After several hours of locking himself in, cross-checking files and reviewing reports, Ethan finally leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply. His muscles ached from sitting too long, but his mind was restless.Suddenly, a familiar face surfaced in his thoughts.Sophia.“She must really be going through a lot wherever she is now,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “I just wish she had tried to talk to me before making the decision to leave her family and run away. I would have helped her… Though, she probably didn’t think I could.” He scoffed bitterly. “Everyone still sees me as that poor Ethan Fallow.”His gaze drifted toward the sleek, customized black card resting on his desk—the one issued to him as the son of Harrington. A small smirk formed at the corner of his lips.“But now, there’s nothing I can’t handle. Even if it costs billions… I have the means to fix things.”He reached for a water bottle, taking a long sip before setting it down with a decisive thud.“I should be doing

Elena searched the entire area late into the night, but after failing to find anything, she reluctantly returned home and went to her room.Hiding her curiosity, she reassured her mother that everything was fine.Midnight came, and Sophia still hadn’t returned. Exhausted from stress and worry, Elena eventually fell asleep.Much later, while Elena was asleep, Sophia entered quietly, taking careful steps to avoid making a sound. She slipped into her space and lay down as if nothing had happened.At the break of dawn, Elena woke up. It was already 5 a.m.—the usual time for them to start preparing orders.As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she turned and, to her shock, saw Sophia in bed.Rushing over, she tapped her awake. “Sophia, where were you last night?” She paused as Sophia sat up, stretching her arms while trying to shake off sleep. “I was worried all night… Where did you go?”After a brief silence, Sophia muttered, “I went to find out something…”Elena frowned. “Find out what?

Mr. Caldwell stared at Ethan, confusion washing over him. He didn’t know what to do next. His face softened as he let out a deep sigh.“I’m done trusting people,” he muttered. “A friend of mine, who used to be my business partner, knows about James’s schemes. James sold my equipment to him—machines worth a fortune—at a ridiculously low price. And instead of questioning why I would sell something so valuable when I clearly needed them, he just bought them without a second thought. He never once asked himself what would make me sell such crucial assets without replacements.”Mr. Caldwell’s voice was softer now, tinged with disappointment.Ethan interrupted, his voice unwavering. “Sir, it’s fine if you don’t trust me. Since you don’t need my help, I’ll back out completely. I won’t interfere in your business again.”His words hit Mr. Caldwell like a blow. The older man looked up at him, searching Ethan’s eyes for any sign of hesitation. But there was none.Mr. Caldwell opened his mouth to

Mr. Caldwell’s sharp eyes narrowed as he watched Ethan, studying his unexpected smile. Despite the accusations, despite being backed into a corner, the young man had the audacity to grin.Why?What kind of man smiles at a time like this?“Yes, I live at the hotel,” Ethan admitted smoothly, his voice steady. “But I’m not the one paying for it. I clearly can’t afford to stay there—not even for a short rest.” He leaned forward slightly, meeting Mr. Caldwell’s gaze head-on. “A while back, I saved a man’s life. His name is Anderson—the owner of the Anderson Group. We happened to cross paths again, and when he found out I had no place to stay, he insisted I use the hotel until I could secure an apartment of my own. So yes, he’s the one paying for it.”Mr. Caldwell’s expression remained unreadable, but his fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of his chair.Then, just as Ethan was about to continue, Mr. Caldwell cut him off sharply.“The two billion dollars,” he interjected. “The m

“I’ll shut James up first and make him understand what he did. He needs to pay for his actions, and I’ll make sure he sees that his father’s death wasn’t the Caldwell family’s fault. If he insists on taking revenge for the wrong reasons, then he must face the consequences.” Ethan thought to himself.But before he could dwell any further on his thoughts, Mr. Caldwell’s voice snapped him back to reality.“So, Ethan… is there something you’re not telling me?” Mr. Caldwell asked, his eyes filled with curiosity. “You were really pushing hard to dig into this, even though I just disclosed something that no one in my family knows—except my mother. You said it was because you wanted to be prepared in case James tried to use the past against us, but it still feels like there’s more you’re not saying…”Ethan quickly interrupted, forcing a confident tone. “There’s really nothing more. It’s just that since you were holding back, I figured there must be something important I needed to know if I wa