2025-05-06 06:17:44The 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.
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“What?” The word left his mouth like a breathless gasp. He blinked, shaking his head slightly. “No… no, that can’t be right. She remembers me, right? Me. She remembers us.” The doctor didn’t answer right away.Ethan took a shaky breath, the doctor’s words rattling around in his skull like broken glass. She’s lost part of her memory.He swallowed the rising panic and forced his legs to move, inching toward the hospital bed as if any sudden movement might shatter her completely. Alice looked so fragile lying there, her pale skin ghostly under the fluorescent lights, her head carefully bandaged. His heart twisted at the sight.The doctor stepped aside silently, giving him space.“Alice?” Ethan said gently, his voice barely more than a whisper. He crouched beside the bed and reached for her hand, hesitant, as though afraid she might vanish if he touched her.Her eyelids fluttered.Then slowly, they opened.Ethan’s heart leapt. “Hey,” he said, trying to smile. “You’re awake.”Alice blink
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Langford’s pride shattered.The officer’s knees buckled, and he dropped with a heavy thud to the cold concrete floor. He crawled forward, hands clasped together in a desperate plea.“Ethan—please,” Langford begged, voice cracking, eyes wide and glassy. “I—I was following orders. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I swear! I was just—just doing what I thought was right.”Ethan didn’t even glance at him.Langford pressed his forehead to the floor.“I’ve got a family. Two kids. A wife. Please—please, Ethan! Don’t let this be the end for me. Don’t let the Perez family come after me. I’ll do anything. I’ll talk. I’ll confess. Just—just say the word.”Nothing.Ethan walked past him like he didn’t exist. Silent. Composed. Focused on one thing.Alice.He didn’t look back—not even when Langford started sobbing, pounding the floor with his fists in humiliation. Merrick didn’t stop him either. The chief simply watched Ethan go, then turned and gave Langford a look of pure disgust.Ten minutes later, he
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The air in the interrogation room turned ice-cold after Chief Merrick’s booming voice thundered through the room.No one dared to move.Officer Langford stood rigidly near the table, his baton still clutched in his tight, shaking hand. His knuckles were white, and sweat had started to bead at his temples. He didn’t seem to know what to do—whether to drop the baton or pretend the last few seconds had never happened. His eyes flicked nervously to the man still cuffed to the chair.“I said—uncuff him,” Chief Merrick said again, this time softer, but the steel in his voice was sharp enough to cut through metal.Langford turned slowly to face him. His jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it might snap. His lips parted with visible struggle, his tone hard.“Chief, with all due respect—this is bigger than following orders. This man—he’s connected to the Bellano family. They—”SMACK.The sound of Chief Merrick’s open palm hitting Langford’s face was so loud it made the young officer in th
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Police Station – Interrogation RoomThe room reeked of sweat, metal, and bad intentions. Harsh overhead lights buzzed like dying insects, casting long, warped shadows across the grimy walls. A dented steel table sat between two chairs—one empty, the other occupied.Ethan sat shackled to the bolted-down chair, his dark dress shirt clinging to his frame in the stale heat. The sleeves were rolled to his elbows, exposing lean, veined forearms. His coat was gone, his tie loosened and collar askew, but his composure remained untouched. Calm. Almost bored. His dark eyes followed the pacing officer like a predator watching prey.Detective Langford prowled the room with barely contained fury, his fists clenched at his sides, jaw ticking with every step. The tension was thick enough to slice.“You’re gonna talk,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “One way or another.”Ethan tilted his head ever so slightly. “Interesting. I always thought the badge meant something. Justice. Honor. But here we
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Langford furiously shoved Ethan off, rubbing his throat with a snarl. “You’re done, Storm! That’s assaulting a cop. I swear to God, I’ll make sure you rot for this. Connections or not.”Another officer stepped forward, gun halfway out of its holster. “Hands where I can see ‘em! Now!”Ethan didn’t flinch. His voice came out like steel wrapped in ice. “You think I’m scared of you? You really believe any of this ends with me in a cell?”Langford spat on the floor near Ethan’s feet. “Your attitude won’t save you. We have witnesses. Cameras. The whole damn hospital saw you lose it.”“I didn’t lose anything,” Ethan muttered, brushing dust off his coat. “You provoked me. You barged in here, guns drawn, while the woman I love was bleeding out on the table. And you expect me to kneel and smile for the press?”“Save your speech for the judge,” Langford snapped.Just then, the overhead Surgery In Progress sign blinked once… then went dark.All five men froze.A door swung open with a soft hiss,
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City General Hospital – 3:28 a.m.The red glow of Surgery In Progress still burned behind Ethan’s eyes, even as the buzz of tension swelled around him.“I said,” Langford growled, “you’re coming with us. Now.”Ethan didn’t turn away from the glass. His fists trembled at his sides.“I already told you,” he said, voice barely above a growl, “I’ll talk to my lawyer. You want to book me? Fine. But not while she’s still on that table. Not when I don’t even know if she’s—”“Spare me the dramatics,” Langford snapped. “You think you’re special because some girl took a bullet for you? That doesn’t make you less of a suspect. Frankly, it makes you look worse.”Ethan turned his head, slow as ice cracking, and finally faced the officer.“I’m warning you,” he said, stepping forward until they were toe-to-toe. “Back off.”Langford’s lip curled. He raised a hand—and the officers moved. Boots thundered. Metal clicked. One of them drew cuffs.“Get on your knees,” one barked.Ethan didn’t move.Langfor
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