Kneel, Darling, Your Trophy Wife Is Gone Chapter 09
Ethan POV
After leaving the hospital, Ethan went straight back to the estate.
The moment he walked in, Hazel threw herself into his arms, eyes shimmering with tears.
“Ethan, you can’t just let today slide,” she complained softly. “How am I supposed to show my face after
this?”
Ethan pulled her off him slowly, something unreadable curling at the corner of his mouth.
“What kind of explanation do you want?”
Hazel pouted immediately, her voice growing softer and more aggrieved.
“She needs to apologize to my friends publicly, obviously. And they said…” Hazel hesitated deliberately
before adding, “they want her kneeling too. Ninety-nine times.”
Slap.
Before she even finished speaking, Ethan’s backhand sent her crashing sideways onto the floor.
Hazel stared at him in shock.
Ethan’s expression was terrifyingly cold as he stepped forward and planted his shoe directly onto the back of
her hand.
“You really think you’re worthy,” he said softly, grinding his heel down harder, “of making my wife apologize to your friends?”
Hazel screamed instantly.
The pressure from his polished leather shoe was brutal enough to feel like it could crush bone.
Cold sweat rolled down her face as she looked up at him in disbelief and fear.
“E-Ethan…” Her voice trembled violently. “How can you treat me like this? You said you loved me! And I love
you!”
Ethan finally removed his foot.
A mocking smile tugged at his lips.
“You love me?” he repeated softly.
“Or do you love the money, power, and name that come with being attached to me? You know the answer
better than I do.”
Hazel clutched her injured hand and awkwardly pushed herself upright, panic flashing guiltily through her
eyes.
Ethan’s gaze darkened further.
“Throw her out.”
The guards immediately dragged Hazel away despite her hysterical screaming.
Ethan didn’t spare her another glance before turning and heading upstairs alone.
Only after collapsing heavily into the chair inside his study did the exhaustion finally show on his face.
Then his eyes landed on the framed photo sitting quietly on the desk.
And suddenly, he stopped moving.
It was from his first wedding anniversary with Nora.
Back then, he’d rented out an entire luxury restaurant just for her and filled every corner with the roses she
loved most.
The moment the blindfold came off, Nora’s eyes had gone red with surprise and happiness. She’d stood on
her toes and kissed his cheek softly.
A waiter had secretly snapped the photo on his phone and later gifted it to them.
In that picture, Nora was still looking at him with love, dependence, warmth glowing openly in her eyes.
So when exactly had her eyes changed?
When had they become numb? Calm? Empty?
Probably after the first time he cheated.
But he’d already explained it to her. He only wanted occasional excitement. Something different once in a
while. The person he loved most had always been Nora.
So why couldn’t she just accept that?
An unfamiliar irritation rose violently in Ethan’s chest.
He grabbed his phone and called his assistant.
“Buy a bouquet of roses and send them to the hospital,” he ordered coldly. “And reserve the restaurant for
next week. I’m taking my wife out.”
“Yes, Don Moretti.”
The assistant responded respectfully, but when Ethan didn’t hang up afterward, he hesitated.
“Is there anything else, Don Moretti?”
Ethan turned toward the window. After several seconds of silence, he finally spoke again. “Pull the security
footage from the club.”
His voice lowered slightly.
“I want to know exactly what happened yesterday.”
What Ethan didn’t expect was that the police would arrive before the investigation results did.
The moment he ended the call, Arthur knocked and informed him officers were downstairs looking for him.
Ethan frowned immediately but still went down.
One of the detectives spoke first.
“Don Moretti, we received a report regarding an attempted sexual assault in one of the private suites on the
third floor of the club yesterday afternoon. We’d like the Donna to come to the station and assist with the
investigation.”
Ethan laughed coldly from pure anger.
“Nora sent you here?” His expression darkened instantly. “She still hasn’t finished making a scene?”
He genuinely couldn’t understand it. Before this, Nora had always been obedient and reasonable. So why was
she refusing to let this go now?
Hadn’t he treated her well enough?
He gave her the title of Donna, unlimited black cards.
Any woman who upset Nora-even the ones he favored most-he discarded without hesitation the second
she complained.
What else could she possibly want?
One of the officers frowned slightly.
“Don Moretti, I think you misunderstood something.”
“The person who called the police wasn’t your wife.”
“It was one of the club employees.”
Ethan’s expression changed abruptly.
“The staff?” A strange unease suddenly crawled into his chest. “What exactly happened?”
Then his jaw tightened.
“My wife’s still in the hospital. She’s not in any condition to come to the station.”
The detective met his eyes calmly.
“Then we’ll have to ask you to come with us instead.”
