Ethan’s calm voice filled the room. “You keep saying it’s yours, Ron. But you’re wrong. This necklace doesn’t belong to the Logan family. It’s a Storm heirloom” Everyone stared at him, stunned. Ron blinked. “What did you just say?” Ethan stepped closer, his tone steady but sharp. “It’s part of the Storm family.”Everyone froze, staring at Ethan as if he’d grown horns overnight.“The Storm family?” Aunt Clara whispered, eyes wide. “You mean… that legendary family? The one everyone talks about?”Ethan nodded slightly, keeping his voice calm. “Yes. This necklace… it’s theirs. Not yours.”“And it’s not yours too?” Mrs. Logan’s hands shook. “Do you know what you’re saying? That necklace is worth… worth millions!”“Millions?” Martin repeated, leaning back in his chair. “Are you serious? That little trinket?”Ethan’s lips twitched. “It’s not a trinket. It’s gold. Real gold. And the Storms… they’re not just any family. They’re—”“Millions!” Ron roared over him, slamming his fist on the tab

Ron smiled, slow and wicked. His mind raced. He could strike at Callahan, maybe even topple him from his seat in the family. He could make Ethan and Elsa regret ever stepping foot in this house, ever touching that necklace. And the money… the millions he had long coveted? If he played this right, it might come later. Or maybe it didn’t matter. Power was worth more than gold.“You think you’re walking out of here safely?” he whispered, almost to himself, but loud enough for them to hear. “No. You’re going to regret this. Every step you take from this room… you’ll regret it. And I… I will enjoy watching it.”Ethan shook his head, calm as ever. “Empty threats, Uncle Ron. We’re leaving. There’s nothing for you here except your anger.”Ron’s face darkened, the rage twisting every line. “Leave? You think you can just leave? You… you think I won’t stop you?”Elsa took Ethan’s hand, holding it tight. “We’re not afraid of you. Not anymore.”Ron’s hands trembled as he laughed, a harsh, broken

Ethan and Elsa stepped out of the house as if waking from a bad dream.The air felt cold.Both of them were silent for a long, brittle moment.Then Elsa stopped walking.Her hand trembled around her bag—not with fear this time, but with a frustrated, simmering rage.“Ethan… please,” she said, voice low but shaking. “Please forgive Uncle Ron. And my family. They… they just…”Her voice cracked, but the anger beneath it didn’t.Ethan looked at her with tired eyes. “Elsa… it’s both. You know it’s both.”She shook her head sharply, almost violently. “I told you we should not come! I told you!”Her voice rose, bright with anger and hurt. “But you kept pushing, pushing, and now look! Look what happened!”He lifted his hands, trying to calm her.“Elsa, breathe. Please. I didn’t know Ron would act like that. I didn’t know—”“That’s exactly the problem!” she snapped, fury snapping through every word. “You never know! And you always underestimate people!”Ethan stepped closer, careful—too carefu

Gary tapped his cane once on the polished marble floor.The sound rang like a command.“Bring him to me,” he said.A guard bowed, hand across his chest. “At once, Mr. Watson.”He slipped out the door.Moments later, heavy footsteps approached — not rushed, but weighted, deliberate. A tall figure entered the room, filling the space in a way most men couldn’t.He was enormous. Broad shoulders that strained the seams of his dark coat. Arms thick with coiled muscle. His jaw was square, unshaven, and a long scar crossed from his cheek to the corner of his mouth. His hair was tied back, though a few strands escaped and shadowed his eyes.Despite his intimidating frame, he moved with surprising restraint. He lowered his head.“Sir,” he said quietly, voice gravel‑low.Gary didn’t turn to face him. Instead, he stared out over the city from the tall window.“There is a boy,” Gary said. “A child who imagines he can interfere with my interests.”The operative’s shoulders stiffened. His voice tigh

The man stepped closer. His eyes were cold, unreadable. His voice was quiet, but it cut through the air like steel.“You… you’re not an ordinary man,” he said. “But you… you are still too weak to face me.”Ethan narrowed his eyes, fists tightening. “Who are you?” he asked. His voice was low, but firm.The man smirked faintly. “You’ll know soon enough. All in good time.”Elsa peeked out the window, trembling. “Ethan… he doesn’t seem… normal.”Ethan didn’t answer. He stayed on guard, slowly circling the man, reading every move. “I’ve faced a lot,” he said carefully. “I can handle you too.”The man laughed softly, almost amused. “You think so?” He took another step closer, and his shadow stretched long across the asphalt. “I’ve studied you. Every step. Every fight. Your past… everything.”Ethan stiffened. “What do you mean, my past?”The man’s lips curled into a faint, sinister smile. “You were once… something else. A legend, even. People feared you. You know it. But you are not the same