Edward stared at Ethan with a look of surprise on his face. He did not expect Ethan to see through him so easily. Otherwise, how would he have known that he had another reason for seeking him out?
"Are you not going to answer me?" Ethan asked calmly, interrupting Edward's thoughts.
Edward jolted a bit before begging in a tone filled with desperation.
"Please, Master Ethan, you have to save my daughter.” Edward pleaded.
“I have tried everything possible. Doctors, specialists, and herbal treatments, but nothing has worked so far.” His voice faltered as he spoke, his eyes filled with hopelessness.
"Please, Master Ethan, I’m not sure how much time she has any longer!”
Ethan’s expression remained unreadable as he stood across Edward. He exhaled slowly, seemingly unperturbed by the gravity of the request.
“I’ll meet her tomorrow.” Ethan said, agreeing to Edward’s request.
“What?” Edward blinked, taken aback by Ethan’s swift agreement. After all, the rumours he had heard about the young man had painted a different picture for him.
Not only his unfathomable family background, but also his unparalleled medical skills. He had inherited his family’s mysterious abilities, capable of healing patients on the verge of death.
Now that Ethan had accepted his request, his daughter might finally be saved.
“Thank you very much, Master Ethan! I will never forget this favor!" Edward expressed his enthusiasm with a deep bow, unable to contain his gratitude.
“Save it. Besides, I want you to do something for me.” Ethan waved a hand, cutting off Edward’s show of appreciation.
“What is it?” Edward asked as he straightened. He was ready to do anything Ethan demanded.
“I want you to find someone.” Ethan answered, his voice cold.
He dipped his hand into his pockets and brought out a ring. It was an ordinary ring at first glance, with no standout features, but to Ethan, that ring was worth more than the most expensive diamonds.
“I want you to find the owner of this ring.” Ethan said and handed over the ring to Edward’s outstretched hands.
“The owner of that ring saved my life, and I heard the person is nearby. I need you to track the person.”
An expression of surprise flickered across Edward’s face. When compared to saving his daughter, finding someone seemed to be a straightforward task.
“Consider it done.” Edward said, his voice firm. With his Crestwood Group resources, he believed that he would find the person in no time.
Ethan nodded slightly at David’s response. He had transferred to the prestigious Tussauds University for two reasons. The first reason was that he needed to find his fiancee. As for the second, that would have to wait until Edward found the ring’s owner.
“Good.” Ethan uttered coldly. Just as he turned to leave, Edward called out to him.
“Master Ethan, I was thinking of throwing a party. A major one. All the students of Tussauds University will be there. Big names, popular singers, as well as DJs, would be present. This could be an ideal opportunity for you to blend in seamlessly at Tussauds University." Edward offered, eager for Ethan’s response.
“Not interested.” Ethan declined icily.
Edward opened his mouth to try and convince Ethan, but in those few seconds, Ethan was long gone.
Away from the hotel, Ethan hailed a taxi and gave the taxi driver the address.
He had a strong gut feeling that his fiancee would be the key to uncovering the truth surrounding his mother’s death. The tangled web of events surrounding his mother’s death never sat right with him, and now he was going to unravel everything.
As the taxi rolled to a stop, Ethan paid the driver and stepped out in front of an impressive villa. However, he had barely started walking when a familiar figure appeared.
It was the lady he had slept with earlier today, and the lady whose name he didn’t know.
She saw him immediately, and her pretty face instantly twisted with contempt.
“You again! How did you find me here?”
“Are you stalking me?” she asked angrily, her voice sharp.
Ethan narrowed his eyes, completely taken aback by her words.
“Stalking? What are you talking about?” Ethan asked in annoyance.
“Don’t act innocent. You must have been following me for you to end up here.” Aria scoffed, crossing her arms indignantly.
“I didn’t follow you here. I’m here for business.” Ethan replied calmly.
“As if! What business could you possibly have here? Perhaps someone you can con into paying your bills.” Aria sneered.
“If you’re following me because of money, you better forget it! You’re not going to get a penny out of me!” Aria said contemptuously.
Ethan took a deep breath, his patience thinning.
“I’ve told you, I don’t care about your money, nor am I here for you.” Ethan said in a gritted voice.
“As if! You better leave now, you stalker!” Aria let out a mocking laugh at Ethan’s reply, and without bothering to reply to him anymore, she stormed inside the villa.
Ethan paused, a flicker of confusion appearing on his face. He brought out a piece of paper from his pocket and double-checked the address written on it.
There was no mistake. He was at the right place.
After confirming that he had the right address, any trace of hesitation in his mind disappeared, and he followed her inside the villa.
Aria stormed inside the villa, her heels clacking angrily against the polished marble floor. She had enough of Ethan’s ridiculous lies and smug attitude. However, just as she turned to close the door, her eyes widened when she saw Ethan casually walking inside the villa just behind her.“Are you insane?! What do you think you are doing right now?!” Aria snapped, her voice laden with irritation and anger.“Are you going to keep up your stalker activities here?!” Aria asked angrily, glaring at Ethan fiercely.Ethan stopped walking and stared at Aria with annoyed expression on his face. He always prided himself on being calm, but with the constant barrage of accusations from Aria, even he could not help but lose his patience.“I’ve told you already, I’m not a stalker, and I’m here to meet someone.” Ethan replied angrily.“Oh? And who exactly are you here to meet?” Aria instantly crossed her arms, glaring at him.“My fiancée, Aria Whitman.” Ethan replied firmly.The words hit Aria like a
"Aria will marry Gregory Holden," Margaret declared in a firm voice.The tension in the room became extremely suffocating, and Henry Whitman stood tall, his arms crossed as he stared down at his wife, Margaret, who had just made an outrageous declaration. Her statement that Aria would marry Gregory Holden had shocked everyone in the room, and Henry’s expression instantly turned to one of pure disgust.“Gregory Holden? That hypocrite’s son? You must be out of your mind.” Henry sneered, his voice filled with disdain.Margaret remained unflinching at her husband’s harsh words, her posture stiff and resolute.“Greg is a fine young man, and he works for the powerful Crestwood family. It is surely a connection that will be invaluable to us one day.”Henry shook his head, his patience wearing thin.“The Crestwood family may be powerful, but Greg himself is nothing. His father is a mere lackey who can’t even manage his own affairs, and you want our Aria to be engaged to such a person?”“He’s
Before Ethan could get another word in, Aria walked off and approached a sleek, black Porsche. The car's door opened, and a beautiful girl stepped out. Her designer outfit clung tightly to her slim figure, and every inch of her oozed wealth and privilege. “This is my best friend, Natalie.” Aria said.Ethan extended a polite hand, "Nice to meet you."Natalie didn’t even look at his outstretched hand. Her eyes flicked up and down, taking in his simple clothes with a disgusted sneer.“So, this is the guy?” she asked, her voice dripping with contempt. Ethan withdrew his outstretched hands, but he didn’t comment on it. After all, he had no interest in playing their petty games.“We’re heading to Gregory Holden' party. You should come,” Aria said."Why not?" Ethan shrunk his shoulders.“Come on, it’ll be fun. Besides, Greg is dying to meet you.” Natalie said in a nice tone. But actually she had told Greg earlier. Greg was going to let Ethan know the result of stealing his girl.Everyone
Ethan stepped outside the club vicinity and pulled out his phone after he was in a silent area. He dialled the customer service number embossed on the back of his black unlimited card, and on the very first ring, the phone call connected, and a friendly but professional voice answered immediately. “Welcome to Zenith. How can I assist you?” the voice asked professionally. “I need my membership registered for tonight’s event at a club called Oasis,” Ethan said, his tone firm but calm. The process took less than a minute. With a level of efficiency only the most elite memberships could offer, the operator confirmed his registration. Ethan pocketed the card, knowing full well that the only reason he could easily become an exclusive member at Oasis was because of the card. It had been mentioned by Edward Crestwood that only a handful of individuals worldwide had the privilege of becoming members with this card. It was a mark of wealth, power, and connections that most people could only
"Are you crazy? How dare you set your sights on that car?" Aria interrupted. "Exactly, is that car even something a person like you deserves to drive?" Natalie chimed in. "If you have the ability to win, then it's yours," Greg said with a smile.The limited edition Lamborghini was regarded as a family heirloom in the Holden family. However, Greg was so confident of his victory in this fight that he bet it without any hesitation. “Big mistake, man.” Ethan sneered.Greg stood in the center of the arena, a smug grin plastered across his face. He glanced over at Ethan and asked in a mocking tone.“Is this your first time fighting?”“Yes.” Ethan replied curtly.Greg’s grin widened as he cracked his knuckles, stepping into the center of the ring. There was no way that Ethan, a complete rookie fighter, was going to emerge victorious over him.“This is his first time fighting? He must have a death wish!” one of the people in audience muttered.“A death wish is too mild! By the time Greg i
As Ethan stepped out of the combat room, the crowd that had gathered in the underground fight club was buzzing with shock and disbelief. "He's cheating!" someone shouted from the back, followed by murmurs of agreement."Of course he won, look at that suit! No wonder he managed to pull off those moves. He didn’t beat Greg fairly!" another voice joined in.Ethan ignored the accusations, his expression impassive, but Victoria, standing beside him, stepped forward and glared at the crowd.“Mr. Ethan did not choose the excellent equipment I provided. His skills are what decided the fight.”The crowd erupted in laughter at her words.“Yeah, right. Do you expect us to believe some random guy just walked in and beat the Gregory Holden?” One of the onlookers sneered.Aria, who had been watching from the front row suddenly stood and sauntered over with a smirk on her face.“Greg will have his revenge soon enough,” she said in a mocking tone.“This win means nothing. You cheated, Ethan. Everyon
“What a joke!” Aria sneered after hearing Ethan’s words. There was no way that his words would be true. She thought Ethan was bluffing. After all, why would someone like him be an important guest at a dinner hosted by the powerful Crestwood family?Just looking at his poor outfit alone, he didn’t even fit in among the city’s elite. How then would he be the important guest to the powerful Crestwood family?It was obvious that he was blatantly lying to their faces. He was a boastful fraud after all.It appeared that it wasn’t just Aria who thought the same way, as the crowd joined in and started to insult Ethan.“Do you really expect us to believe that?” one of the audience uttered, and the rest of the crowd murmured in agreement, with several of them glaring at him with disdainful sneers.“You have quite the imagination.” Greg, ever eager to humiliate him, remarked with a mocking smirk.“It’s not too late to back out of this lie you’ve told before you embarrass yourself even more.” Gre
Just as Ethan was about to respond to her unexpected offer, his phone rang loudly in his hand. He brought it out glanced at the screen briefly, furrowing his brows slightly. Several of the nearby guests craned their necks, catching a glimpse of the name, and within seconds, the ridiculing began.“Seriously?Is this guy serious?” Greg scoffed haughtily.“Is that supposed to be a joke? Edward Crestwood? In your wildest dreams!” Another person in the crowd sniggered.The crowd erupted instantly with mocking laughter. They clearly believed that Ethan, being the boastful fraud that he was, had resorted to cheap tricks like creating fake names on his phone to impress people. The idea that the head of the Crestwood family, one of the most powerful men in the city, would call someone as unremarkable as Ethan was too far-fetched for them to entertain.Aria and her friend, Natalie, crossed their arms and stared at Ethan with an amused expression on their faces. They were eagerly waiting for Eth
“I can’t believe how self-centered you are! You’re so delusional!” Aria cursed at Ethan angrily.“What would it take for you to leave me alone? Can’t you just stay out of my way? Is that so hard for you to do?” Aria asked sharply, her eyes filled with frustration. She had gone tired of his constant boasting and fraudulent behaviour. She was fully convinced that he was delusional, and she wanted nothing to do with him.To her, Ethan was nothing more than a nuisance. He was a boastful liar, a fraud and a parasite who had wormed his way into her life without bringing any real value to her, and her current impression of him were the worst it could be.Ethan could tell what Aria was thinking, as it was as clear as day. However, he remained quiet, not telling her a single thing. He decided that there was no need for him to reveal his real identity to her. It was obvious that Aria would not even believe him anyways.Moreover, the most important thing was to him was finding out the truth behi
Ethan’s calm response hung in the air. His tone was cool and composed, and he didn’t offer any further explanations. Still, his response inflamed Mrs. Whitman.“Your own business?” Mrs. Whitman scoffed, her eyes narrowing in disbelief at his words.“And what exactly would that business be? I bet it’s something fitting for someone as worthless as you, which is scavenging for scraps?” Mrs. Whitman sneered, her voice laced with mockery and disgust as she leaned back and crossed her arms, impatiently waiting for his response. Mr. Whitman sat beside his wife, a condescending expression on his face as he glared at Ethan. He was clearly enjoying the insults that his wife fired at Ethan.Ethan maintained his composure and remained calm at their harsh jabs and insults. He was fully aware that nothing he said would be able to change their opinion of him, so there was no need for him to be bothered by their harsh comments and remarks.“The nature of my business is nothing you need to concern you
“Now, Aria, it’s very good that you managed to secure VIP invitations to Miss Crestwood's charity party, and I think it’s only fitting that Ethan is there to assist you at the event.” Henry said calmly. His tone was casual, as though what he just said was a simple suggestion.“It would be perfect for him to accompany you to the event since he’s your fiancé. After all, you two will eventually get married and have to work closely together in the future.” Henry concluded with a broad smile on his aged face.Aria, who was feeling quite proud for getting the VIP invitation tickets to Miss Vivienne’s party, felt her smile wipe away from her face, and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t believe her grandfather’s words.Aria was horrified. Ethan was nothing but a worthless poor church rat, and a lot of the elite from Tussauds University would be in attendance as well. If they ever saw someone of her status walking hand in hand with Ethan, she would never be able to live
“Thank you very much for your consideration, Mr. Whitman.” Ethan said calmly, his tone extremely polite and respectful.“It’s nothing.” Henry dismissed his words with a kind smile.Meanwhile, Aria, who had been standing outside the room and eavesdropping on their conversation, could not believe her ears. Although her grandfather had suggested something many male students at Tussauds University would not hesitate to jump at, Ethan calmly refused his request, and she was extremely delighted at that.Ethan was nothing but a poor and worthless rat. There was no way that she would think of even getting married to him, so she was extremely relieved that he rejected her grandfather.The very thought of living with Ethan had been totally unbearable, but now that possibility seemed far away. At least for now, she could breathe easier and rest easy.Aria returned to the sitting room with the bank card in her hand. She was still very annoyed at Ethan, but it was somewhat bearable now that she ov
Aria sneered disdainfully as Ethan made his way inside the manor. She seemed to believe that he was just being boastful, like the fraud he was. There was no way ten thousand dollars was not a huge amount of money for him. In fact, she was sure that he was just pretending that it wasn’t a significant sum of money to him.Inside the manor, Aria sat across from Ethan, her arms crossed with a cold expression on her face. She looked like she couldn’t stand Ethan at all. She didn’t even want to be in the same room with him. She just wanted to dismiss him quickly and let him leave her life immediately. His audacity and cunning attitude were extremely unbearable, and the sooner she could get rid of him, the better for her.“Just take the ten thousand dollars and leave my life for good. How hard is that for you?” Aria asked angrily with a frown on her face.“Ten thousand dollars? That’s a miserable amount of money to offer someone of my caliber.” Ethan replied in an amused tone.“Someone of y
After Ethan left the Whitman Estate, he immediately boarded a taxi and went to the Eastville Manor, which was the villa that Edward Crestwood gave him the keys to as a token of gratitude for him saving his daughter.The drive to his new residence was uneventful, and in less than twenty minutes, he arrived at his destination, the Eastville Manor.The Eastville Manor was located in one of the city’s most prestigious neighborhoods. It was a symbol of wealth and influence, and not just anyone could own or purchase a building here. It was a well-known fact that only the wealthiest and most influential people could manage to live in Eastville.It was the kind of place that not anyone could just buy, even if they had the money to do so. One still needed a certain amount of influence and connections before they could live there, and yet, Edward Crestwood had effortlessly gifted him the keys to such a manor.The manor itself was extremely beautiful, with ancient architecture that had a lot of
“Like I said earlier, only Greg can do such a thing for Aria! You’re just an insignificant ant. There’s no way someone like you could make such gestures for Aria!” Natalie spat in a mocking tone.Ethan remained calm, his hands resting casually in his pockets as he stared at Natalie. Despite how harsh Natalie's words were, he didn’t seem fazed at all. His calm demeanour only served to irritate Natalie more, especially since she was already convinced of his insignificance.Meanwhile, Aria was confused at Ethan’s words. She didn’t know whether to believe him or not. After all, he had always acted like a con man and a fraud.“Alright, Ethan. If you claim to know so much, why don't you tell us what was inside the package?" Greg said with a raised eyebrow, looking amused at Ethan’s attempt to steal his efforts.Natalie smirked at Greg’s question. Since the packages had been repacked before Ethan came, there was no way he would know what the contents of the packages were. She was looking for
“What do you think is in the package, Aria?” Natalie asked, her voice full of curiosity and excitement. Her eyes were sparkling as she admired the luxurious packaging.“I don’t know, but I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Aria replied, her voice filled with excitement.She took the package from Greg and began untying the intricate bow. The silk ribbons fell apart easily, and she gently lifted the lid, revealing a dark velvet box inside. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened the velvet box, only to be greeted by the sight of a stunning set of jewellery.It was an exquisite diamond necklace paired with matching earrings. The gemstones gleamed brilliantly in the light, each one expertly cut and displaying their extravagance.Aria’s eyes widened, and she held her breath as she gently lifted the necklace from the box. The delicate diamond jewellery sparkled with every movement she made, glittering beautifully under the gleaming chandeliers.Natalie, who was right beside her, could
The moment Carl and his mistress Cassandra exited the store, Edward immediately turned to face Ethan.“Master Ethan, I’m genuinely sorry for the behaviour of my staff. Please pardon them.” Edward apologised and bowed sincerely to Ethan.The sight of someone as powerful as Edward Crestwood bowing to someone unknown and seemingly ordinary like Ethan was completely stunning to Jennifer, the saleswoman. After all, Edward had just sent her powerful manager packing by firing him on the spot! It didn’t take a genius to know that Ethan’s identity and background must be insanely powerful!“Once again, I am truly sorry, Master Ethan.” Edward apologised to Ethan and then turned to Jennifer.“Package the jewellery that he picked out, and make sure to use the best packaging available.” Edward ordered.“Yes, sir.” Jennifer nodded meekly and quickly obeyed his instructions. A few minutes later, she came back with the jewellery neatly packaged in a luxurious box, just like Edward requested. The packa