" What did you say?", Ethan asked.

" I said that you don’t have to marry Gwen. I know you’re only doing it because you think the Cranes expect this of you, and that it’s the ‘Crane’ thing to do. But, you’re not a Crane. You’re a Bennett! Sam Bennett’s son, and so, you don’t have to marry Gwen."

Ethan looks at Theresa as if she’s grown horns. " How do you know this? Why would you say such a thing?"

" Because, it’s true. Your mother wrote a letter to Chief Bennett years ago, telling him about you, but, she never mailed it."

" And, my mother just handed it over to you?"

" No…she had given it to Mama for keeping, but, I read it."

" Where is this supposed letter?"

" Well, I have a copy of it in my laptop."

Theresa goes and gets the laptop and prints out the letter for  Ethan. He reads it, incredulous.

" WHY would you keep something like this? My mother’s private papers?"

" Well, for instances like today. To help convince you that you were making a huge mistake for all the wrong reasons. "

" I choose to marry Gwen, and so you decide that blowing my life apart is the only recourse you can take?"

" Ethan, I’m showing you the way that we can be together. Don’t you see? Now that you’re not a Crane, you and I can be together. You don’t have to marry Gwen at all. Because, I know you love me. We can have a life together. "

" We will NEVER have a life together, Theresa. I’m marrying Gwen."

" No, Ethan CRANE was going to marry Gwen. But, Ethan BENNETT can marry me!"

" I will NEVER be Ethan BENNETT Theresa." Ethan unplugs the laptop and takes it in his hands. " Do you understand. I will never be Ethan Bennett. I am Ethan Crane, and I will be marrying Gwen. And, you are never to tell anyone else about what you know. NO ONE. Am I understood?"

Theresa looked at Ethan oddly. " What are you saying?"

" I was born to rule the Crane Empire, and that’s EXACTLY what I’m going to do. "

" But…."

" I wasn’t going to tell you this, but, I will now. I already knew Theresa. I know who my biological father is."

" You do?"

" Yes."

" And, you’re still marrying Gwen?"

" Absolutely."

Theresa took ahold of the table. She felt as if she had been suckerpunched. " You knew about it. The price you paid for remaining a Crane is marrying Gwen, isn’t it?", she said feebly.

" Yes."

" You’d choose the Crane Name over our love?"

" It’s not a Name, Theresa. It’s a destiny. And, yes, I choose it over whatever I thought we might have had."

" But, you love me."

" Not enough to give up an Empire. My identity. My family. No, I don’t love you enough for that. And, if you love me half as much as you say you do, no one else will know the secret of my paternity."

" Ethan.."

" No, Theresa. If my paternity comes out, I’ll know it was YOU to made it happen. And understand this, I will DESPISE you. For what I would lose, I’ll hate you always. If you expose my paternity, it will kill every feeling that I’ve ever had for you. Do you understand?"

Theresa looked at Ethan with nothing but incredulity. She couldn’t believe that her dream was crashing down around her. That Ethan, the Prince, would choose anything over their love.

" Get on with your life, Theresa. I’m about to. I will tell my mother about your resignation as her private secretary. Don’t come to the house. Don’t contact me. There will be no connection between us anymore after I leave here. I have the life that I want Theresa. I hope you find yours."

With that, Ethan takes the laptop and leaves Theresa standing in the Lopez-Fitzgerald living room. Upon hearing the door close behind Ethan, Theresa collapses to the floor, and begins to sob loudly and uncontrollably.
 

" Are you ok, Penny?", Ivy says, bringing a blanket over Penny’s legs. They were on a Crane Jet, and Penny was on a couch.

" I’m fine, Mommy."

" Good. " She gives Penny a kiss, and goes back to her seat, picking up the phone.

" Crane Residence."

" Sally, it’s Mrs. Crane. Is Ethan there?"

" No, M’am. "

" What’s happening there?"

" Preparations for a wedding, Mrs. Crane. Everything is set up. It’s going to be small and private, but, it’s a wedding, no doubt."

" Ok. Please tell Ethan to call me when he gets in."

" Certainly, Mrs. Crane."

Ivy hangs up and turns to Julian. " Ethan IS getting married. I wonder why he would think about getting married without us?"

" Maybe he thought that we would cringe at the piñatas in the Crane Living Room at the reception."

" Julian, don’t be such a boor. This is serious. We have to get back in time to see Ethan marry Theresa. I can’t wait."

" I can."

" Julian, the least you could do is be supportive."

" Of what, Ivy? A marriage that will not work? Take your blinders off, Ivy, Theresa does not, and will not ever fit into the world that Ethan inhabits. He’s been trained since birth to lead the Crane Empire, and yes, I will admit, I think he’s a better man than I could ever be. And, because of that, I want Our Son to have the best. I always have."

" Having the best includes love, Julian."

" Gwen loves him. I believe she still does, after everything. I don’t understand it, but, the girl NEVER thought of the marriage as a business merger. She wanted to be married. Ethan finds Theresa new, exciting, fresh. She’s unexplored territory. But, at the end of the day, how many things can he ‘explain’ to Theresa about our world? How many excuses will he have to make to the kings, prince, sheiks, about why his wife doesn’t have the wherewithal to make HIM look good to them? What happens when the ‘newness’ of Theresa wears off, and he sees that all he has is an uneducated, lowerclass Housekeeper’s Daughter? "

Ivy wants to argue with Julian. She wants to shoot him down, but, doesn’t. She doesn’t because she can hear the concern about Ethan in his voice. He didn’t say it crassly, he was speaking from the heart. He is worried about Ethan and his place in the world like any concerned FATHER would be. She had to admit that she had the same concerns, but, didn’t want to see herself as ‘ Politically Incorrect’, or agreeing with Julian on anything.

" I think that Ethan and Theresa will be fine as long as they love one another.", Ivy says meekly, as she picks up a magazine to read.

It was going to be a long ride home.
 

" Miss Hotchkiss, Mr. Crane is here.", the maid says, as she entered the Library.

" You can show him in."

A few moments later, Ethan is in the Library.

" Hello, Gwen."

" Ethan."

" May I have your answer?"

" Ethan, you’re awfully sure of yourself."

" I think so. You love me, Gwen."

" I may or may not love you, Ethan. But, why should I MARRY you? "

" Because you love me, and because I’ll be a good husband."

" And, what exactly do you qualify as a good husband, Ethan?"

" I promise to be there for you Gwen. To support you. For us to raise our family together. To be there when you need me, and when you don’t. To love you."

" Ah, there’s that tricky word, love. How much love did you have for me when you humiliated me by proposing to Theresa IN FRONT OF ME."

" I disrespected you, Gwen. And, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again."

" Ethan, why should I believe you?"

" I can’t give you a reason, Gwen. Either you do, or you don’t. "

" What happens when the next Theresa bats her eyes at you. Julian keeps on telling me how much of a Crane you are, and your actions with regards to Theresa have definitely confirmed that for me."

" I will never do that to you again. "

" You’ve been honest with me, Ethan. About marrying me is the ‘price’ you pay for heading the Crane Empire. How am I supposed to deal with that? That you’re marrying me for a ‘price’. How am I supposed to deal with your resentment?"

" There is no resentment, Gwen. There is no blame for you. I make my own choices. I’m a man. When faced with a decision, I made it, and decided that I wanted you. There will be no other women, Gwen. After hurting you the way that I did, I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you realize that. Nobody knows me better than you, Gwen."

" Sometimes, I think I didn’t know you at all. Because, I would have never thought you’d hurt me the way that you have."

Ethan brings a box out of his pocket, and opens it. Inside is a healthy-sized ring.

" Take this ring. Become my wife. Give me a second chance. "

Gwen takes the ring from Ethan and looks at it.

Quietly, Gwen says, " Yes, Ethan. I’ll be your wife. We can start over."

Ethan smiled a boyish grin. " Good. Then, it can begin tonight."

" TONIGHT?"

" Yes."

Gwen looks at the seriousness in Ethan’s face. She sighs, and nods.

" Tonight, then."
 
 
 

Eve was sitting in her Office when she heard a knock on the door.

" Come in."

" Hi. Dr. Russell.", Chad says, entering her office.

" Chad. What brings you here?"

" I wanted to talk to you."

" About?"

" Whitney."

" Well, I know that since I came to town, you’ve had a problem with me."

" Chad, we worked through it."

" I know. I can’t believe how far we’ve come since I came to town. I honestly think that you respect me now."

Eve’s heart was in her throat. She had theoretically gone about accepting ‘the truth’ that had been revealed to her about Chad. But, this was the first time that she really KNEW it. He was HER SON. Eve could barely stop from bursting into tears. For the first time, she LOOKED at Chad. Looked for herself. For signs of Julian. She was drinking him in, every inch of him, trying to etch it into her brain.

" I do respect you, Chad. More than respect you. I…"

" Dr. Russell, please let me get this out before I lose my nerve. I know how much your daughters mean to you. How protective you are of them. That you want them to be involved with the ‘right’ kind of boy. I know I don’t have money, Dr. Russell, but, I still think that I’m that ‘right’ kind of man. I’m hard working, I respect your daughter immensely. I will support her in everything that she wants to do. I would never try to hold her back, and I’ll try and help her fulfill her dreams."

" Chad…what are you saying?"

" I’m saying that I’ve come to you to ask for your permission to date Whitney. I’m not after some cheap thrill, Dr. Russell. I love Whitney."

Eve felt her heartbeat speed up. Trembling, she asked Chad, " What did you say?"

" I’m in love with Whitney."

" NO! You can’t love her?"

" Dr. Russell.."

" You can’t love her, Chad! You can’t! It’s forbidden. Oh God, I’m so sorry. I had no idea it had gotten this far! I thought I was in time. I thought I was in time. Oh, please Chad, forgive me. Forgive me for not finding out in time. I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I swear to you, I didn’t know. Please forgive me…", Eve says in her sobs.

" Dr. Russell, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would I have to forgive you? What didn’t you know? Why can’t I love Whitney?"

" Because…….because, she’s your SISTER!"

" What did you say?"

" Whitney is your sister, and I am your MOTHER!"

Chad stood there, in shock.