All Chapters of Ethan Storm’s Dark Awakening : Chapter 261
- Chapter 270
295 chapters
261
Her father’s voice, rough and shaky, cut through the night air, trembling as if the words themselves carried the weight of everything they had endured. “We… we thought… we lost you both. We… we can’t… we can’t let this happen again.” Elsa’s chest tightened, her heart still pounding as adrenaline and fear lingered like a storm cloud above her. The cold night air bit into her cheeks, but she barely noticed. She could feel the warmth of her parents’ presence, fragile but real, their lives saved by the narrowest margins. Ethan stepped forward, his expression hardening, the steel in his eyes returning as though tempered by every danger they had faced that night. “It won’t,” he said, low and steady. “I promise. They won’t get another chance. Not at us. Not at anyone who belongs to me.” For a long moment, Elsa simply sat there, crouched on the ground with both her parents pressed close to her. She could feel their exhaustion radiating through their bodies, the tension of weeks compressed
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Hugo laughed, a deep, rolling sound that seemed to shake the crystal chandeliers overhead. He slapped his knee, eyes glinting with unrestrained triumph. “Yes! Finally! Nothing can touch us now. Everything is in place. And thanks to everyone here, especially you, Ron, it’s all done perfectly. Every single move executed flawlessly.” Ron smiled, smoothly accepting the praise, his eyes scanning the room like a predator surveying territory. “It was a team effort, of course,” he said, voice warm, smooth, practiced. “But… I’d be lying if I didn’t admit a little guidance helped along the way.” He raised a hand modestly, eliciting laughter from Hugo and Marco. Gary Watson, sitting back in his chair with a glass of dark red wine, leaned forward, voice precise and controlled. “To victory,” he said simply, each word measured, deliberate, slicing through the noise of celebration like a blade. The group clinked glasses, the sharp chime ringing through the hall, laughter echoing and mingling with
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Elsa’s relief was short-lived. Her mother’s eyelids fluttered once, then slowly closed. A sharp pang hit Elsa’s chest.“No! Mom!” she cried, leaning closer, shaking her mother gently. “Please… wake up! You can’t… you can’t go now!”The medics acted immediately, calm but urgent. “We need to move her to the hospital, now,” one said, checking vitals quickly. “If we don’t get her there fast, her condition could worsen drastically.”Elsa shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I… I want to go with you! Please, let me go with you!”The medic’s expression was firm, professional, almost impossible. “I’m sorry, miss, but no one is allowed in the car. We have to move quickly. It’s the only way to save her.”“No! No, I… I can’t!” Elsa’s voice broke as she reached toward the stretcher, desperate to hold her mother.Ethan stepped closer, slipping his arm around her trembling shoulders. “Hey… hey, listen to me,” he said softly, keeping his voice calm but firm. “I’ve got you. I’m not letting
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Meanwhile, that same night, the grand hall of the Bellano estate gleamed with opulence. Crystal chandeliers cast shimmering light across the polished marble floor. Long tables were adorned with gold-trimmed china, fine silverware, and elaborate floral arrangements. Waiters in crisp black vests moved silently between the tables, carrying trays of champagne and delicate hors d’oeuvres.The Bellano family and the Watsons were already gathered, dressed in their finest evening wear. Hugo, the patriarch, looked unusually radiant in a tailored black tuxedo, his white hair perfectly combed, and his eyes glinting with satisfaction. Marco wore a dark navy suit, pocket square matching the silk tie, a smug grin plastered across his face. Parker, uncomfortably adjusting his cufflinks, tried to mask the nervous excitement bubbling inside him.Gary Watson, dressed immaculately in a sharply cut charcoal suit, leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing across his face. “To victory,” he said,
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Then, as Hugo raised his glass to make another triumphant speech, a loud chime echoed from one of the golden-framed smart screens lining the walls. The laughter faltered. Gary Watson frowned slightly.“What now?” Marco muttered.Another alert flashed across the largest screen at the head of the hall: BREAKING NEWS.The room fell silent, eyes narrowing as the screen flickered to life. And there they were: Ethan Storm and Elsa Logan, standing confidently at a separate press conference, live across every major network and streaming platform. The room behind them was secure, their parents visible and seated safely to the side, alive and unharmed.Hugo’s face went pale. “What… what is this?” he stammered, reaching for his wine glass as if it could steady him.Gary Watson’s expression hardened, his sharp eyes narrowing into slits. “Impossible,” he said, voice low, almost growling.Marco’s smug grin faltered, replaced by a frown of disbelief. “They… they’re alive. And… and they have… proof.
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Gary Watson’s hand tightened around his wine glass, the crystal rim digging into his fingers. His face, usually a mask of icy control, betrayed a flicker of disbelief. He stared at the screen, then at the hall around him, his mind racing. He had sent his best man—no, the best of the best. The man who had never failed. The operative who could disappear into the shadows and erase any trace of a target. Yet here they were: Ethan Storm and Elsa Logan, alive, confident, standing before the world, their parents safe.“How… how is this possible?” Gary muttered under his breath, voice sharp with incredulity. “He… he should be dead. That man… Ethan… is he… is he immortal?”Parker, trembling slightly, swallowed hard. “Sir… maybe… maybe they anticipated everything? We… we did what we were told…”Gary’s eyes snapped to him, icy as daggers. “Don’t speak. Don’t you dare speak unless I ask you.”Before anyone could respond, Hugo’s voice boomed, heavy with frustration and disbelief. “Gary, look at
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Hugo staggered back from the commotion, his hands gripping the edge of the long mahogany table. Something gnawed at the back of his mind—a quiet, growing unease he had ignored until now.“The stock… check the stock!” he barked, voice trembling but loud enough to snap the room’s attention.Marco froze mid-laugh, wine glass halfway to his lips. “What… what do you mean?”“Check it, now!” Hugo repeated, his eyes darting toward the assistant who was frantically typing on a laptop at the end of the table.The assistant’s hands shook as he opened the trading app. Numbers flashed red—rapidly changing, spiraling downward. His voice faltered. “Sir… it… it’s falling… Bellano Group stock… it’s—”Hugo snatched the laptop. His eyes scanned the screen in disbelief. Red arrows streaked downward, numbers flashing faster than he could follow. “No… no… it can’t… this isn’t possible!”Gary Watson, still glaring at the screens showing Ethan and Elsa’s press conference, leaned over the table. “What is it,
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Meanwhile…At the press conference, Ethan and Elsa stood side by side. Cameras flashed so rapidly it looked like lightning trapped indoors. Reporters leaned forward over the barricades, waving microphones, shouting over each other.“Ethan! Elsa! Where have you been?”“Did someone hide you?”“Is it true you were kidnapped?”“Are the rumors real or not?!”Ethan lifted his hand. Slowly, like waves calming after a storm, the noise faded.“We are fine,” he said, voice steady as stone. “And the truth is now clear. The people who tried to hurt us, and who targeted Elsa’s parents, have been caught.”The room instantly surged again.“Who did it?”“Was it Ron Logan?”“Did the Bellano family do it?”“Why target you? Why now?”Elsa stepped forward, taking the mic. She looked calm, but her eyes burned with focus.“We will let the police release the official report,” she said. “But yes, the truth is coming out.”Another reporter shouted, “Elsa! Are your parents safe? There were rumors—”“They’re sa
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Meanwhile… At the press conference, Ethan and Elsa stood side by side. Cameras flashed so rapidly it looked like lightning trapped indoors. Reporters leaned forward over the barricades, waving microphones, shouting over each other. “Ethan! Elsa! Where have you been?” “Did someone hide you?” “Is it true you were kidnapped?” “Are the rumors real or not?!” Ethan lifted his hand. Slowly, like waves calming after a storm, the noise faded. “We are fine,” he said, voice steady as stone. “And the truth is now clear. The people who tried to hurt us, and who targeted Elsa’s parents, have been caught.” The room instantly surged again. “Who did it?” “Was it Ron Logan?” “Did the Bellano family do it?” “Why target you? Why now?” Elsa stepped forward, taking the mic. She looked calm, but her eyes burned with focus. “We will let the police release the official report,” she said. “But yes, the truth is coming out.” Another reporter shouted, “Elsa! Are your parents safe? There were rumor
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Through this crisis, Ethan and Elsa not only stopped the danger… they also earned over two billion dollars in the stock market.And the Bellano family… was gone.Completely gone.Bankrupt. Shattered. Finished.Nova rose to the top of the city like a bright light, while the Bellano name faded into dust.⸻Backstage, right after the press conference…Elsa grabbed Ethan’s arm, her voice shaking with joy.“Ethan… Ethan! We did it!” she said, almost shouting. “You saved my parents… you saved all of us!”Ethan gave a small smile. “We did it together.”“No!” Elsa shook her head fast. “No, Ethan, listen to me. You saved my parents. You saved me. You saved Nova. You destroyed the Bellano family. And… and you made over two billion dollars on top of it!”Ethan laughed. “That part was a bonus.”Elsa punched his shoulder lightly. “Bonus?! That was insane! You’re insane! But in a good way!”“I try,” Ethan said, a little proud.Elsa stepped closer. “Thank you, Ethan. Thank you again. And again. And