The Return of Forsaken Heir

Chapter 6. Night Dispute

***

In the evening.

Ethan continued to read the books Finnley provided for him, many of them explaining entrepreneurship and companies. In addition to the college assignments he had to do, he also had bigger responsibilities than in college.

The door to Ethan's office was knocked softly. The sound of the knock was clearly heard by Ethan's ears until he invited the guest to come in.

The wooden door opened, revealing the late-night visitor was Hannah. She arrived in white pajamas with abstract patterns, her gray-white hair loose and untied.

"Oh, Hannah. Do you need anything?" asked Ethan, marking the last page of the book he was reading to continue.

"I want to talk about what happened on campus," Hannah replied, still standing in the open doorway.

"Why? Are you worried they'll tease you because you chose to save me?" asked Ethan, standing up from his cushioned chair and walking over to the woman.

"No, I'm not. I'm just worried about your mental state. I'm afraid you're depressed and stressed out because of the humiliating incident," said Hannah. Ethan laughed out loud at the innocent face the woman showed.

"Depressed? If I'm that mentally weak, then there's no way I'm going to survive three years of college," Ethan replied, inviting the woman, who was none other than his stepsister to walk in.

Hannah entered as Ethan walked over to the coffee machine in his room. As Hannah began to sit in the chair in front of Ethan's desk, the woman was surprised to see the books on Ethan's desk.

"So, they've been bullying you since your first year in college?" Hannah asked.

Ethan was silent. He was still busy preparing coffee for the two of them that night. The weather outside was quite cold, so the coffee would help warm their bodies.

After two cups of coffee were ready, he brought them to Hannah. Ethan chose to sit next to Hannah rather than the chair behind the table.

"That's how it was. David and his group started bullying me. There was only one reason, because of my poverty," Ethan said, slowly sipping the hot coffee in his hand.

"But you're no longer poor. You're even richer than David and his group," Hannah explained.

"That's because you're my sister. What about them? They might not believe it."

Hannah nodded slowly. She understood why Ethan did not want to rush to tell about his identity to the people on campus. Hannah took another look at Ethan's face. Although he came from a poor family, his face and skin were well-maintained.

"What if I stay near you for a while so they don't bully you anymore?" Hannah pleaded, proposing that she indirectly become Ethan's friend.

Ethan was astonished at Hannah's request. The man was new to her, and she already asking for a position that was quite strategic in this place.

He didn't take Hannah for granted right away, even though Finnley thought she was different from her three siblings, but Ethan had to be wary. Ethan had to be selective so that he wouldn't be taken advantage of by Hannah or the person who controlled that woman.

"For that matter, I cannot accept it yet. Your college life will be over if you get close to me," Ethan said.

"But I don't want you to be bullied like that again by them. You're the Kingsley heir. I cannot see the heir and my brother being treated badly by David," Hannah complained.

Ethan finished his coffee and placed his cup on the table. He was glad that Hannah could feel Ethan's pain, but since they had only known each other for a few days, Ethan still didn't trust her.

"My decision is final. If you continue to approach me, then I will stay away from you," Ethan retorted, standing up from his sitting position and walking back to his chair.

Hearing the order from Ethan left Hannah speechless. She couldn't do anything else when he was reluctant to get close to her. In the end, Hannah entrusted Ethan's safety to the man himself.

"Alright, if that's what you want, I won't keep getting close to you on campus," Hannah said.

When Hannah was about to say goodbye to Ethan, someone knocked on the door to the man's office softly. Ethan turned his eyes towards the wooden door.

The person immediately opened the door when Ethan invited him to enter. It appeared that she was Sara, Hannah's mother. The woman arrived in the same clothes as Hannah, pajamas with different patterns and colors.

"What are you doing here with Ethan, Hannah?" asked Sara, curious.

"N-Nothing, Mom. Excuse me, Ethan," said Hannah, going to say goodbye to Ethan.

She walked past her mother, who was still standing in front of the wooden door to Ethan's office. Sara's eyes followed where Hannah was going.

"Do you need anything from me?" asked Ethan, smiling at his stepmother.

"There's something I want to discuss with you as Kingsley's main heir," Sara replied, pulling her lip line up and accepting Ethan's warmth.

Sara walked over to Ethan's work table, which was filled with books. Sara just chuckled at Ethan's seriousness about running the Kingsley family business.

"It's about the five Kingsley companies you lead," said Sara.

"Why?" asked Ethan, opening the book he hadn't had time to finish.

"A company cannot be left alone by its leaders for long. They will lose their way," Sara explained, indirectly bringing up Ethan's capabilities as CEO of Kingsley's five companies.

Hearing the statement from his stepmother made Ethan fall silent for a moment. He closed the book he had just opened and turned his eyes to Sara.

Sara continued to stare at Ethan confidently, believing that she could convince Ethan to give at least one CEO position to her or her children.

The man was well aware that his current position was not favorable. Apart from dealing with the big mistress who once ruled this place, he was also not very familiar with the work system of the company's leadership.

"Then what are you suggesting?" asked Ethan, curious.

"I want you to give my children or me the CEO position in one of the Kingsley companies. At least there is one company that can keep running," said Sara.

Ethan smiled. What he suspected was true, Sara's arrival was only aimed at persuading Ethan to give a vital position to their family.

"What if I refuse?" asked Ethan, speaking flatly while continuing to look at Sara.

"The Kingsley family's company will be ruined," Sara replied, explaining the worst-case scenario.

"Would the possibilities be different if I gave it to you or your children?" asked Ethan.

He pulled out the file Finnley had given him, containing the biography of Sara and her children. From what Ethan could tell from the biography, only Theodore and Sara had experience holding important positions; Luke, Katherine, and even Hannah had never been in the company's top leadership.

The five companies owned by Kingsley work in different industries. Kingsley Enterprises is in the technology industry, Kingsley Aviation in the commercial aviation industry, Kings Oil in the oil mining industry, KG Entertainment in the entertainment industry, and Kingsley Reality in the property industry.

It wasn't clear for Ethan, who was unfamiliar with the industry, to understand the five companies. However, Finnley explains that the only companies that have a significant influence on the Kingsley family are Kingsley Enterprises, Kings Oil, and Kingsley Reality.

KG Entertainment and Kingsley Aviation did not have a significant impact; even for the entertainment industry, it can sometimes be a disadvantage.

"I'll talk it over with my lawyer. I think you can hold one of the five companies, of course, with different terms," Ethan said, re-entering Sara's family's biodata file.

"Term time? What do you mean?" asked Sara, confused.

"I won't give you complete control, considering we don't know each other yet. However, since you are my father's legal wife, I will give the position of temporary CEO to one of your children," said Ethan.

The smiling expression originally plastered on the woman's face now turned sour upon hearing the phrase temporary executor. Sara knew the meaning of that sentence; such a position could be removed at will by the company's owner.

"What's wrong with you? You've only been the heir for two days, but you act like you know everything!" Sara snapped, reproaching Ethan.

"I'm doing all this to preserve my father's legacy so that it won't be misused by you all," Ethan said, not getting provoked.

"You think we are troublemakers?!" moaned Sara, not accepting a bastard like Ethan judging her like that.

"I don't think so. I'm just saying that my father's legacy has the potential to be destroyed if it's held by someone I don't trust."

"TCH! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO ME?!" snapped Sara, pounding on Ethan's desk with a face full of anger.

Ethan stood up from his seat, staring at Sara, who stood equally in response to Ethan's words. The two of them looked at each other, and the conflict between the heir and the heir's family began.

"If you don't mind, you can leave my office. I need to learn everything so I can quickly become CEO."