The Oxford schooled Ethan Ramsey arrived at the offices of Fusion cosmetics during a surprise board meeting in which several board members wanted Ryan Lavery ousted as CEO. Things took a surprising turn when Ethan revealed that he was the true heir to the Cambias fortune. Ethan revealed that he had only recently learned of his Cambias lineage; his biological mother, Hannah Nichols, had asked Edith Ramsey to raise him as her own child in an attempt to keep the evil Alexander Cambias, Jr. from molding Ethan in his own image.

Ethan had no substantial proof that he was a Cambias. The entire family-including his father, Alexander Junior-had died with no remains left behind. Frustrated, Ethan began a friendship with Kendall Hart, a fellow outsider. He also befriended Bianca Montgomery, the mother of his deceased cousin Miranda. Bianca, seeing Ethan as a link to her beloved daughter, supported his quest to find the truth.

Ryan was shot and nearly killed and Ethan became the prime suspect. Many claimed that by getting Ryan out of the way, he had a stronger chance of assuming the Cambias throne. Ethan declared he was innocent and Kendall supported him. A powerful attraction developed between the two.

Unbeknownst to Ethan his father was alive and living in Pine Valley as Zach Slater. Zach (then Alexander Junior) had faked his death to escape his tyrannical father. Zach was rocked by the news that he might have a son. He secretly performed a DNA test, which proved that Ethan was his child. Zach publicly announced that he was a Cambias, but told Ethan that he ran a DNA test and that Ethan was not his son. Zach denied his son because he wanted to protect him from the corruptive power and greed that came along with the Cambias name, which Zach had witnessed with his father and Michael.

Feeling he had no reason to stay in Pine Valley, Ethan prepared to leave town. He made love to Kendall, and shortly after was arrested for the attempted murder of Ryan. The police had found a rifle planted in Ethan's storage locker. Ethan swore he was innocent, and Kendall began a campaign to get him acquitted. While in custody, Ryan and his wife Greenlee were shot at again. The shooter this time was Zach, who was trying to get Ethan out of jail by providing reasonable doubt. Since Ethan was incarcerated at the time of the second shooting, this harmed the case that he tried to kill Ryan, and provided just cause to get Ethan released on bail. Touched by Kendall's support, the two began a relationship.

Zach wanted Ethan out of Pine Valley and away from any possibility that he would discover his true identity. To that effect, Zach encouraged Kendall to break off with Ethan, hopeful that Ethan would leave town once the charges against him were dropped. Zach's ploy didn't work, and only brought Ethan and Kendall closer together. The animosity between Zach and Ethan increased.

Ethan was overjoyed when his cousin Miranda was revealed to be alive, having spent the last nine months being raised as Bess Chandler. The joy was soon clouded by suspicion against Kendall, who was accused of methodically poisoning Greenlee with anti-psychotic medication. Zach helped put the idea in Ryan's head that Kendall was the guilty party, hopeful that Kendall would be convicted and Ethan would have a reason to leave town. The opposite effect happened, as Ethan vowed to stand by Kendall and clear her name.

Bianca told Ethan that Zach may have been lying about not being his father. She encouraged Ethan to test his DNA against Miranda, to truly see if he was a Cambias. The test results came in, which proved Ethan was Zach's son. Ethan was furious with Zach for denying him and swore revenge. He took on the Cambias name, assumed his portion of the fortune and began running Cambias Industries, determined to destroy Zach. Kendall grew concerned about Ethan's quest for vengeance, not wanting it to consume his life. Ethan assured Kendall it wouldn't and pledged his love to her.

Zach, still determined to protect Ethan from the Cambias lifestyle, told Ethan he would challenge him for Cambias Industries. Ethan teamed up with Edmund Grey to take down Zach. Edmund was killed by a mysterious party, and Ethan told the police that he had witnessed Zach kill Edmund. Ethan was lying, but swore to Kendall on their love that he was telling the truth. Zach was arrested for the murder. Disappointed with Ethan's actions---which clearly proved him a corrupt Cambias---Zach denied Ethan the satisfaction of pinning the crime by forgoing a trial and confessing.

Lily Montgomery revealed that she witnessed Edmund's murder and that Zach was not guilty. Suspicion for the murder, as well as the attempted murder of Ryan and poisoning of Greenlee, fell on Ryan's brother Braden. Despite this, Ethan kept up the lie and maintained that Zach was the killer. Kendall, refusing to accept that Ethan would lie to her, chose to believe her. When Ryan's brother Jonathan kidnapped Kendall and revealed himself as the murderer of Edmund, as well as Ryan's shooter and poisoner of Greenlee, Kendall was forced to accept that Ethan lied to her about Zach's guilt. Furious, she broke up with him.

Kendall and Zach shocked Ethan when they announced that they were engaged! Realizing it was a revenge ploy, Ethan tried to get through to Kendall, pledging his love. Kendall told Ethan that she would reunite with him if he gave up Cambias Industries, and the corruptive power that goes with it. Ethan refused to have conditions put on their relationship. Later, at Bianca's urging, Ethan made one last loving plea to Kendall, who was ready to accept him back into her life. However, Zach revealed that he and Kendall had just married! A furious Ethan wrote off Kendall and physically fought his father. Soon after, Zach decided to drop any lawsuit to regain Cambias Industries, seeing how his actions had such destructive consequences for Ethan.

Ethan began to casually date Simone Torres, attracted to her trademark spunk and sense of humor. The two soon realized they were made for each other and made plans to get married, with Ethan making sure that Simone was an equal shareholder in Fusion so that no one could discount her opinion. The two attended Erica Kane's Mardi Gras ball together, where they were caught underneath the rubble when the room exploded. Ethan was fine at first, but while attempting to escape was severely injured. He ultimately died from his injuries, but his spirit hung around Pine Valley for a few weeks, saying goodbye to the people in his life. Ethan was never able to forgive Zach for his deceptions, and went to his grave hating his father.