Chapter 98 The Chaos of Rescue

Chapter 98 The Chaos of Rescue
As Ethan stepped forward, Rudolf hurriedly ducked his head and pulled the brim of his hat lower a futile attempt to hide his identity as he roughly released his grip on Emily.

"M-Mr. Ethan ... you ... how is it possible you're here?" Helena’s voice shook violently, shattered by a panic she could no longer conceal.

Rudolf wasn’t the only one in shock. Helena, who just minutes ago had stood as haughty as a queen on a rotten throne, turned deathly pale. Ethan’s presence was an anomaly, a lethal variable that was never supposed to be part of their plan tonight.

Ethan ignored Helena’s greeting. His sharp eyes swept over the dim, luxuriously scented interior before finally locking back onto Helena with a gaze as cold as ice.

"So, this rat’s nest belongs to you?" Ethan asked lowly, his voice echoing with a heavy threat. "I’ve been looking for the bastard who runs this place for a long time. I never imagined it was you."

"No! I ... I’m only here as a guest," Helena countered quickly, her palms slick with cold sweat. With stiff, jerky movements, she glanced toward Othega, who was still frozen in the doorway, trying to signal him to keep his mouth shut. "I have business with Mr. Othega. That’s all, really."

Othega, realizing the situation had turned into a kill zone, could only nod stiffly. In the underworld, Ethan’s name wasn’t just a symbol of wealth he was an untouchable apex predator.

"So, the man who once thrashed my younger brother’s fiancé was Mr. Ethan," Othega thought in disbelief. He felt as if he were standing before the Grim Reaper himself.

Ethan began to walk slowly across the debris of the shattered door. Every thud of his shoes on the floor sounded like a death knell to Helena. He kept walking until he stood right in front of a visibly nervous Emily.

"Business?" Ethan repeated Helena's words with a razor thin edge of mockery. "What business are you talking about? Isn't your family's company on the verge of bankruptcy, Madam Helena? Are you changing careers to become a madam and investing in human trafficking now?"

"Mr. Ethan, please let me explain." Helena tried to step closer, but a low growl from Ethan’s throat instantly pinned her in place.

"Shut up," Ethan cut her off sharply. "One more word from your filthy mouth, and I’ll make sure your entire family’s assets are ashes before sunrise tomorrow."

Ethan now shifted his focus entirely to the man behind Emily. The man in the hat was still looking down, trying to blend into the shadows. However, his posture and aura triggered a familiar memory in Ethan’s mind.

"You," Ethan called out, his voice laced with deep suspicion.

CLICK.

Suddenly, every light in the room went pitch black. Total darkness swallowed them instantly. In a split second, Ethan grabbed Emily’s wrist, pulling her into his protection while dropping into a wary stance.

"Don't anyone dare move an inch!" Ethan threatened, his voice booming through the dark. "If I see anyone trying to run, I swear I'll level this club to the ground!"

A deathly silence hung over the blacked-out room. Only Helena's short, frantic gasps could be heard against the frantic pounding of Emily’s heart. Ethan didn’t loosen his grip on Emily’s wrist for a second.

With an authoritative tone, he barked a short command to his men. "Lights. Now!"

It only took a few seconds for the power to surge back. Brilliant light flooded the room, blinding everyone. Ethan squinted, making sure his target was still there. In front of him, Helena stood frozen with a ghostly face, and beside her, the man in the hat remained bowed and silent, as if resigning himself to fate.

Ethan stepped forward with a thin, lethal smirk. He didn’t use his hands; instead, he raised his silver pistol and used the still warm muzzle of the gun to hook the brim of the man’s hat.

With one violent jerk, the hat was flicked to the floor.

Ethan was prepared to explode in rage, but the words caught in his throat. His eyes widened, and his hardened jaw suddenly slackened in pure shock.

"You’re ... not him." Ethan’s voice trailed off. He had almost pulled the trigger, thinking it was Rudolf. But the man was just a club waiter.

"Damn it!" Emily cursed inwardly. Her eyes scanned the dim corners of the room. "Rudolf used that brief darkness to escape. That rat is slick!"

Ethan spun around with lightning speed, his aura radiating pure bloodlust. His eyes, flashing with fury, locked onto Helena, who was trying to creep toward a side door.

"WHERE IS THE MAN?!"

Ethan’s roar thundered, hitting the walls so hard that a crystal vase on a display table rattled and crashed to the floor.

Helena flinched, her shoulders slumping as she nearly lost her balance. With a face as pale as a corpse, she shook her head frantically.

"What man? I-I really don't know what you mean, Mr. Ethan," she whispered, her voice almost gone as she fought to keep up her act despite her knees turning to jelly.

Ethan didn't waste time arguing. With long, menacing strides, he turned and pressed the muzzle of his pistol directly against the forehead of the trembling man the one he now realized was just a distraction.

"I don't like repeating myself," Ethan hissed, his voice dropping low, far more terrifying than his previous shout. He pressed the weapon hard until the skin on the man's forehead turned red. "Where is that bastard hiding? Tell me, or your brains will be the new wall decor in this club before you can blink."

The man let out a strained, high pitched whimper, as if his throat were choked by sheer terror. His eyes bulged in pure horror as he felt the cold metal of Ethan's gun digging into his skull. As soon as Ethan shoved the pistol harder, the man collapsed to the floor.

"Mercy, Sir! I was only following orders! I ... I’m the man who held the gun to Miss Laurence earlier. Please, don't kill me!" he sobbed, prostrating himself at Ethan’s feet.

Beside Ethan, Emily stood frozen with a clenched jaw. Instead of feeling relieved at being saved, she clicked her tongue in frustration. She glared at Helena, who now seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief because Ethan's attention was diverted.

Emily clenched her fists, cursing the situation. If Ethan had just been more patient instead of barging in like some impulsive hero, she was sure she could've forced a confession out of Helena or trapped Rudolf right then and there.

Now, the evidence that was practically in her grasp had vanished along with Rudolf into the night. To her, Ethan’s rescue tonight wasn't just help it was an interference that had ruined a master plan she had risked her life to build.

Ethan glanced at Emily without lowering his gun. "You're safe, that's all that matters," he said flatly, his eyes still cutting through the man groveling at his feet

"Safety without evidence is a defeat, Ethan," Emily whispered bitingly.