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The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 16
The Carnival Cruise, the world’s number-one luxury liner, had just docked at Atlantis Pier.Twenty-one decks.Every inch, sheer opulence.Ethan, dressed in simple, casual clothes, arrived at the entrance.As he looked up at the familiar white ship, memories flooded his mind.“It has been a while, old buddy.” He said to the ship.Just as he was about to step in—A sharp, piercing voice rang out behind him.“Ethan Saxon! What are you doing here?”The voice made him pause. It was familiar, unpleasantly so.Turning around, he wasn’t surprised to see Edith Reed—Madeline’s mother.The shoulder was strapped up in a sling, but the sour expression on her face was as sharp as ever.“And what, exactly, is stopping me from being here?” Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You’re here too.”“Hah!”Edith let out a cold laugh, her posture full of arrogance.“I’m here because I’m boarding this ship to Sarentis Island!“For my daughter’s wedding! And you?”She folded her arms, looking him up and down with open d
The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 17
Kathrine approached with her usual lively energy. She waved, her lips curling into a playful grin.“Miss Kathrine, fancy running into you here,” Ethan said, his tone laced with amusement.Kathrine rolled her eyes. “Drop the ‘Miss,’ will you? Just Kathrine is fine.” Resting her elbows on the railing beside him, she glanced sideways. "Are you heading to Serantis Island too?"Ethan hesitated for a beat, then nodded. "Something like that."Her face lit up. “That’s great! I’m going there too! For a wedding! My friend Madeline is getting married.”His fingers drummed idly against the cold metal, his expression unreadable. "Is that so? Well... Congratulations to her."Kathrine, oblivious to the shift in his demeanor, continued chatting, her eyes drifting toward the white waves.“To be honest, I don’t really like the guy she’s marrying. Robert’s all talk.” “He is just one of those guys who think a fancy yacht and a garage full of sports cars make up for having an actual personality.”
The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 18
Ethan let out a short, mirthless laugh. He shook his head. "Stop your wedding?”“Madeline, I have told you. I couldn’t care less about your wedding."Madeline sneered. "Oh really?” “Then what are you doing here?” “I just told you yesterday I was getting married on Serantis Island. And today—suddenly, you’re on this ship?”“And you expect me to believe that’s a coincidence?!"Ethan’s expression was hard. "It is."Madeline barked out a laugh. "Bullshit. Everyone knows, you just wanna beg me to be back to you."Ethan sighed helplessly. "What can I say?""If I really wanted to ruin your wedding, you wouldn’t have even made it onto this ship today."Madeline let out laugh, infuriated by Ethan’s tone."Blah, blah, blah- You really think you’re something important, aren’t you? We are all your servants. Even Lewis Parker is your servant!”The guests around them couldn’t help but chuckle. Among the crowd of elites, not a single person recognized who Ethan was. Didn’t that say it all?
The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 19
Ethan let a slow, deliberate gaze sweep over Madeline and RobertHe was done with this drama.The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, buzzing like restless insects.“His ship?”“Isn’t this Lewis Parker’s?”Madeline seized the moment, turning to the guests with exaggerated exasperation.Her lips curled into a sneer as she tossed her hair back, making sure all eyes were on her."That’s right, everyone!" she announced with mockery. "This is my ex-husband. And, as usual, he had a great imagination."She flipped her hair for dramatic effect."You’ve all seen it, right? He just keeps doing this, over and over again!"A sharp laugh burst from her lips. She spread her arms wide as if inviting the whole room to share in the absurdity."His ship. His company. Mr. Parker, and you all his so-called friends!"For a heartbeat, silence stretched across the room. Then the laughter erupted as if on cue.Madeline basked in it, her eyes gleaming as she met Ethan’s calm stare."Ethan, don’t you feel ridicu
The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 20
Robert barely had time to process what was happening before someone chimed in with an eager, sycophantic tone."Mr. Davenport, when did you call in The Shadow? We had no idea!"The man who spoke was trying to curry favor.It was obvious!If anyone on this ship had the influence to summon The Shadow, it had to be Robert Davenport.After all, not everyone can hold a wedding here.A hush fell over the crowd as heads turned toward him, waiting for confirmation.“Huh?”Robert snapped out of his daze, his mind scrambling. Then, with a nervous chuckle, he straightened his tie.“Oh, yeah. Of course. Just now.”He had no idea what was going on. But he sure as hell couldn’t admit that.A few minutes ago, he hadn’t even known what The Shadow was. Now they were here, and everyone thought he had called them?On this ship, The Shadow represented Lewis Parker, right?So…didn’t that mean Mr. Parker was paying close attention to his wedding?That had to be it!Why else would Parker’s elite security fo
The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 21
Lewis Parker’s words slammed into the banquet hall like a cannon blast.The air turned ice-cold. Every breath hitched. Every movement froze.Shock.Disbelief.Fear.A hundred pairs of eyes locked onto Ethan, drilling into him, desperate to make sense of what they’d just heard.The business elites who had been strutting around like peacocks a moment ago, now looked like they’d been struck by lightning.Stiff, stunned, completely out of their depth.Robert’s face went ghostly pale, drained of every drop of blood.His lips parted, but no words came out. Just air and sheer panic.Madeline? She looked like someone had yanked the soul right out of her body.Her mother, Edith, gripped the back of a chair like it was the only thing keeping her upright.Her knuckles were bone-white, her breathing shallow.Any second now, she might hit the floor.The entire hall fell into a suffocating silence. Well, you could probably hear hearts pounding.Lewis took a step forward, his deep, steady voice slic
The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 22
Lewis barely finished his command when the wind snatched his last syllable away. The Shadow members moved like trained hounds, swift and precise. They grabbed Madeline and her family, dragging them away without hesitation.Madeline didn’t resist. She stood there like a hollowed-out statue, her face drained of all color. Hope had been ripped from her so completely, it left nothing behind.Ethan tilted his head slightly, catching a glimpse of the crew lowering a lifeboat into the churning sea. The small vessel rocked against the waves. His lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.Lewis had understood his signal perfectly. The timing, the execution. Flawless. If Shade had been in charge, the outcome would have been far more brutal. Robert and Madeline wouldn’t have gotten a lifeboat. They’d have been tossed overboard, swallowed by the depths in an instant.The lifeboat drifted farther and farther. Soon, even the rhythmic splash of the oars faded into nothing. Madeline
The Ultimate Hidden Tycoon Chapter 23
The moment Lewis Parker and Ethan stepped into the cabin, something shifted. The air around Lewis changed. The stern but relaxed demeanor he had carried moments ago vanished, replaced by an almost reverent obedience.His back hunched slightly. His head dipped. He didn’t dare look up.“I’m sorry, Mr. Ethan.” Lewis’s voice trembled just enough to be noticeable.Ethan paused. “Sorry for what?”“For exposing your identity.”Lewis kept his gaze lowered. He knew better than anyone that Ethan despised public attention. If Ethan wanted to be seen, he would choose when and where. That was why he had canceled the grand welcoming party planned for him aboard this very ship.But Robert and Madeline? They had no idea who they were dealing with. They had insulted Ethan in front of everyone, thinking he was a nobody.Ethan, of course, couldn’t be bothered to stoop to their level. But Lewis could.Ethan let out a small sigh and shook his head. “So that’s what this is about.” A faint smile tug
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Chapter 57
For a second, something shifted. Alateriel’s voice—usually like untouched snow—cracked with the barest hint of emotion. Bitterness. Like a glacier starting to split.Ethan didn’t respond. The only sound in the room was the faint graze of his thumb tracing the edge of the phone, over and over.“I’ve looked for you, Ethan… for seven years,” she whispered, her voice softening—melting like the first drip of spring snow.He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that so?”“Ethan… I’ll be in Atlantis tomorrow. Can we meet? Just once?”Her voice was barely a whisper, a feather falling through silence.Ethan’s response cut like glass.“Miss Alateriel, you’re the crown jewel of the Dunphy dynasty now. Me? I’m just the washed-up heir of a forgotten family. I’d hate to taint your vision with my presence.”His words carried a cruel edge—sarcasm, self-loathing, and something darker buried underneath.He didn’t want to revisit the past. Not anymore.“Ethan, did you hear about—”“No need.”He cut her off, tone laced
Chapter 56
The dim room was still—until Katherine's text tone pierced through the silence.Ethan glanced down at the screen. The glow lit up his face, and as he swiped to unlock, his brows instinctively furrowed.“Ethan, did you hear? Alateriel is coming to Atlantis City!”Alateriel?Ethan’s thumb froze mid-air. A dull throb pulsed at his temples.What the hell is going on today? Why is everyone suddenly bringing up that name?He rubbed the bridge of his nose, then typed back:“I heard. You seem really excited about her?”The reply came almost instantly:“Of course! Alateriel Dunphy is basically the capital’s goddess! I’m heading to the airport to see her in person!”“So much has happened lately… I need something fun to look forward to.”Ethan stared at that exclamation mark—somehow, he could see Katherine smiling through the screen.He hesitated, then hit Call.“Ethan?”Her soft voice drifted through, along with the faint rustle of magazine pages in the background.“You’re really that eager to
Chapter 55
“Vulture was able to operate without fear,” Robert’s voice was low, every word dripping with weight, “because he had The Black Jack backing him.”“What? The Black Jack?!”Madeline’s eyes went wide in disbelief. She looked like she’d just seen a ghost.Everyone knew the truth—The Black Jack ruled this city.In this town, it wasn’t Vulture who was the true power player. He was just a pawn in a much bigger game. The Black Jack? That was the shadow ruler pulling the strings, the one who controlled the city’s heartbeat.The power The Black Jack wielded was untouchable.In business, politics, the military—The Black Jack had influence everywhere.If you crossed him? It was worse than death itself.“Robert, you can’t be telling me that The Black Jack is involved in this too, right?” Madeline swallowed hard, panic creeping into her voice.“It’s hard to say,” Robert muttered as he stood up and walked to the window, pulling the curtains shut with a snap. In the dim light, the veins on his forehea
Chapter 54
Elijah—the man who ran The Black Jack syndicate in Atlantis City—stirred his coffee slowly.The silver spoon tapping gently against the fine bone china cup with a crisp, delicate clink.Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on his manicured hands. The gleam on his nails was cold, sharp—like polished steel under a surgeon’s scalpel.Across from him, the old man known only as The Night Owl sat as calm as a still lake. His thin, wrinkled fingers methodically dropped sugar cubes into his black tea, each movement steady, almost ritualistic.“Mr. Elijah, about the shipment from Colombia—”But The Night Owl was cut off mid-sentence.A massive bodyguard—easily pushing six-foot-six—strode up, leaned down, and whispered urgently into Elijah’s ear. His breath brushed warm against Elijah’s skin.“What?”Elijah’s voice cracked through the quiet like a whip. “Vulture’s dead?”The spoon slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the saucer with a metallic clang. Black coffee
Chapter 53
“What did you just say?”Noah’s smile froze. For a second, he thought he must’ve misheard.“I said, I have zero interest in a company that's about to go bankrupt,” Ethan repeated calmly.“Bankrupt?”The word hung in the air like a thunderclap. Everyone froze, struggling to process what they just heard.“You’re full of it!”Noah jolted upright, his voice rising in panic. “Hudson Pharmaceuticals is raking in money! We’re thriving! Why the hell would we go bankrupt? Quit fear-mongering!”Ethan leaned back, voice cool and steady. “Whether I’m fear-mongering or not, you know better than anyone. I just got word—Hudson Pharmaceuticals has been completely shut down for selling counterfeit meds. It’s only a matter of time before the bankruptcy paperwork hits.”“Fake meds? Shut down?”Everyone turned, stunned, their eyes locking onto Noah.“Bullshit! That’s complete bullshit!” Noah snapped. “Ethan, you better shut your damn mouth. Hudson runs a clean business! We play by the rules! One more word
Chapter 52
And Lewis Parker, of all people, in that photo?Yeah right. Had to be fake.Sarah let out a cold laugh. “You? Know Lewis freaking Parker? Come on. A guy like you probably can’t even spell sommelier.”She crossed her arms, chin raised in disdain. “Let’s be real—you probably stole that wine.”“Exactly!” Luke jumped in, eyes lighting up like he just cracked the case. “No way you could afford something like that. You swiped it, didn’t you?”Noah’s face lit up with smug satisfaction, like a cat who’d cornered a mouse.“That makes perfect sense,” he sneered. “Of all the things to steal, you went and grabbed a $3.4 million bottle? You realize if the owner presses charges, you’re looking at ten years minimum behind bars?”In Noah’s mind, this was checkmate. No way someone like Ethan could ever own something that valuable.Ethan didn’t flinch. He just set his napkin down, the soft rustle of fabric against wood loud in the sudden tension.First, they said his wine was cheap.Then they claimed it
Chapter 51
“Bullshit!”Luke slammed his hand on the table, rattling the silverware. “What the hell does a broke loser like you know about fine wine? Noah could’ve brought any bottle and—”“It’s a 1985 Romanée-Conti,” Ethan interrupted coolly, tapping the bottle with a knuckle. “Market price? Around eighty grand. But…”His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.“It’s nowhere near the value of what I brought.”The room went dead silent for a beat—then erupted in disbelief.“Ha! Hahahaha!” Sarah doubled over with a shrill, mocking laugh. “You’re saying Noah’s wine is worth less than whatever crap you brought in that discount crate? You must’ve lost your damn mind!”Luke joined in, pounding the table in hysterics. “Kid, if you’re gonna lie, at least try to make it believable! Do you even know what a Romanée-Conti is? You brought two label-less bottles like some back-alley bargain bin junk and want to compare that to Noah’s?”Noah leaned back in his chair, swirling his glass with a smirk. “Kat, your
Chapter 50
Katherine froze, caught off guard by Ethan speaking up first.She instinctively glanced at Noah—who was already watching Ethan like a bored king eyeing a peasant, his lips curled in mocking amusement.“Introduce me?” Noah set his teacup down with exaggerated grace, voice soaked in sarcasm. “Kat, your boyfriend doesn’t even know who I am?”Katherine bit her lip, about to respond—But Sarah couldn’t hold it in any longer.“Noah is the heir to the Hudson Group! His family’s worth billions! A guy like you—unemployed and broke—you probably haven’t even heard of Hudson, have you?”Ethan smiled faintly, but his eyes cooled.Hudson Group?The same Hudson known for shady pharma deals and lawsuits? The one circling the drain financially?Of course.He gave Noah a neutral glance. The guy was fussing with his cufflinks, flashing that overpriced Patek under the chandelier like it meant something.“Oh,” Ethan said, voice flat as a blade. “Hudson Group, huh? Heard of it.”Like he was just checking a bo
Chapter 49
Ethan pulled two bottles of vintage wine from the trunk, the dark glass gleaming blood-red under the sunlight.A gift, of sorts.Lewis Parker had all but shoved them into his hands a few days ago—1982 Lafite, six figures a bottle. Might as well make good use of them.He gave the bottles a quick toss in his hand, then followed Katherine up the path to the front door of the Blair family estate.In front of the villa, Katherine’s fingers were clamped tight around the strap of her handbag. She glanced sideways at him, eyes full of quiet tension.“Ethan… just a heads-up. My family might not be exactly... welcoming.”Ethan gave a half-smile, completely unbothered. He reached out and gently patted her shoulder.The simple touch eased some of the tension from her posture.She took a breath and punched in the door code.Beep.The gate clicked open.“Kat! Finally, you show up!”A sharp, high-pitched voice exploded before they’d even stepped inside.A middle-aged woman stormed toward them, floral
