As Elisabeth continued explaining what she had overheard and seen in the file, she suddenly stopped mid-sentence.Ethan turned his head toward her, puzzled. “What?” he asked, his gaze meeting hers.Elisabeth was smiling, her eyes fixed on him.“Hmm… nothing,” she replied with a teasing smile, then turned to stare out the window.“How much was the meal?” she asked after a brief pause, her tone neutral, though her expression was unreadable.Ethan hesitated, clearing his throat before responding. “Uh… yeah, about that. It was $5,000,” he said awkwardly, avoiding her gaze.“Okay,” Elisabeth replied, her lips curling into a sly grin. “I won’t ask how you managed to pay that, especially since you act like a poor guy,” she added, laughing softly.Ethan opened his mouth to defend himself, but his phone buzzed before he could speak. It was a call from Mr. Caldwell.“Hello, sir,” Ethan answered politely.“Hey, Ethan. I’m home now,” Mr. Caldwell said, his voice still slightly weak but much impro

“What’s wrong with you? Is it not you I’m talking to, Junious?”Realizing that June was back, Sophia quickly stood and went to the next bed where Elena was still sleeping. Gently, she tapped her shoulder.“Elena, wake up. We need to go. The truck driver will be waiting for the delivery,” Sophia urged.Elena stretched and rubbed her eyes, groaning softly. “What’s all that noise?”Sophia listened as the voices grew louder.“You didn’t come home last night, and you left everyone worried! Jude told us you went to Jonathan’s house, but when we called his parents, they said you were never there.”Sophia turned to Elena, who was now fully awake. “It sounds like they’re talking to June,” Sophia whispered.“Oh no, is he back?” Elena asked, standing and heading for the door.“Yes, and it doesn’t sound good,” Sophia replied, following her.As they stepped into the living room, they were greeted by the tense scene.“Good morning,” they said politely, but their voices were drowned out by Jude’s fa

As Elisabeth drove, a chuckle played on her lips. She glanced at Ethan and teased, “Ethan, do you even remember our conversation about the job? Aren’t you the least bit concerned about it? Or maybe… you don’t actually need a job. After all, you’re a cool guy, lying low for some reason.” She smirked playfully.Ethan blinked, momentarily pulled from his thoughts. “What? No… sorry about that. I can start fresh next month, right? I just have a few things to sort out first, so they won’t distract me when I start working with you.” His tone was casual, though his mind remained preoccupied with Mr. Caldwell’s company situation.“It’s fine,” Elisabeth said, waving it off. Then, her eyes flickered with curiosity. “So, who was that girl whose house you just left?”Ethan frowned slightly. “What girl?” he asked sharply.“Don’t play dumb. I saw her,” she said with a grin.“Oh, you mean Lila? I wasn’t there for her. I went to see her father—he invited me over to discuss a few things.” His voice rem

Elena held Sophia’s hand as they walked side by side toward their humble home.Sophia’s steps were slow and heavy, her face streaked with tears of frustration. It was as if the weight of everything was pressing down on her all at once.“Sophia, you have to act normal,” Elena urged gently. “Everything will be alright, especially now that Jude’s brother is involved. He won’t rest until we get through this together. Mama can’t see you like this—she’ll start worrying, and I don’t like it when she stresses herself. You know her health isn’t good enough for that.”Sophia took a deep breath, straightening her posture as she wiped her face. “Hmm,” she murmured, trying to compose herself.By the time they reached home, both girls quietly settled into their small room for the night. But while Elena quickly drifted off to sleep, Sophia lay awake, her thoughts running wild.She reached for her earpiece, hoping that music would calm her mind enough to rest. As she scrolled through her phone, searc

The heavy silence filled the room for a moment.“Sir, I’ll leave you to think about it. If you need me to intervene, I will, but if you say no, I promise to leave and never return,” Ethan said, his voice different from the nervous tone he usually spoke in.Mr. Caldwell stared at him in disbelief, as if he were seeing Ethan for the first time. Until now, he had only seen him as an ordinary young man—brilliant in accounting, but nothing more. However, at this moment, Ethan’s presence silenced even David and Lila, who had been using every opportunity to mock him.Contemplating his options, Mr. Caldwell finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with sarcasm. “Who really are you, Ethan?”Ethan opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. He couldn’t reveal his true identity—not yet. His mission required him to remain unnoticed, to let people believe he was still the same nobody they had always known. The disguise was easy to maintain; the only difference now was that he was no longer truly power