The room fell silent as the heavy knock echoed again. Elaine, still holding a piece of expensive steak on her fork, looked at the door with wide eyes.
"The Land Bureau? At this hour?" Wesley stood up, smoothing his shirt. "Maybe they are here to congratulate us on the new partnership!"
Zhao Feng didn't say a word. His hands were shaking under the table. He reached for his wine glass, but his fingers were so unsteady that the glass rattled against his teeth.
Wesley opened the door. Three men in dark suits and official badges stepped inside. They didn't smile. They carried leather briefcases and tablet computers.
"I am Inspector Ma from the City Land Bureau," the lead man said. "We received an urgent report of a potential fraudulent claim regarding the 'Crimson Dragon' warehouse transfer. We are here to verify the identity of the person who claims to be the benefactor."
Elaine pushed Zhao Feng forward. "Oh, you're looking for Young Master Zhao! He's right here. He's the one who saved our company!"
Inspector Ma looked at Zhao Feng. He didn't look impressed. "Mr. Zhao Feng? You are the owner of Crimson Dragon Investments?"
Zhao Feng cleared his throat. He looked at Rachel, who was watching him with a strange expression. He couldn't back down now. If he admitted he lied, he would be a joke forever.
"I... I am the local representative," Zhao Feng stammered. "The company is private. My family handles the funds."
"Is that so?" Inspector Ma opened his tablet. "That's interesting. Because the Crimson Dragon deed was signed using a Biometric Digital Key. Only the true owner can unlock the final transfer. If you are the owner, please provide your thumbprint on this scanner to confirm the tax clearance."
Zhao Feng looked at the small, glowing device the inspector held out. His heart was thumping so hard he could hear it in his ears.
"I... I don't have the authorization code with me tonight," Zhao Feng said, his voice cracking. "My assistant has it. I'll bring it to your office tomorrow."
"Mr. Zhao," the Inspector's voice became cold. "This is an official audit. If you cannot verify the signature, we have to freeze the warehouse deed immediately for investigation. Also, we noticed your personal bank accounts were flagged for debt collection this morning. How does a man with a frozen credit card buy a two-hundred-million-dollar property?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Oliver's jaw dropped. Elaine's face went from pale to a deep, angry red. She turned to Zhao Feng. "Wait... debt collection? Young Master Zhao, what is he talking about?"
"It's a mistake!" Zhao Feng yelled, his face turning purple. "The banks are just slow! Rachel, you believe me, right?"
Rachel didn't answer. She looked at the door, where Ethan was standing in the shadows of the porch, watching the whole thing. He wasn't laughing. He just looked... tired.
"Get out," Rachel said quietly.
"Rachel, honey—"
"I said get out!" Rachel stood up, her voice trembling with anger. "You lied to us. You tried to take credit for someone else's help just to trick me into a marriage. You are pathetic, Zhao Feng."
Inspector Ma stepped in. "Mr. Zhao, you need to come with us to the station to explain why you made a false claim on a government-stamped deed. This is a serious crime."
The guards took Zhao Feng by the arms. The "hero" who had walked in like a king was dragged out like a common thief, shouting and begging the whole way.
The Lin family stood in their ruined dining room. The expensive food was cold. The "miracle" felt like a curse.
"If it wasn't Zhao Feng..." Wesley whispered, looking at the deed on the table. "Then who? Who would give us this much money and stay hidden?"
Elaine looked at Ethan. For a split second, she thought of the "tea" comment from the gala. She thought of how Ethan wasn't surprised by the inspectors.
"Ethan!" she screamed. "Did you do this? Did you call those inspectors to ruin our dinner because you were jealous?"
Ethan walked into the room. He picked up the bottle of wine and poured himself a glass—the first time he had ever done so without asking.
"I didn't ruin the dinner, Mother-in-law," Ethan said, taking a slow sip. "The lie ruined the dinner. I just made sure the truth arrived on time."
"You... you useless trash!" Oliver lunged at him. "You just wanted to humiliate us!"
"Enough!" Rachel shouted. She looked at Ethan, her eyes wet with tears. "Ethan... do you know who sent that warehouse? Do you really know the people at Crimson Dragon?"
Ethan looked at his wife. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to tell her he was the King of the Lu family. But he saw the greed in Oliver's eyes and the madness in Elaine's. If he told them now, they would ruin his plans before he could deal with his enemies in the Capital.
"I don't know the owner," Ethan lied, his voice soft. "But I worked for a man in the Capital who knew the Crimson Dragon group. I just asked him to check the records. I didn't want you to be tricked by a fraud like Zhao."
Rachel sighed, her shoulders dropping. It made sense. Ethan had worked odd jobs for five years; he must have met some powerful people's assistants.
"Go to bed, Ethan," Rachel said, turning away. "We have a lot to figure out tomorrow."
As Ethan walked to his small room, his phone buzzed. A message from Butler Han:
The Zhao family is finished. But be careful, young master. The Lu family in the Capital just sent a 'Scout' to Riverview. They know someone used the Crimson Dragon name. They are looking for you.
Ethan deleted the message. The real war was finally coming to his doorstep.