Eve gave it a few moments before she returned to tell Ethen and Jeremy the good news. She figured that in that moment, they needed each other more than they needed the news that Laura had been located at last. Iris had found her faster than any of them had expected that she would or even could. It turned out that Laura’s method of hiding was much the same as Eve’s: in plain sight. Laura had spent the most recent part of her life in the Cayman Islands. She hadn’t been using an offshore account like they had suspected, but a regular checking and saving account with a bank. Laura had gone by her maiden name since she left Jeremy and Ethen.

Hiding in plain sight had worked well for her for a long time. It would have kept on working if there weren’t people actively looking for her. In a way, Laura was also a victim of the Melcor Corporation’s blackmail—though Eve didn’t have much sympathy for the woman.

“Iris found her,” Eve said, returning to the living room after giving both Jeremy and Ethen some time.

“Already? How is that possible?” Ethen asked, stunned by the news. “I guess I should have said something a long time ago.” He looked chagrinned by this. Had he done things slightly differently, he would not have had to put his son through all that they had gone through. It seemed to have made their relationship stronger. If they needed a silver lining, that was a pretty good one.

Eve shrugged. “I guess she wasn’t really hiding. She had no reason to be; she just wasn’t planning on coming back.”

Laura really didn’t have much of a reason to be hiding. She came by her money in a relatively legal manner and wasn’t running away from a crime or anything like that. She just took money in exchange for leaving her family. If there was anything she had to hide from it, it was shame. No one was looking for her, except for maybe her parents. Eve supposed that maybe all the hiding was to keep away from them. Though she wasn’t sure why. By all appearances and accounts, they were a functional and happy family. She knew that her own family had never appeared as such, but Iris’ family appeared perfect on the outside. Eve wondered what Laura had been hiding from.

“Where is she?” Jeremy asked. He didn’t look pleased. He looked like he wasn’t sure how to feel. He knew that it meant his father’s name would be clear. He also knew that it meant his mother might be back in his life in some respect. Eve could imagine that the memory of her asking ‘how much?’ must run through his mind constantly.

“The Caimans,” Eve replied. Jeremy looked a little disheartened, as though he had hoped that she would be closer. That if she had left him then at the very least she would have stayed close by to keep an eye on him. Eve could see the hurt in his eyes as he digested this new piece of information. It was a shred of hope that he had been holding onto that maybe he came in a close second to money.

“Will this clear my name?” Ethen asked.

“I think so. We just need to get her to come forward and prove that she is alive and well,” Eve said. She wasn’t sure how easy it would be to convince her to come forward. Laura had been running from her responsibilities for so long, it would be difficult for her to return to them. Not that she would suddenly become a part of Jeremy’s life, but she would have to face what she had done. She would also have to face her parents. Eve couldn’t imagine leaving behind a caring and loving family without even a word. Her heart broke for her parents as they pleaded to find out what had happened to her. Eve had only wished that her parents had cared about her that much. When she’d left for school, she never heard from her parents again. She knew that if they were to turn on the television and see that their daughter was dating billionaire Ethen James they would try and weasel their way back into her life.

“I don’t know that she will,” Ethen said with a frustrated sigh. His life was in the hands of a woman who had belittled him for so long. It would have to feel terrible. She couldn’t imagine how she would feel if she were in his position. If her parents or Danny held the key to her freedom. She might have just chosen to rot in jail out of spite, not wanting to ask either of them for help. She didn’t have a child though. Eve knew that a good parent would do anything for their child and Ethen was an exceptional parent.

“I know how we can get her to come forward,” Eve said. She wasn’t exactly happy with her plan as it was essentially blackmail, which was what had gotten them into this problem in the first place. Though it wasn’t as shady as what Melcor had done. She hated that she was utilizing the same tactics as them, but she didn’t see another way. She would not leave Ethen’s future up to chance.

“How?” Ethen asked desperately. He had been so prepared to be convicted and go to jail that he jumped at even the smallest ray of hope.

“We freeze her accounts so that she can’t access her money until she comes forward.” It wouldn’t give her a choice. She would have to come forward, and they needed a foolproof plan. It was already proven that she cared about her money more than anything else in the world. Cut off her supply and she would come forward.

Ethen nodded in agreement to Eve’s plan. “Do it,” he said without a second thought. She was happy that he hadn’t seemed to judge her on her tactics. He almost seemed to appreciate that it was her who had said the idea out loud like he had it in his mind already but didn’t dare say it. She reminded herself of the lengths she knew that Ethen would be willing to go for his son. Eve called Iris without hesitation and she worked her magic to freeze Laura’s assets—along with a message as to why her accounts were frozen and how to get them back.

“Now we wait,” Eve said with a sigh. She sat with Ethen on the couch. Jeremy joined them, sitting on the farthest edge of the couch.

“Now we wait,” Ethen echoed. Charlie had remained in the study for most of the conversation. He seemed to be trying to make himself as sparse as possible. He had waited to come in until he felt that maybe their conversation had dissipated. Charlie stood in the entryway to the living room for a moment. Eve wasn’t sure where he and Ethen stood since the discovery of their sibling-ship. She hoped that they were on good terms still, unsure that there was a reason for them to be otherwise.

“Things turning out for the better?” He asked. Ethen greeted him with a nod and waved him in. Charlie walked in with his head dipped down slightly. He looked like he wasn’t sure if he belonged there or not. Eve felt bad for him, unsure why he would feel that way. She looked around the room and realized why. She had felt the same way when she left the room for Jeremy and Ethen to be alone. Eve had become a part of this family and hadn’t really realized it yet. Charlie had once been the third part to the makeshift James family, but now there was a fourth part and he wasn’t sure how the dynamics worked anymore.

“It seems like it might be. Iris found Laura,” Ethen said.

“I heard the phone call between her and Eve. I’m glad. I hope this means it’s all over.” He plopped on the far side of the couch rubbing his neck.

“If we can get her to come forward it will be.”

“I’m not even sure I want to know how you are doing that,” He said with a sly smile towards his friend. Their new dynamic being discovered as quickly as it was founded.

“I don’t think you do,” Ethen said leaning forward giving his friend a slap on the knee. Just like that, they relaxed once more, all of them knowing that they were exactly where they belonged.

“Can we watch something?” Jeremy asked quietly. He seemed to once again be a teenager, the stress wearing off of him as the minutes ticked on. Ethen passed Jeremy the TV remote. Jeremy clicked on the television and changed the channel quickly from the news to some sitcom. In truth, it didn’t really matter what they watched, just that they got a bit of a break from the media frenzy that surrounded them. As they relaxed on the couch, Eve started to feel at home, as though she was where she belonged. She looked at her brother and realized that this might have been the family that they were meant to be a part of the whole time.

It seemed as though hardly any time passed before Ethen’s phone rang. Jeremy quickly paused the television so that Ethen could answer. They had arranged it so that Laura could call Ethen once she realized that her assets had been frozen. Laura called him, and both Eve and Jeremy could hear her screaming, even though the phone wasn’t on speaker. It was easy enough to make out what she was yelling because her voice was so loud. It didn’t take her long to reach out to the police and explain her story once Ethen calmed her down enough to listen to what happened.

She seemed to begrudgingly agree to return in order to clear Ethen’s name. Though she was clearly unhappy with the situation, she was unhappier without access to her money. Although the struggle was far from over, it felt like they had reached some sort of victory. Ethen’s name would have to be cleared to some extent with Laura’s return. Eve was concerned that her story about the Melcor Corporation’s illegal activity would be dead as a result of the fallout from the scandal.

Her credibility had been attacked, and though Ethen’s name would be cleared, she wasn’t sure hers ever would be. If she went ahead with the story she would still be the woman in a relationship with Ethen James. She could no longer be trusted in what she said against Melcor; she wasn’t an unbiased reporter anymore. Even if everything she wrote was true, it would be tainted by her own bias. She knew that the story couldn’t remain on the shelf; it had to get out there, and Melcor needed to face their comeuppance. Though it would nearly kill her, she knew that she had to give her story to someone else to publish. It might even make their entire career, it was that big of a story.

Eve also couldn’t shake the paranoia that having her image and name out in the world created. She felt like Danny would be there at every turn. Right now, she was safe in Ethen’s home with him and his security, but she couldn’t remain there forever, though she was beginning to feel more comfortable than she ever had in her own apartment. It would almost feel weird to be with Ethen after everything blew over, though it would be a long while before all the fallout would clear up.

Laura was slated to arrive soon enough. Ethen had chartered a private jet to bring her back home as quickly as possible. She had already called her parents, who were so relieved to hear from their daughter that they immediately dropped the charges and took back all accusations against Ethen. Both Ethen and Laura would have to answer for their arrangement. Though not technically illegal, it did seem rather shady and should someone want to press charges, they could get them on something. Charlie had to excuse himself more than a few hours before. He was still hard at work while Ethen was away. Though he and Ethen were partners in a way, Charlie’s business was still growing. He was constantly in and out of business meetings and working to create new pieces of artfully crafted furniture. Eve was impressed with her brother and liked that he was not relying completely on his friend’s resources.

“Does this mean it’s over?” Jeremy asked. It took nearly the rest of the night and a good part of their morning to settle everything. They had to arrange for the jet and convince Laura’s parents that who they spoke to was in fact, Laura. Then there were some legal things that Ethen had to handle when the charges were dropped. He still had to keep his lawyer nearby in case someone went after him for the offshore accounts or something like that.

“It won’t be over for a long time,” Ethen said with a sigh. “But the scariest bit is over.” Jeremy nodded at his father. “There is still a long way to go, and we will be facing a lot of heat when the Melcor story breaks, but we’ll be okay.” It was true that their fight was far from over, but they were at a point where they could say that they would be okay.

“I think that’s good enough for now,” Jeremy replied. The boy seemed to be relentlessly optimistic, and Ethen had told him everything that had been going on. From his mother to Eve, to the blackmail that Melcor had on him. The experience had brought them far closer than they were before. Eve felt close to Jeremy too, as they had spent so much time with each other the last few days. He seemed relatively unbothered that she and his father were together. Though he wasn’t yet completely comfortable with the arrangement, he liked Eve and they got along well.

“I need a few moments,” Eve said, excusing herself from the room. There were some things that she needed to do sooner rather than later. She pulled out her phone and dialed Iris first. “Hey,” Eve said softly. “I think it’s time.”

“Are you sure?” Iris replied.

Eve nodded even though her friend couldn’t see her. “I need to know where he is. It’s the only way I’ll have any peace of mind.”

Iris had offered more than once to find out where Danny was. Each time, Eve had told her not to; until now, she’d had no desire to know his whereabouts. She knew that if she could know where he was it would help her feel safe.

“Okay, I’ll get back to you,” Iris responded. Eve hung up the phone and then dialed her boss. It went to voicemail almost immediately.

“Hey, Mr. Hartley, I know I haven’t been accessible these past few days, and I’m sure you’ve been able to figure out why. I need to be taken off the Melcor story. Assign it to whomever you think will do best with it. I’m no longer an unbiased reporter and think that the story will benefit from a new perspective.” Eve finished with a sigh as she hung up the phone. She didn’t know what giving up the story would mean for her career; it could possibly mean the end. She knew it was for the best, though; taking down Melcor meant more than her career.

Eve decided that she would file a police report about the car attempting to run her down. She couldn’t keep letting people get away with hurting her or attempting to. She had never once filed a report against someone that hurt her. Once she was old enough to move away from home she had, and she never looked back. Her parents never had to pay for what they had done to her. She had run away from Danny and never filed a report against him either. She wasn’t going to let another person hurt her and not get in trouble for it. If she wasn’t going to take Melcor down by writing the article, she would take them down by being a witness to their illegal activity.

Eve went back to the living room with Ethen and Jeremy, who had resumed watching mindless television. She curled up on the couch, feeling safe and at home. Though there was an uphill battle waiting for them, they would go through it together, as a makeshift family.