Chapter 128 Eight Hours to Decide
Author's POV:
Olivia frantically grabbed her phone from where it had fallen, seeing "Ethan" flash across the screen. Tears instantly spilled down her cheeks.
"Ethan." Her voice broke as she answered. "Are you okay? Will you be coming home tonight?"
Ethan's voice was calm, clearly trying to soothe her. "Don't cry, Liv. I'm fine. I have a meeting tonight, so don't wait up for me. Get some sleep."
"No, I won't sleep until you come back." Her chest tightened at the thought of trying to sleep while he was dealing with whatever trouble Alexander had hinted at.
Ethan's tone softened further. "Be good. Go to sleep, and by the time you wake up, I'll be back."
She sniffled, trying to control her voice. "Ethan, if we could go back to a year ago and choose again... would you still want me with you?"
Before he could answer, she quickly added, "Thank you, Ethan."
Thank you for giving me this dream. Thank you for protecting me despite all the pressure you've faced from every direction.
Even though he had hurt her many times, most of his damage had been limited to the bedroom, with only occasional verbal wounds.
She heard the distinctive sound of a lighter's wheel striking, followed by the soft inhale as he lit a cigarette.
"Go handle your business. Don't worry about me," she continued. "I'll take care of myself and wait for you at home."
She didn't ask what had happened. She couldn't help him anyway.
She wished she could do something for him. After all, she was his girlfriend now. Yet when he faced trouble, she couldn't help him or even be physically present to offer comfort.
The helplessness hurt. This powerlessness wasn't something she could change, and that made it unbearable.
After the call ended, she turned to stare out the window.
The sunset blazed red on the horizon, burning half the sky crimson.
The fiery view seemed to inflame her eyes too, making them sting as tears flowed freely.
She desperately wanted to tell Ethan they should give up—that they weren't right for each other. He needed someone who could truly help him through difficulties, not an ordinary college student with no connections or background.
But she couldn't say any of this. Not when he was already dealing with so much.
Walter glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "You needn't worry, Miss Reed. Mr. Bennett isn't an ordinary man. He won't face any serious trouble."
She wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Yes, I know he'll be fine. I believe in him."
---
At midnight, Ethan emerged from a federal building downtown.
The autumn night in Los Angeles had grown chilly.
Yet Ethan wore only a thin summer-weight white shirt, its tails loosely tucked into his waistband. When the wind blew, the fabric clung to his torso, outlining the defined muscles of his abdomen.
In the dim night, he stood against the light, facing the wind, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his suit jacket. His expression remained severe as he descended the stone steps.
Justin waited by the car. Seeing Ethan approach, he immediately stepped forward, his expression solemn. "Those bastards didn't give you a hard time, did they?"
Ethan's lips curved in a cold smile. "How could they? How would they dare?"
Ethan slid into the back seat with a cigarette between his lips.
Justin took the driver's seat and asked, "Where to?"
Ethan exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke, his voice low and icy. "Back to the office."
Justin fell silent and drove smoothly.
After smoking half his cigarette, Ethan extinguished it and asked coldly, "How's the evidence gathering against Noah coming along?"
"Almost complete. Just missing some crucial final pieces," Justin replied.
He glanced at Ethan's expression in the rearview mirror.
Seeing Ethan narrow his eyes, Justin quickly added, "I gave him a three-day deadline."
"Make it two," Ethan said. "Two days maximum to produce all evidence of Victor's criminal connections. And arrange a meeting with Vincent."
Justin agreed promptly. "Got it." Then, changing the subject slightly, he asked, "What about the person protecting Victor? Are we still investigating?"
Ethan coldly uttered a single word: "Yes."
Justin tried to reason with him. "Maybe we should let this one go. This setup was clearly a warning. If we back off, they probably will too. But if we keep digging, we'll open a can of worms. We might make even more enemies, and then we'd really be fucked."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "If you're scared, you can resign immediately."
Justin's smile faded. "The FDA investigation involved multiple agencies, including the pharmaceutical regulatory department headed by Victoria's uncle, if I'm not mistaken."
Ethan responded with a disinterested "Mm."
Justin continued, "And the Energy Commission Director is Victoria's father, Thomas Pearson. That old fox took office in February, and since then, every project we'd previously had approved has been rejected."
"No rush," Ethan replied.
"Our medical projects have been suspended, and our energy initiatives blocked. And since our energy work is tied to defense research, our entire military-industrial pipeline has been disrupted," Justin pressed. "At this rate, our losses will be massive."
Ethan answered flatly, "In business, profit comes with loss."
Justin hesitated briefly before continuing: "What I'm trying to say is, if you married Miss Pearson, none of these problems would exist anymore."
Ethan gave a cold laugh. "Are you suggesting I sell myself for money?"
"No, that's not what I meant," Justin backpedaled quickly.
He hastened to explain: "I just meant that you have an easy path available. You could rise effortlessly to the top, so why choose the road filled with thorns? Isn't that just making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself?"
"If Thomas Pearson is truly blocking my projects because I won't marry his daughter, then I want nothing to do with that family," Ethan stated firmly.
"Fine, you're the boss. Whatever you say," Justin conceded.
"Shut up and drive," Ethan ordered.
Justin stopped talking and increased his speed.
Ethan took out his phone and called the legal department. "Gather the legal team. Meeting in thirty minutes."
The legal department director at Bennett Enterprises was also Los Angeles's most prominent attorney.
Next, he called Harry: "Come back immediately. Put Catalina Island on hold."
Just as Ethan ended the call with Harry, his mother called.
The phone rang several times before Ethan answered.
Ashley's voice had lost its usual gentleness, now commanding and forceful. "End things with that college girl immediately. Tomorrow morning, take gifts to the Pearson home."
Ethan laughed coldly. "And if I don't?"
"If you don't," Ashley countered, "resign as CEO and leave the company. Ethan, you're nearly thirty, not some rebellious teenager. Think about the consequences before you act. Choose—that girl or your career. Think carefully. I need your answer by nine tomorrow morning, or I'll call a shareholders' meeting."
She paused before adding with severity, "It's now one in the morning. You have eight hours to decide. Let me know when you've made up your mind."