Prologue “Will you marry me?” Ethan kneels at the front of his beautiful girlfriend. Ariana pops out her eyes in surprise, “Yeah, yeah... I will. I love you! You are mine forever!” The ring dazzles and sparkles – it's a diamond ring worth one million dollars!. “You are always welcome, anytime, any day. The door is open for you,” Mrs. Desmond, the mother-in-law-to-be, hauls. “Let's be quick with the wedding; it can even be tomorrow,” Mr. Desmond suggests, and everyone laughs. Two days later. “I don't love you! You hear me? I don't! You are nothing now. I don't want to be anything like you. Marrying you is like deliberately sinking myself in deep mud,” she shouts at him. “Leave my daughter alone and never come to this house again, or else I will arrest you!” Mr. Desmond hauls at him. Ethan looks at him in disbelief. Chapter One: HOW IT ALL STARTED Ethan's clothes are the most expensive dress in all of the restaurant. His wristwatch is even more expensive than his dress. He ge

Ethan's legs tremble as he blames himself for believing something unreal.The storeowner stares at him, but then his phone dings.He quickly checks it and sees a debit alert.It's real! The storeowner's eyes pop wide open, disbelief evident on his face."I... I am sorry," he mumbles, but Ethan cuts him off."Give me three," he orders."Yes, sir," the storeowner replies, immediately packaging the items and handing them over."We would love to have you as our regular customer," the storeowner says, but Ethan ignores him and turns to the elderly woman."Take these," he hands her the three items. She initially hesitates, but then nods reluctantly."It's okay," he reassures her, placing the items in her hands."Thank you so much! My grandson will be delighted. I can't wait to give these to him.""Yes, please be quick," Ethan urges."Thanks!" the woman expresses her gratitude again and bids him farewell.He leaves the store feeling accomplished.{mission accomplished, dashboard had been top

As Ethan drives Mr. Desmond home, his mind is consumed by thoughts about the man, pondering the grudge he seems to hold against him. Lost in his thoughts, he momentarily loses focus and nearly collides with the car ahead. His reflexes kick in, and he slams on the brakes, causing Mr. Desmond to lurch forward in his seat. "Are you crazy? Do you want to kill me? Is that your plan as my driver?" Mr. Desmond exclaims in frustration. Ethan quickly apologizes, his voice filled with genuine remorse. "I'm so sorry, sir. It was not intentional. Please forgive me." Despite Ethan's plea, Mr. Desmond remains silent until they reach home. "Give me the key," Mr. Desmond demands, his tone cutting through the air. "I apologize, sir. It truly wasn't my intention," Ethan bows, regret evident in his voice. Ariana, dressed to leave the house, enters the room just in time to witness the tense scene. She rolls her eyes and hisses at Ethan before storming off and slamming the door behind her. "

Chapter 7Ariana wakes up to a delightful aroma, instantly recognizing Ethan's cooking skills from their dating days.She joins the others at the table, where Ethan serves breakfast."He's the cook now," Ariana comments as she takes her seat."That's his role here, do the chores," Mr. Desmond adds.Nick takes a spoonful of the delicious meal Ethan has prepared and compliments him, "You're an amazing cook, destined for success.""Thank you for your kind words, enjoy your breakfast," Ethan replies, about to leave but halted by Mr. Desmond's request to stay."Water," Max orders, though it's right in front of him; Ethan hands it to him."I'm meeting the mighty-E today," Mr. Desmond announces, stunning everyone.Ethan smirks confidently."How can you be so sure? No one's ever seen him," Ariana questions."I'm going to the company and offer him something he can't refuse," Mr. Desmond states."That's my dad," Nick proudly chimes in."What can you offer someone who seemingly has it all?" Aria

Chapter 9"Ethan!" Mr. Desmond's voice jolts Ethan awake, prompting him to groan as he rises from his bed and hurries to meet him in the still-dark hours."Sir, here I am," Ethan mutters sleepily."Do you know how many times I've been calling you? Sleeping like a pig!" Mr. Desmond scolds."Sorry, sir," Ethan replies."You have to drive me somewhere now, in the dead of night, and mark my words, don't snoop around. Stay in the car, got it?" Mr. Desmond warns sternly."Okay, sir," Ethan acquiesces as Mr. Desmond tosses the car keys to him.The world outside is still asleep as they board the car, Mr. Desmond guiding Ethan along an unfamiliar path that takes twenty minutes to traverse.Eventually, they arrive at their destination. A grand black gate stands proudly before a two-story building, an imposing structure that captures Ethan's attention. The automatic doors swing open, allowing them entry into the spacious compound, though not as expansive as the Mighty-E compound."Stay here and