2025-02-13 21:28:47Ethan nodded slightly.
His eyes flicking toward the direction Madeline and Robert had gone.
He glanced at the heavy suitcases stuffed with cash.
"Forget it. Take it back."
William’s face turned pale.
“Mr. Ethan, did we… did we mess up? I’ll assign more people next time—”
Ethan cut him off with a wave.
“It’s not your fault.”
Willaim immediately fell silent. He followed behind Ethan like a sidekick.
As they walked, Ethan paused.
“Do you know Robert Davenport?”
Williams frowned, then his eyes widened.
“Robert? From Davenport Group?”
Ethan nodded.
Williams quickly explained.
“He’s been trying to partner with us on a project. Offered a lot of generous terms…”
He trailed off, watching Ethan’s expression.
Ethan’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“Cancel the partnership.”
Willaim barely hid his shock. But he was quick.
"Understood. I’ll handle it."
He gestured to an assistant, whispering an order.
The man nodded and rushed off like a frightened mouse.
William wiped his forehead, relieved he hadn’t made a mistake.
"Anything else, Mr. Ethan?"
“I saw some employees being so materialistic and selfish. We need more honest people.”
He stepped into the elevator, pressing the top floor button.
Willaim hurried after him, not daring to breathe too loudly.
The doors opened to the executive floor. Lewis Parker was already waiting, his posture stiff with respect.
“Mr. Ethan, the meeting is ready. Everyone’s inside.”
Ethan nodded. "Good."
He had come back for one reason only.
To take back everything that was his.
As he pushed open the heavy conference room doors, eight executives stood in unison.
The air was thick with tension.
At the head of the table, the seat reserved for him sat empty, untouched, as if no one dared to even glance at it.
As one, they chorused.
"Welcome back, Mr. Ethan."
A figure emerged behind Ethan, silent as a shadow. His presence barely stirred the air.
He bowed slightly, his voice low yet filled with deference.
“Master, while you were away, all 180 companies under your name have been prepared for immediate transfer.”
“All members of ‘The Shadow’ are on standby, awaiting your orders.”
Ethan gave a slight nod. His gaze swept across the room.
Finally settled on a slightly overweight, middle-aged man.
“Jonathan.” he said evenly. “You’ve been handling the financial reports lately, haven’t you?”
Jonathan forced a smile.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead from nervousness.
“Yes, Mr. Ethan. I personally reviewed all financial statements. Everything is… in perfect order.”
Ethan’s lips curved slightly, but there was no warmth in it.
“Is that so?” He arched a brow.
“Funny, because I keep hearing whispers that our cash flow has been… a little off.”
The color drained from Jonathan’s face. His fingers twitched.
“M-Mr. Ethan, I… I don’t know what you mean.”
Ethan chuckled. The sound soft, almost amused.
He strolled to the conference table, picked up a file, and flipped through it casually.
“I’ll spell it out for you, then.”
His voice dropped a degree.
“Five million. Recently sent into your account. Paid by Robert Davenport.”
His head tilted.
“Care to explain?”
Jonathan stammered, his voice barely holding together.
“Th-that was… a normal transaction… a partnership payment—”
BANG.
Ethan slammed the file onto the table.
The sharp crack echoed through the room like a gunshot.
Jonathan flinched so hard, his chair nearly tipped over.
“A normal transaction?” Ethan’s gaze bore into him. “Do I look like a fool to you?”
“If you don’t want to explain, I can do it for you.”
“Robert Davenport bribed you!”
“You knew full well he’s incompetent and drowning in debt. But you still approved his partnership with Brightstar Corp!”
“Because you took his money!.”
Jonathan’s breath hitched. His mouth opened, then shut.
His whole body trembled, but no words came out.
Ethan exhaled through his nose, then turned slightly.
“Shade.”
The man behind him stepped forward, his voice colder than steel. “Mr. Jonathan, come with me.”
Jonathan’s legs buckled. He collapsed onto the floor, his face ghostly pale.
“It’s over… it’s all over…” he muttered, his voice barely a whisper.
Shade didn’t give him the luxury of time.
With a flick of his wrist, he dragged Jonathan out of the room.
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Latest Chapter
Chapter 57
For a second, something shifted. Alateriel’s voice—usually like untouched snow—cracked with the barest hint of emotion. Bitterness. Like a glacier starting to split.Ethan didn’t respond. The only sound in the room was the faint graze of his thumb tracing the edge of the phone, over and over.“I’ve looked for you, Ethan… for seven years,” she whispered, her voice softening—melting like the first drip of spring snow.He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that so?”“Ethan… I’ll be in Atlantis tomorrow. Can we meet? Just once?”Her voice was barely a whisper, a feather falling through silence.Ethan’s response cut like glass.“Miss Alateriel, you’re the crown jewel of the Dunphy dynasty now. Me? I’m just the washed-up heir of a forgotten family. I’d hate to taint your vision with my presence.”His words carried a cruel edge—sarcasm, self-loathing, and something darker buried underneath.He didn’t want to revisit the past. Not anymore.“Ethan, did you hear about—”“No need.”He cut her off
Chapter 56
The dim room was still—until Katherine's text tone pierced through the silence.Ethan glanced down at the screen. The glow lit up his face, and as he swiped to unlock, his brows instinctively furrowed.“Ethan, did you hear? Alateriel is coming to Atlantis City!”Alateriel?Ethan’s thumb froze mid-air. A dull throb pulsed at his temples.What the hell is going on today? Why is everyone suddenly bringing up that name?He rubbed the bridge of his nose, then typed back:“I heard. You seem really excited about her?”The reply came almost instantly:“Of course! Alateriel Dunphy is basically the capital’s goddess! I’m heading to the airport to see her in person!”“So much has happened lately… I need something fun to look forward to.”Ethan stared at that exclamation mark—somehow, he could see Katherine smiling through the screen.He hesitated, then hit Call.“Ethan?”Her soft voice drifted through, along with the faint rustle of magazine pages in the background.“You’re really that eager to
Chapter 55
“Vulture was able to operate without fear,” Robert’s voice was low, every word dripping with weight, “because he had The Black Jack backing him.”“What? The Black Jack?!”Madeline’s eyes went wide in disbelief. She looked like she’d just seen a ghost.Everyone knew the truth—The Black Jack ruled this city.In this town, it wasn’t Vulture who was the true power player. He was just a pawn in a much bigger game. The Black Jack? That was the shadow ruler pulling the strings, the one who controlled the city’s heartbeat.The power The Black Jack wielded was untouchable.In business, politics, the military—The Black Jack had influence everywhere.If you crossed him? It was worse than death itself.“Robert, you can’t be telling me that The Black Jack is involved in this too, right?” Madeline swallowed hard, panic creeping into her voice.“It’s hard to say,” Robert muttered as he stood up and walked to the window, pulling the curtains shut with a snap. In the dim light, the veins on his forehea
Chapter 54
Elijah—the man who ran The Black Jack syndicate in Atlantis City—stirred his coffee slowly.The silver spoon tapping gently against the fine bone china cup with a crisp, delicate clink.Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on his manicured hands. The gleam on his nails was cold, sharp—like polished steel under a surgeon’s scalpel.Across from him, the old man known only as The Night Owl sat as calm as a still lake. His thin, wrinkled fingers methodically dropped sugar cubes into his black tea, each movement steady, almost ritualistic.“Mr. Elijah, about the shipment from Colombia—”But The Night Owl was cut off mid-sentence.A massive bodyguard—easily pushing six-foot-six—strode up, leaned down, and whispered urgently into Elijah’s ear. His breath brushed warm against Elijah’s skin.“What?”Elijah’s voice cracked through the quiet like a whip. “Vulture’s dead?”The spoon slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the saucer with a metallic clang. Black coffee
Chapter 53
“What did you just say?”Noah’s smile froze. For a second, he thought he must’ve misheard.“I said, I have zero interest in a company that's about to go bankrupt,” Ethan repeated calmly.“Bankrupt?”The word hung in the air like a thunderclap. Everyone froze, struggling to process what they just heard.“You’re full of it!”Noah jolted upright, his voice rising in panic. “Hudson Pharmaceuticals is raking in money! We’re thriving! Why the hell would we go bankrupt? Quit fear-mongering!”Ethan leaned back, voice cool and steady. “Whether I’m fear-mongering or not, you know better than anyone. I just got word—Hudson Pharmaceuticals has been completely shut down for selling counterfeit meds. It’s only a matter of time before the bankruptcy paperwork hits.”“Fake meds? Shut down?”Everyone turned, stunned, their eyes locking onto Noah.“Bullshit! That’s complete bullshit!” Noah snapped. “Ethan, you better shut your damn mouth. Hudson runs a clean business! We play by the rules! One more word
Chapter 52
And Lewis Parker, of all people, in that photo?Yeah right. Had to be fake.Sarah let out a cold laugh. “You? Know Lewis freaking Parker? Come on. A guy like you probably can’t even spell sommelier.”She crossed her arms, chin raised in disdain. “Let’s be real—you probably stole that wine.”“Exactly!” Luke jumped in, eyes lighting up like he just cracked the case. “No way you could afford something like that. You swiped it, didn’t you?”Noah’s face lit up with smug satisfaction, like a cat who’d cornered a mouse.“That makes perfect sense,” he sneered. “Of all the things to steal, you went and grabbed a $3.4 million bottle? You realize if the owner presses charges, you’re looking at ten years minimum behind bars?”In Noah’s mind, this was checkmate. No way someone like Ethan could ever own something that valuable.Ethan didn’t flinch. He just set his napkin down, the soft rustle of fabric against wood loud in the sudden tension.First, they said his wine was cheap.Then they claimed it
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