Rise of The Unknown Billionaire

Chapter 96

The day of reckoning had arrived. Ethan straightened his tie in the executive washroom, steeling his nerves for the performance ahead. When he emerged, all traces of apprehension were smoothly masked behind his diplomat's smile.

In the boardroom down the hall, his three guests awaited - Philip Carnegie a sweating, twitchy mess; the elder Waltons tense but composed. Ethan had kept them isolated on arrival as an assertive tactic before their "negotiations." Let them stew and speculate. Fear of the unknown unsettled people wonderfully.

At his entrance, the trio stood hastily. Ethan noted with amusement how they subtly angled themselves away from each other. Good - he wanted them anxious and off-balance for now.

"My dear guests, so pleased you could make it," Ethan greeted them warmly as though welcoming old friends. "Please, sit. Can I offer refreshments before we begin?"

Playing the genteel host, he poured sparkling water for Clara Walton and a stiff drink for Carnegie, who snatched at