Michaela drove straight to the Court of Law, where the necessary petitions were signed and her marriage with Ethan was officially registered.
Within a short time, they were handed a marriage certificate and declared husband and wife. The moment they stepped outside, Michaela walked ahead to the car. While waiting for Ethan, her mind drifted to the phone call she had received from Stephen King earlier that day. After she had mistaken Ethan to be Stephen, she later received a message from Stephen that he was out of prison. He had bluntly informed her that he was no longer interested in going through with the court marriage. She had no time to waste. She needed a replacement immediately because the longer she delayed, the worse it would get for her in the future. That was when Ethan came to mind. Her stomach had been aching terribly earlier, but after taking the pills Ethan gave her, the pain disappeared within five minutes. That alone convinced her that he was capable of this ‘project’. It shows he is experienced. Thus, fortified for this ‘mission’. An experienced persona like Ethan would be perfect for this ‘contract marriage’. And now, here they were—a married couple. What she needed was protection. And Ethan would provide it. What Ethan didn’t realize was that being Michaela’s contracted husband would drag him into troubles he hadn’t even imagined. But in whatever way, he was fully prepared for all of it! While Michaela was still thinking about this, the car door opened. Ethan slipped into the passenger seat with a small smile. “And that’s it for today!” Michaela started the engine. “Not quite. We’re launching our partnership with Lugards ENT tonight. I need to be present.” Ethan’s smile faded almost instantly. Lugards ENT. That was Ava’s company. The very company he had connected to Murfers Empire days ago when Mr. LeVert sought his approval for a business partnership. Ethan had deliberately redirected the opportunity, instructing Mr. LeVert to hand the partnership to LENT instead. That single move had elevated Ava’s status overnight, sealing her deal with one of the world’s top five business empires—Murfers Empire. “Any problem?” Michaela asked, noticing the sudden shift in his expression. “Nothing. I was just—” “I’m aware that LENT is your wife’s company,” Michaela interrupted calmly. “If you still love her, I won’t do anything stupid.” Ethan turned to her slowly with an ironic smile. “If there’s anything worse than stupid, I’ll gladly do it. I made her who she is. I can make her crumble too.” Michaela glanced at him sharply. “Why did you sound like a boss just now?” Ethan stiffened. For a second, he had sounded exactly like the man who orchestrated the Murfers partnership. He forced out a laugh. “A boss? How can I be a boss and still accept this marriage with you—” The car came to an abrupt halt in front of a massive shopping mall opposite her mansion, cutting him off. Michaela unfastened her seatbelt in haste. “We’re here. Go in, change your attire, and head straight to the villa.” “But where exactly do I change?” Ethan asked. She handed him her voucher card. “Show them this. They’ll grant you access to the private section. I’ll be at the mansion. Join me as soon as you’re done.” “Okay,” Ethan replied, stepping out of the car. He walked toward the mall while Michaela drove into her luxurious mansion. --- 10:15 PM The Murfers Mansion was decorated sumptuously. The VIP section was arranged with exquisite detail, separate from the regular guest area. Tonight, Murfers Empire will be revealing reveal its new CEO. Unknown to the guests, that CEO was Michaela. Soft instrumental music filled the background as elite guests mingled. Suddenly, an indistinct commotion erupted near the entrance, drawing attention. Before anyone could fully grasp what was happening, Ava splashed a glass of wine onto a waiter. “How stupid can you be?” she snapped furiously. “How dare you address me as Mrs. Loner? Are you insane?” The waiter trembled. “I’m sorry, Ma’am—” “Sorry for yourself !” Ava lashed out. “You don’t even belong in my class. Only billionaire waiters and waitresses should be serving me!” “It’s okay, Ava,” Liam murmured, gently pulling her back. He turned to the soaked waiter and slipped some cash into his hand. “Please accept this.” “Stupid people everywhere,” Katherine muttered with visible disgust as she followed her daughter. The entire Lugards family were invited to the party. Of course, they didn't need to honour their Old man's death because they desperately needed to be present and see the new CEO of MURFERS EMPIRE sign their contract. As Ava and her mother as well as Liam walked proudly toward the VIP section, whispers filled the room. Many praised them. Others adored thier wealth and influence. While others were negative in many ways. Well, Ava sighted the beautiful decorated table in the VIP section. She instantly came to the assumption that it was reserved for her and her family ONLY! Without hesitation, she stepped forward to enter. But before her legs could cross the demarcation line, a firm grip suddenly caught her wrist. Already irritated, her anger multiplied instantly. “How dare you—” she yelled, turning around only for her words to DIE in her throat after seeing… “Ethan?!” They were all shocked! Standing before them was Ethan, wearing the same cheap outfit he had worn the day he was arrested. This left them all confused. “What are you doing here? And who are you to stop me? Aren’t we done already?” Ava demanded harshly Ethan’s expression hardened. “With all due respect, Miss Lugard, you are not welcome in the VIP section.” Ava blinked in disbelief, then burst into laughter. “Excuse Me?! Who are you?” she mocked. “Who do you think you are? And how did you even step inside this place?” “I’m not here to exchange words with you,” Ethan replied coldly. “I’m doing my job.” He turned to walk into the VIP section, but someone yanked him back. It was Liam. Sighting Liam, Ethan smirked. “Can you let go of me or you want to cause more trouble than you already have?” “You don’t belong here, Ethan. Respect yourself and leave before I do something I might regret.” Liam said dangerously. “Go to hell,” Ethan shot back, leaving everyone's GASP in the air. “Who is he to speak to Liam Paige like that?” “Such audacity!” People already started murmuring, leaving Liam in more anger. His grip tightened further. “Who is the manager in charge of this event?” Katherine’s voice rang out sharply. A middle-aged man rushed over with several security guards behind him. He had already been informed that ‘a nobody’ was causing a disturbance. He bowed slightly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Paige. I never—” “I don’t want excuses,” Liam interrupted. “Explain how this idiot got in here. Didn’t you guarantee security?” “We’ll handle it immediately,” the manager assured him before turning to his guards. “Get this trash out of here! And make sure he never returns!” Five guards grabbed Ethan forcefully and attempted to drag him away. But suddenly— “Don’t you dare lay your hands on my husband!” A commanding voice echoed across the lounge. Everyone froze and turned toward the entrance. To their amazement, a breathtakingly beautiful woman stood there, dressed in a flowing white gown. A white pendant rested elegantly against her collarbone, matching her shoes. Her jewelry sparkled brilliantly—real diamonds reflecting the chandelier lights. And her eyes burned with authority. They could only ask one question. “Who is she?”Latest Chapter
108. Long Time, No See!
Seeing his grandfather standing right in front of him, Ethan froze in shock.His fingers still pressed against his stinging cheek as he slowly lifted his gaze to look at Thai Wong. For a brief moment, everything around him faded, and the present blurred into the past.Then, like a cruel echo, the memories came rushing back—“Your shameless mother was busy having sex with another man, and you are here asking me to save your father? Do you really think I give a damn about your dying father? If your father wants to die, then he should go ahead and die. I don’t care!”Those words.They had been spat at him without hesitation, without mercy.Ethan could still remember that day so clearly—how he and his mother had stood there, desperate and broken, begging for help. Begging for a chance to save his father’s life. But Thai Wong had refused. Coldly. Firmly. Without a single trace of sympathy.It wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford it.No.Back then, Thai Wong had the money. More than enough. In f
107. Thai Wong!
The second man froze when he heard Ethan speak like that. In this mansion, he was used to people lowering their heads, used to hearing the word boss fall from their lips without hesitation. To him, it was natural. He stood above them, and they stood beneath him. That was how things had always been.His name was Toby. The small tag clipped neatly to his uniform said it clearly, and Ethan had already taken note of it the moment he walked in.Now, seeing the way Ethan addressed him, Toby felt a sharp sting of anger rise in his chest. His jaw tightened. Who did this man think he was?In Toby’s eyes, Ethan was nothing—just another worker, another face in the crowd. Everyone else in the mansion knew their place. They showed respect. They spoke carefully. They understood who deserved authority.So why wasn’t Ethan doing the same?Toby slowly lifted his head as his eyes locked onto Ethan.“Who the hell do you think you are to challenge me like that?”Ethan remained silent.That silence only
106. His Challenge
The two men Ivy had earlier spilled food on were just returning from the restroom.As they approached the entrance to the control room, they suddenly came face-to-face with Ivy and Ethan stepping out.They froze, clearly startled.They recognized Ivy immediately—but Ethan was a complete stranger. Who was he, and what was he doing there?“Sir, we were just heading out. Our work here is done,” Ivy said smoothly.The second man frowned, unconvinced. His eyes lingered on her, suspicion evident.“You’re done with your work? What work exactly?”Ivy opened her mouth to respond, but the first man cut in.“And who is that?” he asked, pointing directly at Ethan. “Is he with you?”Ivy nodded quickly, a little too eagerly.“Yes, sir. He’s with me. We came together!” she said. Then, as if recalling something important, she added, “Remember when I spilled your meal earlier and everything got messed up? He’s the janitor I called to clean it up.”The two officers exchanged uncertain glances before pe
105. Hold On
Ethan was absolutely astounded to see the man standing there. He instantly realized he had been caught in the act—but he wasn’t done yet.He still hadn’t successfully linked the flash drive to the projector. Until that was done, he couldn’t afford to be stopped.Completely ignoring the presence of the young control room officer in front of him, Ethan continued typing rapidly on the system. His actions only fueled the officer’s anger.“Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in here?” the man barked.Ethan paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard, then slowly lifted his head to meet the man’s gaze.Locking eyes with him, Ethan spoke calmly,“I know you must be surprised to see me here, but don’t worry. I’m not a criminal or a thief. I’m only here to do what’s right. Just give me two more minutes, and I’ll be done.”The man scoffed. “Two minutes?!”Was this guy serious?A supposed intruder—no, a criminal—was asking for extra time, as if he had any right to negotiate. It was a
104. Caught?!
As Ethan heard this, his eyes widened in shock. That voice… it belonged to a man. And from the tone, it was obvious that the person worked in the control room.Ethan was still trying to navigate what was going on when Ivy’s voice came in.“Uhmm… Sir,” she said, sounding slightly nervous, “I mistakenly spilled the meal meant for you and your colleagues on the floor. So… I’m waiting for the janitor to come clean it up.”There was a brief pause.Then the man nodded. “Alright then. I’ll just go inside—”Ethan’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest.Inside the room, his fingers moved faster, urgency taking over as he focused on replacing the video.But just as the man reached for the door—Ivy grabbed his hand.“You can’t go in there!”The man froze, clearly shocked. “What the heck do you mean by that? That’s where I work. You can’t tell me not to go in!”Ivy’s expression flickered for a split second—she knew she had messed up.But she recovered quickly, forcing a smile on her face.“No,
103. Someone Is Coming!
Ethan didn’t need anyone to tell him how urgent this mission was.The moment Ivy said they only had five minutes to complete this mission, he understood the weight of it immediately.“I heard you, Ivy. I’ll be fast.” He replied. Ivy studied him for a second, then nodded with a faint smile. “I’ll stay outside and keep watch. Just in case anything goes wrong.”“Alright. I won’t take long.”Without another word, she turned and stepped out. The door shut behind her with a sharp slam that echoed through the room.Then Silence followed.Ethan let out a slow, steady breath, trying to calm the tension building inside his chest. Then, without hesitation, he slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small device—a flash drive.That tiny object carried everything.Inside it were all the videos Ethan had gathered—every hidden recording of Darlington, every behind-the-scenes clip, every piece of evidence that had been carefully converted and stored. It was all there, compressed into somethin
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