Chapter 131 Begging for Mercy

Recently, Ethan Wilson has become one of the hottest topics in Novaria. The near-warfare between the Johnsons and the Harrises over the man himself had stirred up quite the commotion. Even without meeting Ethan Wilson personally, he had heard plenty about him from those around him.

Despite being cast out from the Wilson family and having no ties to the Cloud Group, Ethan Wilson commanded respect simply because he could stand as an adversary to the Johnsons, with them unable to touch him. The sheer notion proved Ethan's formidable nature. There was no question; Ethan was not someone to be trifled with, especially not by the likes of Harold.

That morning, the news of the Johnson family's disaster had spread like wildfire, and Harold was now sweating bullets. He had heard the rumors pointing to Ethan Wilson as the mastermind behind the calamity. Harold realized the hilarious mistake he had made in underestimating the situation.

The color drained from his face as he fell to his knees before Ethan, not even daring to hope it was a case of mistaken identity. Harold pleaded desperately, "Mr. Wilson, I was blind! I was a fool to offend you. I'll pay the twenty million immediately. Please, spare me this once!"

"Have you lost your mind? Pay him twenty million over some lowly girl? And so what if he's tough? Don’t you have connections? Can't your friends take care of him?" The plump woman was oblivious to the gravity of the situation. She was astonished to see Harold capitulating and apologizing on his knees, and she attempted to pull him up from the ground.

"Get away from me, you troublemaker! This mess is all you're doing! You use my name to bully people around; you didn’t even spare a child!" Harold rose to his feet and slapped his wife across the face, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks upon her.

Her screams pierced the air, raw and unbridled.
"Mr. Wilson, she's the one who caused all the trouble. I'm punishing her harshly right now; please, calm your anger! Since she dared to strike your daughter, I'll divorce her!" Harold yelled out as he continued his vicious assault.

Meanwhile, Tony, witnessing his father brutally beating his mother, burst into tears, terrified by the scene unfolding before him.
"Enough! I'm not interested in your family drama. Give Camila a $2 million settlement, then find a new school for your son and get out of my sight. And don't forget, this is a daycare, for heaven's sake!"

Ethan Wilson had zero sympathy for the wailing overweight woman. He believed everyone had a side to them that invited trouble, and in his opinion, the punishment she received was mild at best.

"Right, right... I'll pay up and leave immediately! Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for your mercy!"

At those words, Harold exhaled a sigh of relief and quickly transferred the $2 million to Ethan Wilson by scanning a QR code with his phone in a slick move.

"Now, get lost. And make sure your son doesn’t show his face at this daycare ever again," Ethan Wilson said expressionlessly, warning Harold sternly.

"Of course, of course... We're leaving right this second! I promise I'll transfer my son to another school straight away!"

Harold nodded frantically, grabbing the still-screaming heavyset woman and his son, and hurried out of the office in a pitiful state, not even bothering to check on his six bodyguards, who lay groaning on the ground.

"Who would've thought your name carries so much clout now? If I had known, I would've just used your name from the start and avoided all this mess!" Hannah remarked with a wry smile.

"I'm as surprised as you are. When did I become so intimidating?" Ethan Wilson was genuinely puzzled by Harold's reaction.

"You're aware of the Johnson family's downfall today, right? Elijah Johnson announced their bankruptcy, and they've left Novaria for good," Hannah said with a knowing look.

Suddenly, it clicked for Ethan Wilson.

He might not have done anything specific and didn't flaunt a prominent status. Still, the near-war between the Johnsons and the Harrises, along with the swift fall of the Johnson family, would spark speculation among those paying attention.

Considering Harold's status in the business world, his reaction toward Ethan made sense now.

"I only found out from the news this morning. Enough about them, though. I'll transfer the $2 million to your account later; let's consider it Camila's education fund. This money is for her. I know it's not easy for you to raise her alone—you can hire someone to help take care of her," Ethan Wilson said, shifting the topic away from the Miller family to focus on Hannah's situation.
"My mom's coming to town in a few days, so hiring anyone is unnecessary. All this money should be yours, so feel free to keep it yourself!"
Hannah, however, shook her head awkwardly, looking somewhat apologetic.
"Camila's dad, the principal just ran off..."
Ms. Klein whispered this, unsure how to adequately address Ethan Wilson, as she, too, had mistaken the nature of Ethan and Hannah's relationship.
It was mainly because the way Camila always said “Ethan” was quite misleading—stepdads are still dads, after all!
Hearing Ms. Klein refer to Ethan Wilson in that way, Hannah's cheeks flushed immediately, and just as she was about to clarify, Ethan began speaking.
"The assistant Principal must be in cahoots with that quarry woman, right? Don't worry; she won't have the guts to trouble you again after this ordeal! And pass on a message for me—if she doesn't resign and leave this daycare within three days, I've got countless ways to make her regret staying!"
Agnes had left just when Harold was on his knees begging for mercy—a departure Ethan had noticed at the time but hadn't cared about.
Hearing that Ethan didn't correct the assumption about their relationship, Hannah felt a mix of surprise and a bittersweet emotion.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if they indeed were a family of three?
"By the way, I'm not Camila's dad. Her mother and I are just friends and business partners."
Right then, Ethan unexpectedly added this clarification.
The joy that had just begun to bloom in Hannah's heart was abruptly replaced with a profound sense of loss.
"Oh... My apologies, I misunderstood!" Ms. Klein said, her face red with embarrassment as she rushed to apologize.
"It's okay."
Ethan shook his head indifferently, oblivious to the disappointment in Hannah's eyes.
With the commotion over and school about to let out, Hannah took Camila and left the daycare with Ethan.
Stepping out of the daycare, Hannah planned to drive Camila home when the little one clung to Ethan's neck, refusing to let go.
"Ethan, thank you for everything you did today."
Hannah expressed her gratitude to Ethan with a complex look in her eyes.
"Don't mention it. If there's ever anything Camila needs help with, just let me know. I'm quite fond of the little tyke!"
Ethan replied casually, without giving it much thought.

Hannah felt a sudden stir in her heart and asked, "I hope you don't mind, but I've been wondering if you'd be willing to be Camila's godfather. She keeps calling you Ethan, and it can be a bit misleading. Why don't we make it official?"

Ethan Wilson was taken aback. He had never considered this before.

After a moment's thought, gazing at the little one in his arms, a smile broke across Ethan's face. "Sure, I'd love to have such a sweet girl as my goddaughter! I accept it with honor!"

"Great, come over for dinner sometime, and we’ll make it a special occasion," Hannah offered with relief washing over her.

At least now, because of her daughter, their relationship wasn't confined to being friends and business partners—it was a step closer.

Billionaire After Divorce
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