through the heavy New York traffic.
When he hit the interstate, the storm finally unleashed its full fury.
The rain was a solid gray wall, and the wind threatened to push the heavy vehicle off the highway.
Ethan did not slow down.
His knuckles were completely white as he gripped the steering wheel.
He prayed to any god that would listen.
He promised he would give away every single cent he owned if it meant his wife and children were safe.
May you like
He drove through the blinding storm, a father fueled by absolute, desperate love.
He was coming home.
