Chapter 7 - The Morning Aftermath
The morning sun broke over Lake Michigan in a brilliant explosion of gold and amber light, casting long shadows across the private balcony of Ethan’s suite at the resort.
Ethan stood by the glass door, holding a steaming mug of black coffee, watching the gulls wheeling across the water. Behind him, the rustle of bedsheets signaled that Claire was waking up.
A moment later, arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and a soft, sleepy chin rested against the small of his back.
"If this is another logistical nightmare," Claire’s voice murmured against his shirt, "it’s the best one I’ve ever been part of."
Ethan turned in her arms, wrapping her securely against his chest, still wrapped in one of his crisp white dress shirts. He kissed the top of her head, smiling. "No nightmares today, Claire. All shipments are arriving on schedule."
Reality, however, was waiting just outside the door.
By 10:00 AM, the digital fallout of the weekend had officially exploded. Daniel Harrington had already posted a reel on Instagram featuring the security footage of Ethan’s epic wedding speech blunder, captioned: *“When your best friend accidentally crashes a stranger's wedding and delivers your speech to Emily and Jason. 10/10 execution.”* The video was already viral, crossing fifty thousand views in under three hours.
Worse still, Claire’s phone—left on the bedside table—had buzzed fourteen times in five minutes.
Claire picked it up, her expression shifting from lazy morning contentment to sheer, unadulterated executive dread as she scrolled through the notifications.
"What is it?" Ethan asked, leaning over her shoulder.
"Three missed calls from Julian. Two text messages from my father demanding an immediate breakfast meeting in the hotel lounge," she read aloud, her voice tightening. "And a screenshot of a local business blog post titled: *‘Corporate Merger or Mid-Wedding Drama? Bennett Industrial Heiress Spotted Fleeing Reception with Rival Logistics CEO.’*"
Ethan whistled softly. "Well, that didn't take long. Turns out gossip travels faster than a freight train."
Claire looked up at him, her dark eyes flashing with a mixture of amusement and fierce defiance. "My father is going to lose his mind. He hates unpredictability more than anything in the world."
"Then it’s a good thing," Ethan said, taking the phone from her hand and tossing it gently onto the mattress, "that we have a very solid strategy to deal with him."
Claire raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is your grand master plan, Mr. Walker?"
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"We walk down to the hotel lounge together," Ethan said, his voice steady and completely unbothered. "We order breakfast. And we tell your father that Bennett Industrial’s logistics partner is officially expanding his portfolio."
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