“If I end up penniless…” I spoke lightly,
“You’ll take care of me, right?”
She laughed on the phone.
“Not only will I take care of you, Ethan Marks… I’ll help you reclaim everything that’s yours.”
“They think three years of coma gives them the right to seize your empire?
Idiots. If they knew what you’ve actually been doing these years… they’d die from fear.”
—
Inside Marks Holdings’ expansive New York headquarters, the Boardroom was packed.
Shareholders. Investors. Partners.
All gathered in a chaotic storm of greed.
The Marks family shareholders—my so-called relatives—were the loudest:
“I’m Ethan Marks’ uncle! His assets are family property! Even in a coma, his shares are not yours to control!”
“I’m his cousin! I helped him when he took over the company! If someone must be CEO again—it should be me! Not that woman!”
“Don’t be fooled by Rachel Stevenson’s fake loyalty! She’s cheating on Ethan! I saw her entering a hotel with a man—”
They hurled insults at Rachel not because they cared about me—
but because today, she was scheduled to replace me as CEO.
And if she gained that power…
they would no longer be able to bleed the company dry.
Jason Lee, Rachel’s assistant, snapped at them:
“Watch your mouths! If it weren’t for Ms. Stevenson managing this corporation, you greedy parasites would’ve already bankrupted Marks Holdings!”
“She’s Mr. Marks’ legal wife! He’s been unconscious for three long years—no one knows if he’ll ever wake again! She has every right to take over his responsibilities—”
Before he could finish—
Uncle Robert Marks slapped him across the face.
“You insignificant nobody!” he shouted.
“If Rachel hadn’t dragged you in, you’d never step foot into this room!”
“I heard she’s been keeping you as a boy toy—you two have probably been cheating behind my nephew’s back for years—!”
Jason exploded with rage, but Rachel raised a hand to stop him.
Rachel Stevenson narrowed her eyes at them—
her voice calm, but laced with ice.
“For three years, I tolerated you because you were Ethan’s relatives.
I looked away from your disgusting behavior.”
“But instead of restraint, you have grown bolder. You plot to steal what belongs to me and my husband.”
“My patience… ends today.”
“Security, get them out of here. They’re no longer allowed to step into Marks Holdings again. If they continue this nonsense, call the police and have them arrested.”
Rachel Stevenson’s voice was cold and commanding.
“I have plenty of evidence that could destroy your reputations. If any of you dare cause trouble again, don’t think I won’t let you rot in prison.”
Her words left the Marks family shareholders both shocked and enraged.
At that moment, the conference room doors swung open.
I appeared—sitting in my wheelchair—entering their line of sight.
Faces filled with disbelief froze under the bright conference lights.
“What a lively scene,” I said calmly.
In an instant, silence swallowed the entire room.
No one spoke. It felt as if my sudden return had ripped open a buried nightmare.
“What’s wrong?” I asked mildly. “Not happy to see me?”
The tension in the air thickened. The boardroom full of executives and partners shifted their gazes instinctively—not toward me—but toward the woman seated in the chairman’s spot.
Rachel Stevenson.
Only then did Rachel finally recover from her shock. She stood and hurried to my side, eyes glistening with tears, her soft smile trembling.
“Ethan… Ethan Marks, you’re awake… You really woke up!”
“Thank God I never gave up on you!”
She gently pushed my wheelchair next to the table, whispering in a fragile voice:
“It’s been three years.”
“You know how hard I’ve fought to keep everything together?”
“Marks Holdings was surrounded by threats. I lived in constant fear someone would try to finish what the accident started…”
“I was so terrified… so tired…”
Tears streamed as she buried herself against my shoulder.
Her assistant, Jason Lee, glared at me while defending her passionately:
“Mr. Marks, Ms. Stevenson’s dedication to Marks Holdings these years has been undeniable! After your car crash, she stepped up as vice president, leading the company through crisis after crisis!”
“But your relatives—those shareholders—kept undermining her at every turn!”
“They even pushed for pulling your life support when doctors believed you might never wake up! She refused—again and again—yet they insulted her, and even attacked her physically! Worst of all, they spread slander about her all over the internet!”
Jason’s angry accusations quickly stirred the room.
Executives and long-time business partners joined the chorus:
“They went too far.”
“In your first year of coma, they already tried to take your shares!”
“If it weren’t for Ms. Stevenson’s intervention, this company would be gone by now!”
“They even tried to steal clients behind her back—just to force her to give in!”
The Marks family shareholders turned pale as the condemnation piled up.
I narrowed my eyes at them.
“Anything to say for yourselves?”
Silence. Then, outrage.
One of them—my uncle by blood, Robert Marks—snapped first:
“Ethan! I’m your uncle! Is this how you speak to your family?”
“You swore at your parents’ grave you’d support every member of the Marks bloodline! And now you want revenge?”
“Yes, we considered ending your life support! But only because we didn’t want you suffering forever! We did it for your own good!”
“Our family’s wealth is Marks family wealth,” they argued, one voice overlapping another.
“We’re blood! How could an outsider like Rachel Stevenson inherit what belongs to us?”
“If she’d given you a child, maybe we wouldn’t bother! But it’s been years and no heir! And while you were unconscious, who knows how many men she fooled around with?! We can’t let a stranger take what should stay in the Marks family!”
Their arrogance was revolting. In their eyes, the family name justified everything—even sacrificing me.
I let out a quiet sigh.
“Ever since I took over Marks Holdings, I’ve cleaned up your messes over and over.”
“But from now on… take care of yourselves.”
Robert slammed the table.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
I ignored him. I turned to Rachel.
“Handle it.”
Without hesitation, Rachel ordered security to escort the Marks shareholders to the police station. She instructed her secretary to deliver a thick dossier—years of embezzlement, client poaching, fraudulent accounts.
Enough to put every one of them behind bars.
My cousins panicked, begging and crying.
I didn’t even look their way.
Those parasites were finally done.
Once the room cleared, I scanned the remaining executives and investors.
“I hear today’s board meeting was meant to strip me of the CEO title and divide my shares?”
Again, they all looked at Rachel.
She offered a warm, gentle smile:
“Ethan, you haven’t been in the company for three years. Things have changed so quickly.”
“We’re partners, and as your wife… taking over your role would allow me to protect our interests better.”
“You’re not upset with me for that, right?”
Jason jumped in before I could reply:
“Mr. Marks, you and Ms. Stevenson are one! Your strongest move now is to rest and recover. She’ll handle everything for you.”
Executives, partners—one by one—voiced support for her governance.
It was obvious:
Even if I refused, they would force her into my position.
“So,” I exhaled softly, “while I slept, the power of Marks Holdings shifted.”
“And now, even my objection is meaningless.”
No one dared refute it.
Rachel brushed it off lightly.
“Don’t worry about the company anymore. I’ll have someone take you home now.”
She exchanged a glance with Jason.
Jason walked over, forcing a polite smile.
“Mr. Marks, let me take you back.”
He pushed my wheelchair toward the door.
I didn’t resist. I simply asked:
“Jason, once Rachel Stevenson becomes CEO… your future here will look pretty bright, won’t it?”
