Rise Of The Underworld King

Chapter 4

As Ethan closed the door behind him, Tina closed her eyes and then opened them again.

"Is this really the end?" Tina Macy whispered under her breath, her eyes fixed on the front door as it closed with a quiet click.

"Good riddance to that useless beggar," Donald Macy said loudly from the hallway, tossing his leather jacket on the coat rack. "He should have left our house three years ago."

Tina slowly sank back into the soft cushions of the sofa, her legs completely devoid of energy. She looked down at her trembling hands, her heart pounding with a strange, hollow ache that she had never felt before in her life.

"Why do I feel so uneasy?" she asked herself softly, staring at the empty space where Ethan had stood just moments ago.

The cold, calm look in Ethan’s eyes kept replaying in her mind. For three whole years, Ethan had never once looked at her with such complete detachment. He had always been patient, gentle, and willing to listen to whatever she had to say, no matter how harsh her tone was.

Now, she could not stop thinking about what he had said about his grandmother. Clara James had truly passed away, and Tina had missed the old woman's final moments because she was sitting in a luxury restaurant, drinking champagne with Steven James.

A heavy knot of guilt tightened in Tina’s stomach, making it difficult for her to breathe. She wondered if she had been too cruel, too arrogant, and too blind during these past few months.

"Look at this, Evelyn! Look at how clean this signature is!" Donald’s cheerful voice suddenly shattered the quiet room as he waved the divorce agreement in the air. "He really signed his full name without adding a single extra condition".

Evelyn rushed over to the coffee table, snatching the papers from Donald’s hands with a greedy smile. She adjusted her reading glasses and scanned every single paragraph from top to bottom, making sure there were no hidden traps.

"He didn't claim the villa. He didn't ask for a single share of Macy Cosmetics!" Evelyn laughed with delight, her voice echoing off the high ceiling. "He didn't even ask for fifty dollars to pay for his bus fare back to the countryside. What an absolute idiot".

"I told you he was a coward," Donald chuckled, rubbing his hands together in satisfaction. "A stray dog will always remain a stray dog. He knew that if he tried to fight us in court, our lawyers would leave him with nothing. He saved himself the embarrassment."

"This is the greatest day our Macy family has seen in three years," Evelyn declared, setting the papers down and clapping her hands together. "We are finally rid of that bad luck charm. From this moment on, our family's fortune will only climb higher and higher."

Tina looked up at her parents, her eyebrows drawing together in irritation. "Mom, Dad, can you please stop laughing? A person just died, and we just ended a three-year marriage. Is this really something to celebrate so loudly?"

Evelyn stopped laughing, looking at Tina with a mixture of shock and annoyance. "Tina, what on earth is wrong with you? Why are you defending that useless man? You should be opening a bottle of wine with us right now."

"I am not defending him," Tina said, turning her head away. "I am just saying that we were too harsh. His grandmother took care of him for his entire life, and she was always very polite to us. We didn't even send a single condolence message."

"Why should we care about an old woman from the slums?" Donald scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "She was nobody to us. If Ethan wanted to hold a grand funeral, he should have earned the money to do it himself. Why should our Macy family waste our time and energy on dead paupers?"

"That's right, Tina," Evelyn said, sitting down beside her daughter and patting her arm gently. "You need to put all those silly thoughts out of your head. You have a bright, glorious future ahead of you. You cannot let the memory of a worthless live-in son-in-law hold you back for even one second."

"I just need some peace and quiet right now," Tina murmured, pressing her fingers against her forehead.

"You won't have time for peace and quiet tonight, my dear," Evelyn said with an excited grin, leaning in closer. "Your father and I just called Young Master Steven James before we walked through the door. We invited him to come over to our villa for dinner tonight."

Tina’s head snapped up, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What? You invited Steven here tonight?"

"Of course we did," Donald said proudly, leaning against the fireplace. "Young Master James was delighted when he heard the news. He said he would bring a vintage bottle of French wine and a special gift for your mother. He will be here in less than two hours."

"Are you completely out of your minds?" Tina stood up from the sofa, her voice rising in anger. "I signed the divorce papers less than ten minutes ago! The ink on the paper is not even dry yet! How could you invite another man into our home right now?"

"Why shouldn't we invite him?" Evelyn argued, standing up to face her daughter. "Young Master James has been pursuing you for months. He represents the great James Group. Do you know how many young women in Newberg are dreaming of getting a single phone call from him?"

"I don't care about other women!" Tina snapped, her chest heaving with frustration. "I just ended a marriage! I am not in the mood to entertain guests, and I certainly do not want to start a new romantic relationship tonight!"

Donald’s face darkened, his tone turning stern and demanding. "Tina, you need to be sensible. In the business world, opportunities do not wait for your delicate feelings. Steven James holds the key to our company’s expansion into the provincial market. If you make him happy, our Macy family can step into the upper class".

"Business, business, business! Is that all you two ever think about?" Tina yelled, her eyes flashing with anger. "I am the CEO of Macy Cosmetics! I will handle the company's contracts on my own terms! I do not need you to sell me off like a piece of merchandise!"

"How dare you speak to your father like that!" Donald shouted back, slamming his hand against the wall. "We did all of this for your own good! If we didn't help you get rid of Ethan, you would have stayed tied to a useless beggar for the rest of your life!"

"I don't want to hear another word from either of you," Tina said coldly, turning around and walking toward the grand staircase. "If Steven James comes here tonight, you two can sit in the dining room and drink wine with him yourselves. I am staying in my room."

"Tina! Come back here right now!" Evelyn yelled after her, but Tina did not stop. She hurried up the stairs, entered her master bedroom, and slammed the heavy wooden door shut behind her.

Meanwhile, outside the Macy villa, Ethan walked down the quiet residential street.

The autumn wind blew softly through the leaves of the tall oak trees lining the sidewalk. Ethan’s hands were tucked inside the pockets of his dark coat, his face calm.

For three years, he had hidden his true identity as the sovereign master of the Palace of the Sovereigns and the supreme hidden owner of the global Miracle Group. He had suppressed his immense authority, his peerless medical skills, and his vast wealth simply to live a peaceful, humble life beside Tina, hoping that a simple marriage would heal the deep emotional scars of his past.

He had genuinely cared for her. He had cooked her meals every morning, stayed up late to brew her herbal tea when she had stomach cramps, and quietly solved every crisis that threatened her small business from behind the curtains.

In return, she had looked down on him, insulted his dignity, and ignored his dying grandmother’s final wish just to attend a private dinner with a wealthy heir.

"Three years of sincerity, exchanged for a signed piece of paper," Ethan murmured softly to himself, a cold smile appearing on his lips. "Grandma, you were right. Some people only look at the gold on the surface, but they can never see the true value of a man's heart."

He let out a long breath, releasing the last lingering trace of regret into the cool evening air. The ties were broken, the debt was cleared, and the Macy family was now completely dead to him.

Just as Ethan reached the main intersection at the end of the street, the roar of an engine approached from behind.

A black luxury sedan with tinted windows and custom chrome trim glided smoothly along the curb, stopping right beside Ethan. The car was worth at least two million dollars, its body reflecting the amber glow of the streetlights.

Ethan paused on the sidewalk, his eyes narrowing slightly as the passenger door swung open. A pair of slender, elegant legs stepped on the pavement, followed by the face of a beautiful, young woman.

Thr woman wore a tailored black blazer over an exquisite emerald-green silk dress that accentuated her graceful figure, her long, wavy dark hair fell loosely over her shoulders.

Ethan recognized her immediately.

Her name was Angela Miretti.

Two years ago, when Ethan had traveled abroad to handle an emergency sovereign treaty for the Palace of the Sovereigns, his grandmother had suffered a sudden dizzy spell and collapsed outside a crowded terminal. Angela, who happened to be passing by with her security team, had personally stopped her convoy, called the top private medical specialists, and stayed with the old woman until she was saved.

When Ethan returned to the city, he had tracked Angela down to thank her. He had handed her a private contact card with his personal number, telling her that if she ever encountered an impossible crisis in this world, she could call him, and he would grant her one absolute favor.

At that time, Angela had merely looked at his plain, inexpensive clothes, let out a soft, amused laugh, and walked away without taking his words seriously.

After all, Angela Miretti was the only daughter and sole heiress of Franco Miretti, the legendary, untouchable ruler of the regional trade syndicates and the most powerful underground figure in the province. With her father’s immense power and vast resources, how could she ever need help from an ordinary young man dressed in cheap clothes?

Yet, at this very moment, she was standing on a quiet street corner in Newberg, looking directly at him.

"It has been a long time, Mr. Sanders," Angela said, a warm, captivating smile appearing on her face as she looked at Ethan.

"Miss Miretti," Ethan replied, his tone polite and even. "I did not expect to see you in this part of town."

"I was actually looking for you," Angela said, gesturing toward the open door of the luxury car. "The evening breeze is getting quite cold. Would you mind joining me for a short drive? There is something important I would like to discuss with you."

Ethan looked at her. He was a man who always kept his word; since he had promised her a favor two years ago, he would not avoid her now.

"Very well," Ethan nodded calmly.

He stepped off the curb and slid into the spacious, leather-lined back seat of the car. Angela stepped in right after him, the faint fragrance of jasmine filling the air as she pulled the door shut.

The driver, an older man with gray hair immediately shifted the car into gear and steered smoothly back on the main boulevard.

"I hope I am not interrupting your evening plans with your family," Angela said, turning her head to look at Ethan."I heard that you live nearby with your wife."

"I no longer have a wife," Ethan replied. "I signed the divorce papers ten minutes ago."

Angela’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, but she was far too polite and intelligent to pry into his private affairs. She maintained her graceful composure, nodding softly in understanding.

"I see," Angela said gently. "In that case, how is your grandmother doing? Is Mrs. Sanders in good health these days? I still remember how kind and gentle she was when we spoke at the clinic two years ago."

Hearing his grandmother’s name, Ethan looked out at the city lights through the tinted window, his hands resting quietly on his knees.

"She passed away three days ago," Ethan said, his voice low and heavy with restrained grief. "Her funeral was held this afternoon."

Angela froze in her seat, her warm smile instantly fading into remorse. She turned fully toward Ethan, looking genuinely surprised and sad.

"Oh, Ethan... I am so terribly sorry," Angela whispered softly, placing her hand gently on his arm. "I had no idea. If I had known what you were going through, I would never have approached you today. Please forgive my insensitivity."

"There is nothing to forgive," Ethan said quietly, turning back to face her. "You did not know, so, why should I blame me? ".

Angela let out a soft sigh, withdrawing her hand and looking down at her lap with a troubled expression.

"I feel terrible for bringing my own troubles to you at such a painful time. Please, let us forget about why I came here today. I will have my driver take you wherever you wish to go, and I will find another way to handle my situation."

"There is no need for that," Ethan said, his voice steady. "Two years ago, you protected my grandmother when I was not there to help her. I gave you my word that I owed you a life debt. A promise made by Ethan Sanders is never broken."

Ethan looked directly into Angela’s eyes.

"Tell me what problem you are facing. Whether it is a business crisis, a medical emergency, a legal dispute, or a powerful enemy, I will solve it for you."

Angela looked at his calm, handsome face.

Thinking about the absurd nature of the problem she was currently facing, a faint, helpless blush crept up Angela’s pale cheeks.

She looked away, hesitating for several seconds.

"Miss Miretti?" Ethan prompted gently, noticing her unusual hesitation. "What is the matter?"

Angela took a deep, steady breath, turned back to look straight into Ethan’s eyes, and finally opened her mouth to talk.

"Could you... could you pretend to be my boyfriend?" Angela asked, her voice dropping into a soft, cautious whisper inside the quiet luxury sedan. " Pl... please".