Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Sure enough, the very next second, a woman in a light blue dress walked in on high heels, designer bag in hand. When her eyes swept over him, the smirk on her face was completely unguarded.

"Well, isn't this something," she said, stepping closer, as if she wanted to make sure everyone knew they were acquainted. "You were putting on quite a show over in the South District the other day. What's this now — came here to look important, or just hoping to hitch a ride home and impress someone?"

Ethan finally turned and looked at her.

It was Sophia.

She was one of Lena's relatives — the type who was always trying to claw her way into elite circles, and an expert at treating people based on their perceived status. Back when things were going down in the South District, she hadn't dared go anywhere near him. But now, seeing Ethan standing alone in the showroom, she'd slipped right back into her high-and-mighty routine.

When Ethan said nothing, she took his silence as confirmation and smiled even wider. "Don't tell me you actually think that because something happened in the South District last night, your whole life is about to turn around?" She lowered her voice, but her words got sharper. "I don't know what others think, but I can see it clearly. Whoever's been backing Lena behind the scenes, it's definitely not you. You're just the guy they pushed out front to take the heat. If you're actually starting to believe your own hype, that's just sad."

The security guard at the door caught that and gave Ethan another look, his contempt now plain to see.

The salespeople who had been hanging back in the distance visibly cooled off. They didn't know Ethan, but they knew exactly what Sophia's attitude meant.

If someone like Sophia — who clearly had pull in this place — was talking about him like that, then this guy probably wasn't worth their time.

Ethan stood there and let her finish. His expression didn't change.

After a moment, he asked one thing: "Are you done?"

Sophia blinked, then frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Then move." Ethan's voice stayed calm. "You're in the way."

Sophia's face shifted. She clearly hadn't expected that after everything she'd said, all she'd get back was something that casual and dismissive.

"You really think you're somebody, don't you?" she said with a cold laugh. "Do you even know who this place is dealing with today? I had to call ahead just to get in. Someone like you standing here — they won't even bother pouring you a glass of water."

Ethan looked at her steadily. "Then get someone out here who can."

The moment those words landed, the whole entrance went quiet.

Even the security guard who had been ready to push him out the door froze up without thinking.

Something shifted uneasily in Sophia's chest, though she quickly pushed it down. She was about to say something else when the sound of quick footsteps came from inside.

Then a middle-aged man in a suit came out nearly at a jog, forehead already damp with sweat, his face tight with urgency, like he'd just heard something alarming.

Once he steadied himself, he gave Ethan a slight bow and spoke in a low, hurried voice. "Sir, I'm so sorry. We completely failed to recognize you. The staff handled this terribly. Please forgive us."

The security guard at the door went rigid on the spot.

Sophia blinked, then frowned. "Eric, are you sure you have the right person?"

The man — Eric — turned to look at her. His tone was still polite, but the warmth he usually had for her was gone. "Sophia, I think there's been a misunderstanding on your end."

"A misunderstanding?" Sophia's voice sharpened. "I know exactly what kind of person he is. Are you seriously treating someone like him as a VIP now?"

Sweat was forming at Eric's temple. He wasn't afraid of Sophia making a scene. What he was afraid of was having truly offended Ethan here today.

He knew better than most what had gone down in the South District last night. While others had only caught the surface of it, he understood clearly that someone who could put those people in their place wasn't the kind of man you could point at and insult and then just send away.

And that morning, word had already come down — anyone who crossed paths with someone from Vertex Holdings Group lately had better not be stupid about it.

He'd been thinking there was no way something like that would walk through his door. Then he turned around and found it already blowing up right at his entrance.

Eric kept his nerves in check and looked at the security guard. "Who was handling this?"

The guard's jaw tightened. It took him a moment to get the words out. "Sir. That was me."

"You?"

"I was just—"

Eric didn't let him finish. His voice dropped to something cold. "Effective immediately, you're off duty. Step aside."

The guard's head went blank. He stood there, stunned. "Sir, I only—"

"I said step aside."

That landed hard. The guard went pale and took two steps back without another word. He couldn't wrap his head around it — one minute he'd been turning this man away, and now his own boss had just publicly reversed everything he'd done.

Sophia could feel that something was off now. A quiet unease was creeping in, but she still couldn't bring herself to back down. "Eric, what exactly is going on with you today? You know how much I've spent in this place."

"I do," Eric said. "So you're still welcome to look at cars today."

"But please don't involve yourself in Mr. Martinez's visit."

That silenced even the salespeople nearby. Everyone could hear what Eric was doing — he was picking a side, and he wasn't leaving himself any room to walk it back.

Ethan's expression hadn't changed throughout any of it. His eyes moved to a young female salesperson standing off to the side.

"You're Amy, right?"

The girl had been tense the whole time. Being called out like that made her snap to attention. "Yes, sir."

"You handle it."

"Me?" She stared at him, clearly not believing what she'd heard.

"Yes." Ethan glanced around the showroom floor, his voice easy and unhurried. "Find me something good for a woman to drive — something solid, high safety ratings, nothing too flashy. Then find me something with a lot of space, practical for getting around with kids."

Amy stood completely still.

So did everyone else around her.

Sophia had been trying to hold onto her smirk, but it was gone now. She'd assumed Ethan was bluffing his way through this — that even a two-hundred-thousand yuan car would have been a stretch for him. But standing there, the way he'd just said that, it was like he was ordering two bunches of vegetables at a market stall.



Eric was the first to recover. "Right this way, sir. Please come sit in the lounge. I'll have everything brought to you — all the specs and the keys."