Ethan Storm’s Dark Awakening

7

Both of them were so shocked—what the hell just happened?

Marcus jumped in, waving his arms. “I’m a senior manager at Nova Corp!”

A captain who was nearby didn’t blink. “You were a senior manager.”

It was Captain Tanaka, one of the most respected captains at Secret Company.

“Wait, wait, you can’t—!” Sierra stammered. “I’m negotiating a big collaboration with your team! This’ll ruin everything!”

Ethan finally turned to them. His eyes were calm, unreadable.

“You should’ve stayed in your lane.”

Captain Tanaka snapped his fingers. “Escort them out.”

Two guards flanked Sierra and Marcus instantly.

“You’ll regret this!” Sierra yelled as she was pulled away. “This isn’t over! I’ll make calls—you’ll see!”

But no one paid attention anymore.

The crowd parted to let Ethan and Alice through, now in complete silence.

As Sierra and Marcus were escorted out of the building, Alice’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

She leaned toward Sierra, her voice laced with malicious sweetness. “Don’t forget to kneel, Sierra. Wouldn’t want to miss that part—I’m sure it will be a lovely sight.”

Sierra’s face twisted in fury, her lips trembling as she bit back the urge to scream. But the humiliation was too much.

She clenched her fists, her breath coming in sharp, angry bursts. “Marcus, fix this! NOW!” she demanded, her voice tinged with desperation.

Marcus, equally humiliated, pulled out his phone with a sharp motion, frustration burning in his eyes. He called his boss, Maxime Trent—one of the few who still considered him a valuable asset.

Maxime Trent, a major shareholder, held 5% of Secret Company’s stock.

As the phone rang, Sierra paced behind him, muttering under her breath about how everything had gone wrong.

“Boss, it’s Marcus,” he said as soon as the call connected. “You need to help us out here. I’m with Sierra Scott, and we’ve been blocked at the gate. You know what this means for the collaboration.”

There was a long pause. When Maxime finally spoke, his tone was cool, detached. “Marcus, don’t waste my time. I’ve got a lot on my plate… but fine. I’ll look into it. Hold tight.”

The line went dead.

Marcus stared at his phone, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Maxime wasn’t the type to drop everything for favors—but Marcus knew Maxime had always been intrigued by Sierra. That was his wild card.

Marcus’s eyes followed Captain Tanaka as he reemerged, walking briskly back toward the entrance. The captain’s stiff posture softened slightly when he noticed Marcus and Sierra.

With a half-smirk, Marcus stepped forward, his voice low and tinged with smugness. “I think we’ve been treated unfairly. We should be allowed in.”

Tanaka’s brow furrowed, clearly surprised to see them again. “What are you doing here?” he said firmly. “I thought you were escorted out.”

Marcus straightened, pulling out his phone with confidence. “I just got word from Maxime Trent. He says we’re allowed in.”

At the mention of Maxime’s name, Tanaka’s expression shifted. Maxime was powerful—undeniably so.

Before he could say anything, Tanaka’s phone buzzed. He muttered a quiet curse and picked up.

A few seconds later, Maxime’s unmistakable voice echoed through the line.

“Tanaka,” he said curtly. “Let Marcus and Sierra back in. They’re with me now. Don’t make this difficult.”

Tanaka stood frozen for a moment, his jaw clenched. He didn’t like this, but there was no room to argue with Maxime Trent.

With a reluctant nod, he stepped aside. “Fine,” he said flatly. “But only because I’ve been ordered to.”

Marcus gave a short nod, his chest swelling with pride as he motioned for Sierra to follow him. The two strode past the gate with renewed confidence, while Captain Tanaka watched them with visible disdain.

Inside, Ethan and Alice had just arrived at their designated table when the unexpected happened—Sierra and Marcus strolled in, looking as smug as ever.

Alice blinked, her brows furrowing. “How did you two get in here? You were just kicked out.”

Sierra lifted her chin with a gleam of arrogance. “I have a little more pull than you think. Marcus is a senior manager, and his boss owns 5% of this company. Not everyone’s impressed by fake badges or VIP status,” she added, shooting a sly glance at Ethan.

Ethan’s expression didn’t change, his eyes still unreadable. But Alice felt a flicker of unease.

She opened her mouth, then hesitated. Sierra was clearly enjoying her moment.

With a cold smile, Alice finally said, “Even if you’re here, it won’t matter. You’re not getting the cooperation deal. Not anymore.”

Sierra’s smile faltered just a little. Then she quickly recovered and shot back, “You think you’re the only one with connections, Alice? Marcus’s boss is far more powerful than Ethan’s cheap badge. And I bet that badge is stolen. Once that’s exposed, you two will be the ones thrown out.”

The tension in the air was electric as the host stepped up, completely unaware of the rising hostility.

He cleared his throat. The lights dimmed, signaling the start of the dinner.

For now, the drama would wait—but it was far from over.