Chapter 2: The Void Left Behind (Ethan’s POV)

It had been a week since his memorial service, however all that felt like it had frozen in time. His chair was empty behind the massive wood work area, the same place he'd built empires, held secrets, and earned respect. Right now, it felt impossible for me to fill that emptiness, though I had to fill that gap.

I sat down firmly in the chair and stared at the mounds of paperwork piled up on the desk. Every document demonstrated how little knowledge I genuinely possessed about Henry Monroe's company. How much he'd withheld from me. We were family by name; we didn't look like other fathers and children. To him, I was more of a student than anything else. A protégé, maybe? But not family. Not in the way that really mattered.

I didn't have to wait long for the door to open to see that it was Ben. He had been by my side constantly since the funeral, trying to save me from drowning in the sea of responsibility

"You look like you're about to punch someone," Ben said as he moved about holding two Starbucks cups. "Figured you might like this."

As he handed me the espresso, I made a gesture of gratitude for the interruption. "Thank you very much," I muttered as I sipped.

Kicking his feet up on the table as though it was his office, he crashed down in the leather seat across from me. "So, what's on the plan today, Mr. CEO?"

I looked at him, but there was no real bite there. "Dont just start with this. I'm not ready for any of this, as you know."

Ben's eyebrow went up. "Look, I realize it's a lot, but it's yours now. Everything: the company, the estate. You put in a lot of work for this.

Put in effort for this. The words echoed like a bell, yet they didn't feel real. Can I honestly say that I worked hard for this? On the other hand, had I, up until lately, been willing to follow my father's lead without ever questioning it?

"I find it difficult to maintain focus on the office tasks," I remarked, shaking my head. "Every document I see raises a new question. Also, Jack keeps finding new stuff. Accounts I was unaware of, deals I was unaware of..."

Ben gave a shrug. "“It’s not like your dad was the open-book type. The guy had more secrets than a spy agency. You’ll figure it out.”

Despite the fact that I had to believe him, the weight felt like an unbearable pressure on my chest. "What if I can't I can't?" I whispered, almost to myself.

Ben leaned forward, moving with his usual easygoing demeanor. "Ethan, you can. You technically don't have a choice.

I sighed and combed through my hair. That's the problem, right? don't have a choice He left me with none. I should just pick up the pieces now since he abandoned me with this entire world without even warning me."

"Dude, you're in excellent company. Jack and I are here, in fact, a significant portion of the company has been waiting for you to take over for a while now."

"That worries me," I said as I sank back in the chair. "Everyone keeps telling me how amazing it is that I'm in charge right now, but I'm not ready," Half of what my dad was involved with, I had no idea about."

Ben's gaze darted across to the workspace, where a bulky envelope lay untouched. "Also, I bet that is something keeping you up every night/"

I whispered as I followed his gaze. The folder, which came from Jack's office, sent out with the usual warning yesterday: "We still have a ton to go through." Every time I opened something, it seemed like I discovered more secret information about my dad's world.

"I haven't even looked at it," I admitted.

"Well," Ben remarked, sipping another cup of espresso, "you could let Jack handle the hard stuff. This is part of his job right?”

"That's the thing," I replied, my voice filled with disappointment. "I don’t trust it all with Jack either. I get that he was close to my father, but I don’t like how much he keeps from me. He always says, ‘In time, Ethan. You’ll know everything in time.’”

Ben gave a shrug. "That's just Jack. You are aware of how diligent lawyers are in protecting client information until it is appropriate to take action."

I looked away. “Yeah, but this is my family’s business. My family’s name on the line. I need to know everything. Not just what Jack thinks I should know.”

Ben looked at me for a long time and grew silent. "You believe Jack's hiding something?"

"don’t know. But I feel like there’s more going on than he’s telling me.” I paused, leaning forward in my chair, and looked again at the envelope. "Something important."

The day went on, a blur of meetings and phone calls. Jack had been coming and going from the office, either bringing me a new report to sign or a brief update regarding the inheritance. Either way, I could not get rid of the feeling that something was about to happen. Something for which I was unprepared.

I stayed by the window till late at night, staring out to the edge of the city. The buildings were illuminated by an orange glow as the sun began to set. Up here, the world seems calm and accurate. But beneath that front, chaos was fermenting.

Behind me, I heard the door open, and Jack entered with his usual quiet articulation set up. “Ethan, we need to go over a few things before tomorrow’s board meeting.”

I swung around and leaned on the frame of the window. "Jack, before we get into that... Would you mind telling me what else you have been withholding from me?"

Jack remained unfazed. "I don't know what you mean."

I narrowed my eyes. "The offshore accounts, the hidden deals. The fact that every day, I find something new about my father’s business that I didn’t know existed. When are you going to tell me everything?”

Jack muttered as he walked over to the workspace and placed down one more stack of documents. “I’ve told you, Ethan. There are things your father kept from everyone, including me. It’s going to take time to sort through everything.”

"And in the meantime, I’m just supposed to sit back and trust you?” I folded my arms and asked.

Jack took a while to respond. He inhaled deeply, his expression muddled. “Your father… he was a complicated man. There are things in his will that you may not be ready for.”

There was a hint of unease in me. "What sort of things?"

Jack took his time, glancing at the pile of papers piled on the desk. “There’s a benefactor. Someone your father left a significant portion of his estate to.”

For a moment, my mind cleared. "A benefactor? Who?"

Jack returned my glance. "A week ago, I wrote her a letter. She has received instruction thus far."

My jaw tensed. "Also, you didn't think to let me know this before sending the letter?"

"I had intended to inform you," Jack stated in a calm tone. "But wanted to ensure she would acknowledge the terms first."

"She? "Who is this woman?"

Jack's expression did not change. "I'm not at freedom to say yet."

My face was flooded with blood. "You're letting me know my dad passed on piece of his estate to somebody, and you don't think I have the right to know what her identity is?"

Jack remained steady, his calm demeanor unwavering. “Ethan, I’m telling you now because she’s agreed to come to New York. I’ve spoken with her, and she’ll be here tomorrow.”

The words felt like a kick to the gut. Tomorrow, Whether I was ready or not, this woman, whatever she was, was going to enter my life.