2026-01-28 17:39:27
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THE WRONG MAN IN ETHAN'S CHAIR
"Get out of my way sir before things get ugly." Ethan warned.The assistant froze for a moment. He had expected the poorly dressed stranger to apologize, perhaps lower his head and leave before security became involved. Instead, Ethan’s warning carried a calm confidence that made the threat feel far more serious than if he had shouted.“You are threatening me?” the assistant asked, trying to recover his authority. His voice was firm, but the surprise on his face betrayed him.Ethan held his gaze. “I am warning you. There is a difference.”The assistant glanced toward Roland, embarrassed that an ordinary-looking stranger had spoken to him that way in public. “You clearly have no idea who you are dealing with.”Ethan’s expression remained calm. “I know exactly who I am dealing with. That is why I am asking you to move.”That answer unsettled the assistant even more. Ethan spoke like a man who knew something everyone else did not.The assistant opened his mouth to respond, but something
BECAUSE I CAN
Ethan crossed the Tribunal security line without drawing attention. Most of the soldiers near the entrance treated him like any ordinary guest, exactly as they had been instructed to do. Only the four senior officers who knew his disguised appearance understood who had just walked past them.One of the officers moved slightly closer. “Do you require an escort, sir?” he asked under his breath, careful not to attract the attention of the younger soldiers.Ethan kept walking toward the entrance. “No. I want this handled quietly.”“Roland Verda has his assistant with him,” the officer added. “His private security remains outside.”“That is fine,” Ethan replied. “Do not interfere unless I give the order.”The officer lowered his head slightly. “Understood, sir.”Before Ethan moved away, the officer added quietly, “The manager has also been told not to reveal your identity unless you permit it.”Ethan gave a short nod. “Good. I want Roland to speak freely.”The officer glanced toward the re
NO CONVOY, NO WARNING
“Your safety matters more.”“So does becoming president.”The assistant fell silent.Roland looked down at the invitation on his phone. He had spent years building his reputation, buying influence, creating alliances, and placing himself within reach of the presidency. Walking away from Ethan Xavier because of fear could destroy an opportunity that might never return.He selected Marcus’s number again.Call five.Nothing.His assistant watched the screen. “Still unavailable.”Roland said nothing and immediately called Arnold.Call six.The line rang until the connection failed.His assistant exhaled slowly. “That is six calls, sir.”Roland lowered the phone. “I know.”“Something is wrong.”This time, Roland did not argue.Instead, he stared at him. “Who else knew what Wagner had access to?”The assistant hesitated.Roland noticed instantly. “Why did you hesitate?”“I was thinking.”“You looked afraid.”“I do not have enough information, sir,” the assistant replied quickly. “Arnold wor
SIX CALLS NO ANSWER
Roland had been sitting at the reserved table for several minutes, yet Ethan Xavier’s chair remained empty. The unopened bottle of wine still stood between them, while servers moved through the restaurant as though nothing unusual was happening.Roland checked his watch again.His assistant noticed but waited before speaking. “Sir, would you like me to ask the manager for an update on master Ethan's whereabouts?”Roland kept staring toward the entrance. “How long?”The assistant hesitated. “Since we arrived?”“Since I sat down.”“Almost twelve minutes, sir.”Roland’s jaw tightened. “Men like Ethan Xavier do not become delayed without someone knowing why.”His assistant lowered his voice. “There could be a security issue. With that many Tribunal soldiers outside, his movements may be controlled differently from ours.”Roland looked around the Imperial Sapphire again. The longer he sat there, the stranger the entire arrangement appeared.A wealthy family occupied a large table near the
THE EMPTY CHAIR
The assistant leaned toward the window. “Perhaps only the top floor was reserved.”Roland's expression hardened. “That is not what the invitation suggested.”The vehicle stopped beneath the entrance lights, but Roland did not immediately step out.“Call Xavier Group and confirm the arrangement,” he ordered.His assistant checked the invitation on his tablet. “There is no return number, sir. Only the encrypted confirmation channel.”Roland looked back toward the Tribunal soldiers. “That is unusual.”“But Grand Master Ethan's soldiers are here,” the assistant reminded him. “They would not surround this place without a reason.”Roland remained silent for another moment.He considered ordering the driver to leave. Arnold was missing, Marcus had been cut off while speaking, and now the supposedly private restaurant was filled with customers.Too many things felt wrong.Roland looked once more at the restaurant entrance. “First Marcus disappears, then Arnold refuses to answer, and now this.
AN INVITATION TO TROUBLE
Ten minutes later, Roland still had no answer from either Arnold Wagner or Marcus Doyle. The luxury vehicle moved steadily toward The Imperial Sapphire, but his mind remained trapped inside the unfinished phone call.He called Arnold again. The phone rang until the line disconnected.Roland stared at the screen, then tried Marcus for the seventh time. The same message appeared.DEVICE UNAVAILABLE.His assistant finally turned around from the front seat. “Sir, is the problem that serious?”Roland locked the phone and slipped it into his palm. “It is being handled.”The assistant hesitated. “You have called the same two numbers several times since we left the junction. If there is something that could affect tonight's meeting, perhaps I should know.”Roland looked at him coldly. “Then you should understand that I do not want questions.”The assistant immediately lowered his head. “Yes, sir.”For a few seconds, the vehicle fell quiet again. Roland could feel his assistant watching him th
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