CHAPTER 17After an eventful day, Ethan finally made it back to his family's mansion,because he only had one class so he didn’t see the need to stay on campus. His feet were heavy with exhaustion. As he passed through the grand foyer, he glanced at the portraits of his ancestors that lined the walls, their gazes seeming to follow him.Retreating to his room, Ethan closed the door behind him with a heavy sigh. The events of the past week had been a whirlwind, and the conversation with the figure in the strange, surreal realm still lingered in his mind.After taking a long, hot shower, he slipped into some comfortable clothes and sank onto his bed, staring out the window at the setting sun. He tried to push the thoughts away, but the more he tried, the more they seemed to swirl around him like the clouds that had surrounded him in that other place. Retreating to his room, Ethan closed the door behind him with a heavy sigh. The events of the past week had been a whirlwind, and the con
CHAPTER 18Ethan recoiled in surprise as Madison pressed her lips against his. Pushing her away, he glared at her with a mix of confusion and anger. 'What are you doing?' he demanded, his voice laced with disbelief.Madison looked hurt, her expression shifting from playful to wounded. 'I thought you liked me,' she said, her voice tremulous.'I liked you in my past life, before you betrayed me,'He whispered to himself.As Ethan turned to leave the room, Madison gasped, her eyes wide. 'Wait, please!' she said, her voice desperate.Ethan stopped, but didn’t turn around. 'What?' he asked, his tone cold.'Don't go,' Madison pleaded. 'Please, Ethan. I can make you happy.'Ethan scoffed, but before he could speak, Madison pulled off her shirt, revealing her bare chest. 'Please,' she whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion.Ethan froze, his mind racing.Alright:Just as Ethan was about to respond, he caught a glint of light in the corner of his eye. His gaze shifted, and he saw it: a small
CHAPTER 19Ethan stayed there at the lake, the darkness and the silence enveloping him like a blanket. He sat there for hours, staring out at the dark waters, his thoughts and emotions churning like the waves on the surface of the lake.The night seemed to stretch on forever, the stars twinkling overhead, the only sign of life the occasional rustle of leaves or the hoot of an owl.Ethan felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, the burden of his anger and his pain dragging him down.As the first rays of dawn began to filter through the darkness, Ethan finally stirred from his thoughts, his mind feeling clearer and more focused than it had been in days.He started the car, the engine growling to life, and pulled away from the lake.The road seemed to stretch on forever, the sun rising over the horizon, its golden rays casting a warm glow over the land.Ethan drove back to his mansion the anger and hatred still burning inside him, but tempered now by a sense of purpose and determin
Chapter 20Monday arrived, and Ethan woke up with a sense of dread and anticipation.Today was the day of his final exams. The day that would decide his fate, his future, his destiny.He rose from bed, his muscles tense and his heart racing, and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.He grabbed his bag and stuffed it with his notes and textbooks, his mind already racing through the material he'd studied the night before.As Ethan walked to class, his thoughts were a whirlwind of excitement and nerves.He had worked so hard for this moment, for the chance to become Valedictorian, to be recognized as the best in his class, the best in the school.And he knew he was going to do it. He'd studied hard, he'd put in the work, he'd poured his heart and soul into his studies.He was going to ace these exams, he was going to prove to himself and the world that he was the best.As Ethan made his way to class, he spotted Benjamin striding towards him, his stride confident and sure.Benjamin fla
Madison took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she forced herself to focus on the exam.She couldn't let her emotions get the best of her.She couldn't let her hatred for Ethan cloud her judgment.She had to do well on this exam, no matter what the consequences were.She turned her attention to the questions, her mind racing as she tried to recall the information from her notes.She began to write, her hand moving quickly across the paper, the pencil scratching out her answers.As Madison worked on her exam, she kept glancing up at Ethan, curious to see how he was doing.To her surprise, he finished the exam in record time, standing up from his seat and handing in his paper with a confident smile.Madison's jaw dropped, her eyes wide in disbelief.How could he have finished so quickly?She had always known Ethan was smart, but this was something else entirely.She stared at him, her mind reeling, as he strode out of the classroom, his head held high.Ethan passed by Madis
Chapter 22It was the day of the graduation ceremony, and Ethan stood in the school auditorium, dressed in his cap and gown, a medal around his neck. The auditorium was packed, the air thick with excitement and anticipation. As Ethan waited for his name to be called, he couldn’t help but reflect on the journey that had brought him here. He had worked hard, studied late into the night, and pushed himself to his limits. And now, he was being recognized as the best student of the year, a title he had always dreamt of achieving.Ethan’s grandfather sat in the front row, his eyes fixed on his grandson. His face was a mixture of pride and joy, his wrinkled hands clasped together in front of him. As Ethan stepped onto the stage to accept his award, his grandfather stood, his chest swelling with pride. He had seen his grandson’s potential from the beginning, had encouraged him to pursue his dreams and to never give up. And now, here he was, watching as Ethan realized his dreams, as he achie
Chapter 23As word spread of Ethan's relentless pursuit, Mr. Parker began to feel the pressure. His investors, once loyal, began to pull out, sensing that the tides were turning. They saw Ethan's dogged determination as a sign of the Parkers' vulnerability, and they did not want to be caught in the crossfire. Mr. Parker, however, was not one to be pushed around. He dug in his heels, his pride and stubbornness blinding him to the truth: that Ethan was a force to be reckoned with, and that the Parkers' time in the sun was coming to an end.Mr. Parker's anger knew no bounds. He stormed into Madison's office, his face red with rage."You've failed me," he snarled, his voice like a whip. "You were supposed to seduce that Wayne boy, to bring him under our control. And yet here we are, with him breathing down our necks, exposing our secrets, threatening our empire." Madison lowered her head, her face burning with shame. She had failed her family, failed to fulfill her duty. But deep down,
Chapter 24 She offered him a lucrative job as a consultant for her father's company. Alex knew she was up to no good but he couldn't resist the opportunity to flex his skills and make some extra cash. He agreed to work for Madison, but he kept his guard up, wary of her true intentions. And as they began to work together, he couldn't help but be drawn in by her charm and intelligence, a spark of attraction building between them. The closer Madison and Alex became, the more he let her believe he was letting his guard down. He confided in her about his frustrations with Ethan, his desire for more respect and recognition in the hacker community. And Madison, sensing his vulnerability, began to plant seeds of doubt in his mind about Ethan's motives. "Do you really think Ethan has your best interests at heart?" she whispered one night, her breath hot on his skin. "Or is he just using you for his own gain?" Alex tried to brush off her questions, but they stuck in his mind l