A Wealthy Father Banished the Poor Boy Who Asked His Paralyzed Daughter to Dance

The Secret in the Notebook

To the shock of her father and the entire ballroom, Lily placed her hand in Ethan's. A warm, electric current seemed to pass between them. Robert reached out to violently pull Ethan away, but Ethan stood his ground, pulling a worn, black leather notebook from his pocket.

"If you touch me, Robert," Ethan whispered, loud enough only for the three of them, "this notebook goes straight to the federal prosecutor tonight."

Robert froze, his hand hovering in mid-air. The color drained from his face, leaving him looking suddenly frail despite his expensive tuxedo. He stared at the notebook as if it were a loaded weapon. Lily looked between them, her heart hammering.

"Father? What is he talking about?" Lily asked, her voice trembling.

Ethan kept his eyes on Robert.

"Tell her, Robert," Ethan challenged. "Tell her about the night of the accident. Tell her how you paid off the police chief to frame my older brother, Leo, for the hit-and-run, just to protect your business partner’s son who was actually driving the car."

A gasp escaped Lily’s lips. Three years ago, she had been told the driver who hit her was a reckless, uninsured teenager named Leo, who had subsequently died in custody. She had spent years harboring resentment toward a dead boy, only to realize now that it was all a lie manufactured by her own father.

"That's not true!" Robert hissed, though his shaking voice betrayed him. "Lily, he's extorting us. He's a criminal!"

"I have the bank transfer receipts right here," Ethan said, tapping the notebook. "My brother died in prison for a crime your family covered up. I don't want your money, Robert. I want justice. And I want to give Lily the truth."

Lily looked at her father, seeing the undeniable guilt in his eyes. The man she had idolized was a monster. She turned back to Ethan, tears streaming down her face.