2024-11-22 15:37:49“Don’t act innocent. You must have been following me to find out where I live.” Aria scoffed, crossing her arms indignantly.
“I didn’t follow you here. I’m here for business.” Ethan replied calmly.
“Bullshit! What business could you possibly have here?” Aria sneered.
“So I was right! You did wanna blackmail me!”
"Sleeping with a girl like me must be the highlight of your life, huh?"
Ethan took a deep breath, his patience thinning.
“Are you a narcissist?” Ethan said in a gritted voice, “I’m not blackmailing you, nor am I here for you.”
Aria let out a mocking laugh at Ethan’s reply, and without bothering to reply to him anymore, she stormed inside the villa.
Ethan paused, a flicker of confusion appearing on his face.
He brought out his phone and double-checked the address on the screen.
There was no mistake. He was at the right place.
After confirming that he had the right address, any trace of hesitation in his mind disappeared.
Aria stormed inside the villa, her heels clacking angrily against the polished marble floor. She had enough of Ethan’s ridiculous lies and smug attitude.
However, just as she turned to close the door, her eyes widened when she saw Ethan casually walking inside the villa just behind her.
“Are you insane?! What do you think you are doing right now?!”
“Are you going to keep up your stalker activities here?!”
Ethan stopped walking and stared at Aria with annoyed expression on his face. He always prided himself on being calm, but with the constant barrage of accusations from Aria, even he could not help but lose his patience.
“I’ve told you already, I’m not a stalker, and I’m here to meet someone.” Ethan replied angrily.
“Oh? And who exactly are you here to meet?” Aria instantly crossed her arms, glaring at him.
“My fiancée, who lived in this address.”
The words hit Aria like a sledgehammer, and her jaw dropped.
"I’m the only child in this family! I’ve never heard of any fiancé!"
"Is this some kind of new scam?" Aria stared at him suspiciously. "Explain yourself! What's going on?"
Ethan also looked completely stunned.
"Are you sure? You don’t have any… half-sisters or anything?"
"Of course, I’m sure!" Aria looked both angry and shocked.
"How is that possible…" Ethan muttered to himself.
The arrogant girl he spent the night with last night...
Could she really be his fiancée??
"I don't believe a word from you!" Aria said firmly, "I'm going to kick you out!"
Just as Ethan was about to respond and Aria was preparing to shout for security, a new voice broke the stillness.
“Ah, there you are!” An elderly man, dressed in a fine red suit, entered the room with a warm smile.
“Ethan! You’ve arrived just as expected.”
Aria turned her attention toward the elderly man in shock.
“Grandfather? You know this man?” Aria asked in disbelief.
Henry Whitman, the elderly man, smiled at his granddaughter, then turned his full attention to Ethan.
“Your father told me you’d be here today, so I’m glad to see you’ve found your way in. Welcome, Ethan.”
Ethan gave a polite nod to the elder, his calm demeanour never faltering, despite the amount of shock he was feeling at the moment.
“Thank you, Mr…” Ethan trailed off, as he did not know the name of the elderly man.
“Henry Whitman, but you can call me Henry.” Henry smiled as he extended his hand for a handshake.
Ethan accepted his stretched hand and gave him a firm handshake, putting a smile on Henry’s face.
“Well, this is a happy day! I cannot begin to express my joy! After all, the engagement between you and Aria is what you would term a match made in heaven!”
Henry clapped his hands together, completely oblivious to the tension in the air.
Aria’s heart sank as her grandfather’s words echoed in her ears, and the gravity of the situation she was in dawned on her.
“Grandfather, wait! There’s been some kind of mistake! There’s no way—”
“No, no, Aria,” Henry interrupted, smiling as though he hadn’t heard her.
“Today’s an important day for both of you. I want you to inform your parents that the engagement is officially happening.”
“Grandfather, you can’t be serious,” Aria protested, panic rising in her chest.
“Aria, this is what’s best for you. For the family.” Henry said, his warm expression hardening slightly.
Years ago, the leader of the Blackwell family, Ethan's father, personally arranged this marriage with Henry.
Although the reason behind it was never disclosed to Henry, it was enough to make him ecstatic.
The Blackwell family had always been low-key, and even Henry didn’t know the full extent of their power and influence.
But even with the little he knew, it was clear that if the Blackwell family ever decided to wipe out a city, it would be as easy as a single command.
This, clearly, was the greatest advantage for the Whitman family’s resurgence.
Just one premise—He need to keep the secret safe.
Aria bit her lip, the irritation and anger she felt towards Ethan rising.
She could see the determination in her grandfather’s eyes, and it was the same stubbornness she had inherited.
What he had told her was not a suggestion; it was a command.
In her despair, Aria's thoughts were spinning rapidly.
She absolutely had to find a way out of this.
This engagement couldn’t happen! There was no way she was going to be engaged to such a poor person like Ethan!
Ethan, on the other hand, remained silent, watching the entire exchange with an unreadable expression.
He didn’t want this engagement any more than Aria did.
But after all, his fiancée, Aria Whitman, was tied to the truth behind his mother’s death.
He couldn’t call off the engagement now either.
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As Henry gently guided Ethan toward the living room, another voice suddenly cut through the air.“Stop!”Margaret Whitman, Aria’s grandmother, entered the room in hurried strides. A look of anger and disdain on her aged face.“I object to this engagement!” She declared loudly, clearly having just learned about the unsettling arrangement.“I’ve already chosen someone else for her.” “My granddaughter Aria is going to marry someone far more worthy!”“Margaret, what are you talking about?”Henry Whitman asked in a cold voice, but the reply he got from his wife was not one he expected to hear at all."Aria will marry Gregory Holden," Margaret declared in a firm voice.“Gregory Holden? That hypocrite’s son? You must be out of your mind.” Henry sneered, his voice filled with disdain.Margaret remained unflinching at her husband’s harsh words, her posture stiff and resolute.“Greg is a fine young man, and he works for the powerful Crestwood family. It is surely a connection that will be inva
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Aria was already walking away. She didn’t catch his words.She headed straight toward a sleek, black Porsche that had just pulled up.The passenger door swung open, and a stunning girl stepped out. Her oversized designer sunglasses hid her expression, but the second she saw Ethan, her lips twisted into a smirk of pure disdain.“This is my best friend, Natalie.” Aria said casually, glancing back at Ethan with a mix of amusement and something sharper.Ethan offered a polite nod and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you.”Natalie didn’t even look at his outstretched hand. Her eyes swept over his plain outfit, then curled her lip in a sneer.“So, this is the guy?” she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. Without waiting for an answer, she turned to Aria. “I got your message. I see what you meant now.”Aria‘s smirk deepened, clearly satisfied with her friend’s reaction.Ethan could feel the childishness of Natalie’s attitude as he withdrew his outstretched hands, but he didn’t comment on it.
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“Are you crazy? How dare you set your sights on that car?!” Aria interrupted furiously, her beautiful eyes laced with anger.“Exactly, is that car even something a person like you deserves to drive?” Natalie chimed in. "You're just a country bumpkin! I bet you've never even seen such an expensive car in your life before. What makes you think you're worthy of even competing for such a car?!" Natalie asked mockingly, her tone filled with contempt and disdain as she glared at Ethan. “It’s fine! There’s no harm in racing for it. After all, it will only be his if he has the ability.” Greg sneered, his grin widening as he cracked his knuckles.The red custom made Lamborghini Reveulto was one of his three most prized possessions, and he was extremely protective of the car. However, he was so confident of his victory that he bet it without any hesitation. After all, there was no way a country bumpkin and a pauper like Ethan could ever hope to beat him. He was not worried in the slightest th
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“What a joke!” Aria sneered after hearing Ethan’s words. There was no way that his words would be true. She thought Ethan was bluffing. After all, why would someone like him be an important guest at a dinner hosted by the powerful Crestwood family?Just looking at his poor outfit alone, he didn’t even fit in among the city’s elite. How then would he be the important guest to the powerful Crestwood family?It was obvious that he was blatantly lying to their faces. He was a boastful fraud after all.It appeared that it wasn’t just Aria who thought the same way, as the crowd joined in and started to insult Ethan.“Do you really expect us to believe that?” one of the audience uttered, and the rest of the crowd murmured in agreement, with several of them glaring at him with disdainful sneers.“You have quite the imagination.” Greg, ever eager to humiliate him, remarked with a mocking smirk.“It’s not too late to back out of this lie you’ve told before you embarrass yourself even more.” Gre
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Back at the Whitman manor, Aria, Natalie, and Greg made their way to the luxurious sitting room. There, Aria’s parents, Andrew and Eloise Whitman, as well as her grandparents, Henry and Margaret Whitman, were already seated in the sitting room.The reason for their gathering was none other than the pressing issue regarding finding an ally. They were looking to explore other options as they had no faith that they would get an ally anymore.“I think we need to face the reality of the situation.” Margaret Whitman said with a deep sigh, and her eyes flicked between her son, Andrew, and her husband, Henry.“We can’t continue to wait and hope that a big family will change their minds and decide to ally with us.” Margaret added in a somewhat dejected tone.“What are you suggesting, mother?” Eloise asked carefully as she glanced at her mother-in-law warily, as she could sense where the conversation was headed.“I think we should sell our ownership stake in the company. We’ve built it up enoug
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Eastwood Manor, Eastwood Street.While Aria and Natalie were celebrating and rejoicing at the Whitman family being selected as an ally for the Crestwood family, Ethan was at his luxurious apartment working on some important documents.He had been extremely busy for the past 48 hours, as he had to complete several major business deals for his father. Due to the large scale of the business, he hadn’t even had the chance to do anything else. Fortunately, with his work ethic, he had managed to complete everything that he needed to do. He just needed to drop off the documents at their family headquarters in the city, then he would no longer be occupied.As he closed the documents that were on his work desk, he suddenly remembered that the Crestwood family was supposed to release their list of allies today. He didn’t know whether the Crestwood family later chose the Whitman family as their ally.“I can’t believe I forgot.” Ethan muttered as he reached for his phone. He was just about to pla
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For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. It was as though everything had stopped moving, and Aria couldn’t believe her ears. She stared at the phone screen in shock, her mind struggling to process what she had just heard and what was written on the phone screen as well.“We’re number one on the list?” Aria repeated in shock, the tone of her voice incredulous. She was having a hard time believing that what she saw was real. She felt like someone was playing tricks on her eyes.“Yes! The Whitman family is the first name on the list, and your family was awarded a very coveted business contract by the Crestwood family! It’s a very important business contract, and being in charge of this would give your family a lot of edge!” Natalie exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief and her tone laced with shock.Aria felt a flood of emotions rush through her body—relief, disbelief, and joy. She couldn’t believe it, and she felt like she was dreaming. She even pinched herself twice, and the sh
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The days went by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed since Vivienne’s charity party. Aria hadn’t heard from Ethan in those two days, and while it was surprising to her, she didn’t think too much about it. As a matter of fact, she was quite glad that Ethan had not spoken to her in the past 48 hours. She did not want to have to deal with Ethan.At the moment, Aria and Natalie were in the garden of the Whitman manor and having a conversation regarding an ally for the Whitman family. The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting a soft light on the manicured bushes and blooming flowers, but Aria was far too anxious to appreciate the beauty of nature around her.Aria knew what was at stake. Although the Whitman family could still be considered wealthy, their business wasn’t doing too well anymore, and if they weren’t able to secure an ally, they were on a fast track to falling from grace to grass.“Calm down, Aria. It’s not the end of the world.” Natalie, who had
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Jason remained quiet for a brief moment as he contemplated Ethan’s words, but it didn’t seem like he was going to change his mind. Although Ethan had a mysterious background and identity, this was a different ball game entirely, and moreover, he couldn’t make this decision on his own.“I will think about it seriously and speak to my father about the Whitman family. However, he is out of the city currently for business, and he will be coming back in the next three days. When he is back, I will speak to him, and we will release the list of allies we have decided to work with.” Jason said with a pleading tone. It was as though he was trying to pacify Ethan.Ethan looked at him for a few seconds before ultimately nodding his head in agreement.“Thank you. I look forward to seeing the list.” Ethan said, and exchanged goodbyes with them before turning and walking away, his steps as calm and composed as ever.As Ethan walked away, he was already thinking about his next move. He planned to me
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The curtains on the charity event had been pulled already, and in less than twenty minutes, the grand and luxurious hall of the VIP section where the guests were the elite of the city gradually emptied, leaving in the same flashy way they arrived. The journalists and reporters who were still present continued to take several pictures of them, but the fervour was vastly different from the moment of arrival.Aria, Greg, and Natalie all left together as usual, before parting ways on the route to their various homes. They didn’t even bother to look for Ethan or offer him a lift, choosing to completely ignore him and go about their own activities.Ethan as well didn’t bother with them. If they chose to ignore him, then he would respect their decision. Besides, he would rather they ignored him than them reaching out to him only to insult him again.Meanwhile, inside the luxurious grand hall, Jason and Vivienne Crestwood stood near the polished oak doors of the hall, speaking in low voices a
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The party continued in its lavish atmosphere, and soon enough, the charity auction began mere minutes after Vivienne’s speech. The guests settled down, and the lights in the luxurious hall dimmed as an auctioneer took to the stage.“Good evening everyone. I trust you all are having a pleasant evening!” The auctioneer, a handsome man in his early forties greeted politely as he positioned himself properly on the stage. His voice was rich, commanding the attention of everyone present as he presented the first item that was up for auction—a luxurious painting from a world famous artist.The proceeds from the auction, as Vivienne mentioned earlier, would go toward several charitable causes that needed it.In a gathering with such exclusive people in the city, several high-end and luxurious items were presented, including artworks, jewellry and rare collectibles. These were all items that were highly sought for by the guests present, and they placed their bids on their interested items with
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“What a showoff.” Greg sneered as he watched Ethan walk away from them.“He has nothing and yet he’s acting like that! How dare he lie to us?” Natalie added, her voice dripping with disdain.“Vivienne Crestwood got him the outfit? What a fraud.” Natalie scoffed and muttered under her breath, visibly irritated by the thought.Aria’s eyes flickered with surprise at Ethan’s attitude, but she still remained silent. She didn’t know whether to believe his words or not.“He definitely has some nerve, walking around so righteously when he just stood there and lied to our faces.” Greg uttered angrily as Ethan disappeared into the crowd, clenching his fists as he did so.Aria still remained silent, sporting a small frown on his face as she stared at Ethan disappearing figure. She didn’t know what to make of Ethan’s claim. Since his demeanor was so calm and composed, wasn’t there the possibility that his words could be true?“Let’s just ignore him. He’s no one important anyways. He’ll just end u
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For a moment, the three of them stared at Ethan in silence. The words Aria wanted to say got stuck in her mouth, and her jaw dropped. Natalie widened her eyes as she stared at Ethan, while Greg who was sporting a smug expression saw his expression falter. None of them had expected that response, and they could not believe their ears.“Vivienne? What do you mean Miss. Vivienne?” Natalie asked, her voice filled with disbelief.“Do you mean Vivienne Crestwood?” Aria asked, her voice clearly showing her shock.“Yes.” Ethan replied coolly, giving her a small nod of agreement.“You’re such a liar, Ethan. Why would Vivienne Crestwood get someone like you an outfit?” Greg immediately rebutted, not believing his words for a single second at all.Ethan didn’t respond to Greg’s insult, and opted to remain silent. He had already answered their questions, and whether they believed him or not was left to them, as he had no intention of explaining any further to them. He already expected them not to
