Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 152

Ethan's POV:

I pushed open the door to my Manhattan apartment, exhaustion weighing on my shoulders after another day of meetings.

The moment I stepped into the living room, I froze.

My entire family had flown in from Chicago without warning.

"Well, that's a surprise," I said, setting my briefcase by the door.

My father, Robert Cole, rose from my favorite leather armchair.

"We heard you found her, Ethan," he said, his voice carrying that authoritative tone I'd grown up with.

"We came as soon as we could."

I glanced over at Sara, my mother, who sat perched on the edge of the sofa, her perfectly manicured hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Dad caught my questioning gaze and nodded.

"I've told Sara everything. She knows."

Sara's lips thinned.

"I still can't believe you kept something this significant from me for so long," she said, her voice tight with controlled emotion.

"My own daughter, Ethan. How could you not tell me immediately?"

"I needed to be certain first," I replied, loosening my tie.

"There was no point raising hopes prematurely."

Sara leaned forward, her eyes intense.

"Who is she? Who is my daughter?"

I took a deep breath. "It's Audrey Lane."

The color drained from Sara's face. Robert reached for her hand, steadying her.

"Audrey Lane?" Robert repeated, his usual commanding voice suddenly uncertain. "The artist? The one close with Thornton?"

Sara's hand flew to her mouth.

"That's... that's impossible," she whispered. "I almost missed her completely. "

Dad cleared his throat.

"We want to meet her, Ethan. "

I ran a hand through my hair, understanding the mix of emotions churning inside them.

The yearning to connect with a child they'd thought lost forever was written across their faces.

"I know this is overwhelming," I said gently.

"And I completely understand your eagerness to meet her."

I paused, choosing my next words carefully.

"But we have to consider Audrey's feelings in all this. She needs time to process. "

Dad's shoulders relaxed slightly, and Sara dabbed at the corner of her eye with a tissue.

"You're right," she admitted reluctantly.

My brother William, who had been silently analyzing the situation from his position by the window, finally spoke up.

His voice carried that familiar calculating tone that always set my teeth on edge.

"Don't worry yourselves too much," he said with a thin smile. "She'll come around eventually. The Cole fortune and connections aren't exactly easy to walk away from. "

Heat rushed to my face.

"That's enough, Will," I snapped.

"You don't know her. Audrey isn't like that. "

William raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be naive," William countered. "Some people are just good at pretending."

I placed my glass down harder than intended.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

I took a deep breath, knowing I needed to address the other matter at hand—one that wouldn't make the atmosphere any lighter.

"There's something else we need to discuss," I said, my voice cutting through the strained silence.

"I think it would be best if Daisy spent a semester studying in Europe."

The room went silent.

Daisy's head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief.

William stepped forward, his face darkening.

"So it begins. One sister shows up and the other gets shipped away? Is this *her* idea?"

"Audrey has nothing to do with this decision," I said firmly.

"Doesn't she?" William's voice rose.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Ethan. She's manipulating you, positioning herself to take control of this family."

I stared at William, incredulous at the venom in his voice.

I stepped closer to him, lowering my voice.

"She hasn't asked for anything from us. If anyone's being manipulated here, it's you—by your own baseless assumptions."

Finley pushed off from the wall.

"Actually, sending Daisy to Europe was my suggestion initially," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "Before we even confirmed Audrey was our sister."

Clara nodded in agreement.

"It was discussed when we found out what Daisy did with the hair sample."

Daisy flinched, staring down at her hands.

"What hair sample?" Sara asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

I exchanged glances with Finley before explaining.

"When we suspected Audrey might be our sister, Clara obtained a strand of her hair for DNA testing. Daisy found it and replaced it with her own, trying to sabotage the test."

Sara gasped, looking at Daisy with disbelief. "Is this true?"

Daisy nodded almost imperceptibly, tears welling in her eyes.

"I was scared," Daisy said, her voice breaking as she turned to Sara with a trembling lower lip.

"I thought if she came back, everyone would forget about me. That I wouldn't matter anymore."

She reached for Sara's hand, squeezing it. "I made a mistake. I know I did. I was just so afraid of losing my family."

The tears spilled down her cheeks now, and Sara's expression immediately softened.

She wrapped an arm around Daisy's shoulders, pulling her close.

"She's still just a girl," Sara said, looking up at me with pleading eyes. "We all make mistakes."

"Sending her to Europe is excessive punishment."

"This isn't about punishment," Finley interjected. "It's about consequences and growth."

Dad, who had been silent until now, stood up.

"Ethan, Daisy has acknowledged her error. Perhaps we can find another way forward that doesn't involve sending her away."

I looked at Daisy, her tear-streaked face lifted toward me in silent pleading.

Then at Finley, whose expression made it clear he thought I was being too soft.

"You need to understand there are consequences for your actions, Daisy," I said, crossing my arms.

"Even if I'm not sending you to Europe, you're not getting off that easily."

Daisy straightened up, wiping her tears quickly.

"Anything. I'll do anything."

"First, you're going to write a formal letter of apology, promising you'll never attempt to sabotage or harm Audrey in any way," I said firmly.

"And your allowance will be reduced by half for the next six months. "

"That's fair," Daisy nodded eagerly, relief washing over her face.

"I'll write the letter tonight. And I don't care about the money, really. Just... thank you for not sending me away."

"One chance," I warned. "

Daisy nodded quickly. "Yes. I promise. Thank you, Ethan."

Sara squeezed Daisy's hand, relief evident on her face.

Later that evening, I retreated to my bedroom, closing the door behind me with a quiet click.

The muffled sounds of my family's conversations still filtered through—they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

Not now that they knew about Audrey.

I sank onto the edge of my bed, massaging my temples where a headache was beginning to form.

With my parents here in New York, the pressure to arrange a meeting with Audrey would only intensify.

I pulled out my phone, scrolling to Audrey's contact.

My thumb hovered over her name for several seconds before I scrolled past it.

No, calling her directly felt too intrusive. Too presumptuous.

Instead, I tapped on Caspar Thornton's number.

If anyone could gauge her readiness for such a meeting, it would be him.

After three rings, his cool, measured voice answered.

"Cole."

I took a deep breath. "Thornton, I need to ask a favor."

A brief silence stretched between us before he replied, "Get to the point."

I paced across my bedroom, choosing my words carefully.

"My parents flew in from Chicago today. They know about Audrey."

I paused. "They're eager to meet her, naturally. Could you... would you mind asking if she'd be willing to see them? "

"I see." His voice remained neutral, but I could sense the underlying caution.

"I'll pass along your request to Audrey, but that's all I'll do. I won't pressure her either way."

"I wouldn't expect you to," I replied quickly.

"This has to be entirely her decision."

"Understood," Caspar said.

"Thank you, Thornton," I said. "I appreciate it."