***
The next day.
Ethan packed up the books he had been using and arranged them neatly on the bookshelf in his study. Astrid knocked on the room door where Ethan worked. The woman arrived along with Finnley. Ethan ordered the person behind the door to enter; his eyes snapped open at the arrival of Astrid and Finnley in the same room.
"Are you two ready to go to KG Entertainment?" asked Ethan, walking over to the front of his desk, which now looked empty, with only a few documents, laptops, and other office tools.
Astrid was surprised at how clean Ethan's desk was, unlike yesterday, where piles of books about entrepreneurs and companies were neatly arranged for Ethan to study.
"Why are you putting those books back into the bookshelves?" asked Astrid.
"I don't have time to read those books. Studying them without experiencing them first-hand would make my head fuzzy," Ethan replied, standing up as he leaned against his desk.
"So, you'd rather start living the life of a CEO than learn in detail what it takes to run a company?" asked Finnley.
Ethan was silent. Although he came from a poor family, his thinking ability could not be considered lowly. He understood what the main duties of a CEO were, especially the important things to do first.
"That's right. I'm learning as I go," Ethan replied.
Finnley seemed to smile broadly. His heart felt pleased and relieved to see Ethan's maturity in dealing with the problems that happened to him. He began to praise Ethan's decision and was willing to help the young man get the wheels of Kingsley's company in place.
"So, what will you do now?" asked Finnley, curious.
"Hmm ... I was thinking of inviting all the directors of Kingsley's company to come to this place. However, that option is difficult if done on the spur of the moment," said Ethan.
He returned to the chair behind his desk, opening the desk drawer as his right hand appeared to be taking something from inside. Finnley and Astrid looked curious about the object Ethan would pick up.
Finnley saw Ethan pick up a car key with a smile plastered on his face, the young man's expression making Astrid and Finnley wonder, was Ethan's activity today was to drive around in his fancy car?
"Are you going to spend the day driving around town?" asked Finnley, trying to confirm his guess.
"I don't have time for that. I have to go to the KG Aviation company, that branch of Kingsley's company has been experiencing a persistent profit deficit since the first quarter of this year," Ethan replied.
"KG Aviation? But isn't there an event going on there?" asked Astrid. She remembered that today, KG Aviation was exploring a business deal with another private aviation company and a banquet for important people in both companies who would be working together.
"You're right. I came there to find out what the deal's outcome would be," Ethan replied, snapping his fingers in agreement with Astrid's words.
Ethan opened his wardrobe, grabbed a black suit from the wardrobe and slipped it on to fit his ideal build. Seeing Ethan already wearing a neat suit and shirt made Finnley and Astrid gasp at the prestige of the young boss.
"You go to KG Entertainment," Ethan pleaded, telling the two to leave while he was still straightening his suit.
"And what about you? Are you leaving alone?" Astrid asked.
"Someone is waiting for me. I'll go with her to the place," Ethan replied.
Once everything was in proper order, Ethan walked over to Finnley and Astrid, who were still where they were. Both of their eyes began to take in Ethan's appearance from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. So much did Ethan's transformation really take Astrid by surprise.
The door behind their backs opened to let Hannah arrive and say she was ready. Astrid couldn't hide her surprised expression to find that Ethan was referring to Hannah Kingsley.
"Alright. I'm leaving," Ethan excused himself, walking past Astrid and Finnley, who was still speechless at the change in Ethan's demeanour that was far beyond what they expected.
Ethan walked out of his office and down to the main floor using the elevator. Hannah looked elegant in a suit dress that exposed the area above her breasts. Her appearance was so captivating that Ethan was sure anyone could fall for her charms.
"You look amazing, Hannah," Ethan complimented, standing in the elevator with his head up, looking at the floor number that appeared on the elevator monitor screen.
"Thank you. You look handsome too. I didn't expect such a bullied young man to dress like this," Hannah replied. She knew what had happened to Ethan after her classmates had told her so much about him.
"When are you going to show yourself in front of people on campus, Ethan?" asked Hannah, curious.
"The best revenge is something served cold. It won't be long before I show my true colours," Ethan replied.
The elevator doors opened, and Hannah with Ethan arrived at the main floor. The two stepped together towards the exit as Ethan's right hand held the car keys. He pressed the button on the key until the sound of a car greeted him.
"Are you sure you're going to be my bodyguard this time?" asked Hannah, making sure because she still felt uncomfortable with the situation.
"Sure, if not, they'll suspect me before I introduce myself," Ethan replied.
He stepped near the residence's garage, getting into his black sedan. He sped up the luxury car to arrive in front of the Kingsley residence, right in front of Hannah, who was waiting for him.
Hannah opened the car door and entered gracefully. Ethan again reminded Hannah to focus on her task this time, which was to ask many questions about the prospects of KG Aviation's cooperation with the private company.
"You're the fourth child of the Kingsley family. They must already know who you are, so they'll listen to you more than me," Ethan replied.
Before long, the young man drove his car at a steady pace through the main street of the city to reach the location of KG Aviation. The company's address was quite far from the Kingsley residence but close to the airport and shopping centre.
"There's something I want to ask you, just to make sure," Hannah said, eager to ask but afraid Ethan would get angry at her question.
"Go ahead. What do you want to ask?" said Ethan, prompting Hannah.
"Do you hate my mom?" asked Hannah, looking at Ethan's face, which was focused on the road before him.
Ethan was silent momentarily after Hannah asked that question, not without reason. She had seen the conflict between Ethan and his family several times, either with his mother or Luke and Katherine.
"If you really hate her because of a mistake from my family, then I apologize deeply on behalf of my family," Hannah explained, her voice low as she tried to avoid Ethan's anger.
"The first time I met, you guys were already filled with scorn from Sara and her children. I don't hold a grudge against them. I think it's a natural response to being caught off guard over something that should probably be theirs," Ethan replied.
"I'm just trying to be close to you all, either with Sara or your siblings. I'm sure you're asking because you saw my fight with your brothers, right?" Ethan asked, Hannah nodding as she cleared her throat softly.
"I don't hate them. In fact, I want us to work together to expand the Kingsley company. However, when I see Luke and Katherine's attitude and behaviour, I doubt giving them prestigious positions," Ethan replied.
"That's what made Sara cry, and Luke beat me to a pulp," Ethan continued.
"I see," Hannah said, her heart slightly relieved that her assumptions were incorrect.
"But you don't have to worry. I keep trying to be nice to them, and you can try to persuade them to be nice to me," Ethan pleaded, occasionally turning to Hannah with a wide smile.
"I'll try, Ethan."
From a distance, Ethan, driving behind the wheel, clearly saw the KG Aviation office. The important event organized by the company's director attracted a lot of attention from nearby people, whether they were invited or not."Here we are," Ethan said.He drove steadily, entering the company parking lot with all eyes on Hannah. She was certainly attractive today, plus she was the daughter of the Kingsleys."They're watching you," Ethan replied, releasing the seatbelt just as his car parked."I know," Hannah said.The two stepped out of the car, with Ethan walking toward Hannah. In that place, quite a lot of people arrived along with their personal bodyguards. Some even brought assistants to write down the meeting records.Hannah entered the KG Aviation office gracefully through the right side door. Hannah's arrival surprised the company, especially the Board of Directors, who had not expected the company owner's family to attend such a small event."Good afternoon, Miss Hannah," greete
"What does he mean he fired me?" asked the financial director, pointing at Ethan, who stood before him. "It means you should start packing your bags from here," Hannah replied. Both of Hannah's hands continued to hold KG Aviation's first quarter financial report file. Although she could not check it completely, there were more losses than income. She could tell because the table marked the loss section with a red block. "Can you explain the reason for the losses incurred during the first quarter?" Hannah asked. The woman put the financial report on the table, telling the finance director's man to take a look on his own. The man started to get up and picked up the report, his eyes able to see the losses. "We could not avoid the loss in the first quarter. Several things contributed to the loss, including decreased passenger interest in Kingsley Airlines," the man said. "There are many new competitors in the aviation sector that have sprung up. The meeting below is also intended to
***"I have to admit KG Airline's reputation has started to fall compared to before," Hannah replied.Ethan and Hannah were at a restaurant by the sea, and Ethan's eyes could see the waves lapping in rhythm as they ate their lunch. Even though the two were eating together, Hannah kept the conversation about KG Aviation open."I never knew about KG Aviation before, so I cannot say much," Ethan said.As the two were enjoying their seafood meal, Ethan's attention was drawn towards the restaurant entrance where a group of casually dressed women entered. Hannah, who was sitting next to Ethan, noticed the changed look in the young man's eyes.Hannah followed his eyes and to her surprise she saw her college friends in the same restaurant. The woman before Ethan waved a hand, calling out to them which spontaneously shocked Ethan."They're your friends?" Ethan asked.Hannah smiled with her eyes fixed on the five friends, "Yeah. They're my coll
The distance between KG Aviation and KG Entertainment was quite long, especially since Ethan was leaving with Hannah from a restaurant near the beach. That man would take over the checks at KG Entertainment right after Astrid and Finnley failed to do so."Are you sure you'll show up as their CEO this time?" asked Hannah."Didn't you keep forcing me to reveal myself quickly? Why also now you look quite hesitant?" asked Ethan.Hannah bowed her head. Her pure heart kept thinking of the bad impact Ethan would get from his current decision. She didn't want this crucial moment to disturb Ethan's mind.The CEO position is indeed quite prestigious; many people want it. However, the higher and more respectable a person's position in the company, then there is tremendous pressure on the CEO about his ability to run the company."I'm just confirming your seriousness, nothing more," Hannah said."Haha, I've already made up my mind, which means I'm ready
Eve, the finance director of KG Entertainment, was solely responsible for the company's finances. She felt awkward when Ethan questioned her about the financial deficit, something the directors had discussed at the meeting."These few months, we've been focusing a lot on finding idol talents. Training them before they enter the entertainment industry requires a lot of money," Eve replied."Such as accommodation, clothing, choreography instructors, and so on. We allocate many company funds to those sectors," Eve continued."I understand what you are doing. However, I don't fully trust you until I get your written report," Ethan said."What report?" asked Eve.Ethan walked closer to Eve until he was standing right before her face, "The first quarter financial report and last month's expense report."Eve looked speechless. She turned around, walking over to her computer to see if the files were on her computer or still on her staff computer. Et
Ethan re-entered the KG Entertainment office, watched by the employees until Ethan went into an elevator. Ethan was already thinking about what he wanted to do to Eve. The evidence he got helped threaten Eve so that she would confess.It didn't take long for Ethan to reach the floor where the directors worked. He clearly saw Eve's office; the man stepped slowly toward the room and opened it.Hannah didn't seem to be holding any files in her hands. Eve was still behind her desk, while the man was already sitting on the chair before Eve's desk. The door opened, and Hannah's eyes snapped open to see Ethan had arrived alone."How was it?" asked Hannah, curious."Unfortunately, I got information that might affect someone's position in this building," Ethan said, walking over to Eve, who looked confused and scared.The man who had been sitting on a chair before Eve's desk started to stand up and gave the chair to Ethan. Ethan turned his head sharply and
"Come here, you jerk!" David ordered.The 185cm tall, athletically muscled man was standing with a woman who was none other than his girlfriend, Mia. Not only that woman but there were also two men who were always close to David, Darren and Martin.Ethan, a man in shabby clothes, walked by nodding at the difference in status between them. David was the son of the CEO of Eclipse Enterprises, a company in the technology industry, unlike Ethan, who was just an ordinary student from a small town."What's wrong?" asked Ethan, his voice soft with fear in his heart."Did you listen to the lecturer? I need you to do our assignment," David replied."Why would I do that?" asked Ethan.David narrowed his eyes. He released his hold on Mia as he walked toward Ethan. His muscular right hand immediately tugged on Ethan's collar, causing the other students besides David's group to move away."Cause you'll need money to pay for your tuition, right?" asked David sarcastically.Ethan didn't answer the q
Ethan was certainly suspicious of them, strangers who suddenly asked him to go along. The dark-haired man had heard the news about human trafficking cases. Perhaps in the back of his mind, what they were about to do was part of a human trafficking plan."I-I'm not going. Maybe you have the wrong person; there are many people named Ethan in this world," Ethan explained, stumbling while trying to walk slowly away.After seeing an opportunity, Ethan ran quickly away from the place, which was suddenly chased by them. Unlike the woman who seemed silent while sitting on a sidewalk chair, the men in black suits ran quite fast.Ethan didn't run out of ideas; he entered a narrow alley that only he knew. According to Ethan, the men in black suits would not pass through this dirty, muddy, smelly alley. So, Ethan thought he was safe from them.The alley connected to the other side of the apartment block where Ethan lived. When the young man made it out with his breath ragged from running fast, he