Ethan Storm’s Dark Awakening

6

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder as the man’s voice echoed through the grand entrance of the banquet hall. The security guard stiffened, exchanging a quick glance with his colleague before speaking into his earpiece.

“Copy that. Initiating system reboot.”

Sierra’s confident smirk faltered as a second guard approached her and Marcus. “Miss Sierra, Mr. Marcus—we’ll need you to step aside for a moment while we refresh the guest registry.”

“What?!” Sierra snapped, clearly affronted. “Are you serious? I already got in! My name was verified!”

“I understand, ma’am, but we’ve been instructed to re-check all entries due to a last-minute update from Nova’s director’s office. It’ll only take a minute.”

Alice folded her arms calmly, her expression slowly regaining composure as Sierra and Marcus were gently ushered aside like everyone else. Ethan took out his phone and tapped rapidly.

Seconds later, the man in the suit, now clearly identified as one of Nova’s executive assistants, stepped toward them briskly, holding a tablet. His eyes scanned the crowd before settling on Alice and Ethan.

“There you are,” he said with relief. “Miss Morgan, Mr. Storm—our sincerest apologies. Your names were just added directly by Director Logan herself. The update didn’t sync in time.”

Sierra’s jaw dropped.

“You’re—what?”

The assistant didn’t even glance her way. He addressed the security guard instead. “Register them immediately. VIP status. They even have a VIP badge. Escort them inside personally.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sierra looked like she’d swallowed a lemon. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Marcus just gawked.

Alice turned to Sierra, her voice honeyed with satisfaction. “Looks like my knees are safe tonight.”

The crowd, sensing the shift in power, began whispering excitedly. Some even chuckled.

Sierra tried to salvage her pride. “T-this doesn’t prove anything! You were just lucky—”

Alice held up a finger. “A bet’s a bet, Sierra. You challenged me. You mocked me. And now, well…”

She tilted her head toward the ground. “Time to pay up.”

Sierra flushed scarlet, her hands clenched into fists.

“Forget it,” Marcus hissed. “This is ridiculous.”

But the murmurs around them were growing. Several people were filming now.

Alice’s tone dropped, low and dangerous. “Walk away if you want, Sierra. But everyone here will know exactly what that means.”

Sierra trembled in rage, but she couldn’t move. She stood there, paralyzed—neither kneeling nor retreating.

The assistant turned politely to Alice again. “Shall I escort you in now, Miss Morgan?”

Alice offered a dazzling smile, slipping her hand into Ethan’s. “Please do.”

As they walked past Sierra and Marcus, Alice paused for a second and whispered just loud enough, “You were right about one thing, Sierra. Ethan and I are perfect for each other.”

Ethan leaned down, adding in a deadly murmur, “Next time you laugh at her, make sure you’re not the punchline.”

With that, they entered the grand Nova banquet hall, leaving Sierra humiliated, her bet lost, and her pride in pieces.

And the night had only just begun.