The glass doors had barely finished closing when the weight of silence fell over the lobby. Every single employee stood frozen, as though afraid to breathe too loudly in Ethan’s presence.The president adjusted his tie and bowed slightly toward Ethan. “Mr. Ethan,” he said with a respectful tone that startled many of the staff, “the floor is yours.”The attendants, clerks, and guards glanced at one another in shock. The president of Royal City Bank bowing to Ethan? If a man of such stature could show deference to Ethan, what did that mean for the rest of them?Ethan let out a mock smile, his eyes sweeping across the rows of nervous faces. Finally, he spoke, his voice calm but layered with authority.“Earlier today, some of you mocked me. Some of you disrespected me. Some of you even dared to lay hands on me. You thought I was beneath you, someone unworthy of your time, someone you could throw out like trash.”The very guards who had manhandled him earlier shifted uneasily. The clerks w

Before Emma could respond to Danny’s invitation, a familiar voice called out to her.“Emma.”She turned, and there he was—Ethan.Her husband was striding toward them, his tall frame commanding even in the simplest of clothes. Relief swept over her for a brief moment—until she saw the way his eyes narrowed at Danny. Ethan’s calm gaze shifted between the two of them, taking in the subtle closeness, the way Danny angled himself toward her.Judging from Danny's stance, he could already tell that he was one of those guys who bragged about what they have at the slightest opportunity they have.Emma forced a smile, almost too quickly. “Ethan, you’re here!”Danny’s lips curled into a slow, mocking grin as Ethan stopped beside her.He had no idea who Ethan was yet, but merely looking at him, Danny already concluded that he was one of those pauper, probably one of Emma's employee.But before silence could stretch too far, Emma, trying to ease the sudden tension, spoke. “Ethan, this is Danny… a

The clang of the iron cell door echoed like a gavel, final and unforgiving. Ethan was shoved inside, the metallic rattle of the lock sliding into place ringing louder than the muttered conversations of the officers in the corridor.The station reeked faintly of stale cigarettes and disinfectant, a blend of neglect and authority. The small barred window high above let in only a sliver of light, striping Ethan’s face in shadows. He sat down on the narrow bench fixed to the wall, his wrists still aching from the tight grip of the cuffs but he said nothing. Ethan’s silence unnerved even the officers who escorted him in, though they tried to mask it behind their stern, professional expressions. There was something in the way he carried himself—calm, unflinching, almost detached—that unsettled them more than anger or resistance ever could.Most criminals made a scene the moment they were brought in. Some shouted about their innocence, demanding a phone call, a lawyer, or screaming curses

Chloe’s pulse thundered in her ears. For a moment she just stood there, staring at Marc as though she hadn’t heard him correctly. The words couldn’t be real. They couldn’t possibly have come from him.“You can’t be serious…” she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief before it hardened again, sharp as glass. “Marc, think about what you’re saying. If you don’t prosecute him, Titus will be the laughingstock of the city. Do you know what people will say? Do you know what my family will say?”Her voice broke slightly, and for the first time since she had stormed into the station, there was something beneath the anger, and it was now fear. Fear of humiliation. Fear of being dragged down with Titus’s disgrace.She clenched her fists, her disbelief deepening. “It’s bad enough that I lost the contract to that nobody. But now? Now everyone will hear that my fiancé, the future head of the Fisher family, got beaten down by a convict fresh out of Fort-Tight.” Her lips curled as she spat t

Emma’s expression hardened instantly at Stella’s accusation. Her arms remained folded across her chest, a barrier of pride and defiance.“You’re wrong,” she said flatly, her final. “Ethan had nothing to do with this.”The certainty in her tone made Stella hesitate, but only for a heartbeat. Her lips parted, ready to argue, when the sound of the door creaking open cut through the charged silence.“Am I interrupting?”Jennifer’s voice slipped into the room, cool and composed, though the sharpness in her gaze lingered squarely on Stella. Her presence shifted the atmosphere immediately like a wall Emma hadn’t known she needed until that moment.Emma exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing just a fraction. “No,” she said, her tone softer now but firm. “You came at the right time.”Jennifer closed the door behind her and stepped closer. She glanced briefly at Emma before turning fully toward Stella and Tracy, her expression unreadable but edged with resolve.“Then let’s set the