The Lin villa felt hollow. The near-disaster at the club had stripped away the family's bravado, replacing it with a crushing weight of defeat. Inside, the air was stale, the curtains drawn tight as if to hide their shame from the neighbors.
Wesley Lin sat in his armchair, the clinking of ice against his glass the only rhythm in the house. Nearby, Elaine lay on the sofa with a damp cloth over her eyes, paralyzed by the fear of looming bankruptcy.
No one spoke to Ethan. To them, he was just a part of the house, like a rug—present, but ignored.
Ethan moved quietly in the kitchen. He opened a small, airtight tin of Jasmine Dragon Pearls he had kept hidden. He brewed the leaves with precise care, the floral scent filling the room. He carried the cup upstairs and knocked softly on Rachel's study door.
He found her buried under a mountain of bank statements. Her hair was messy, and the exhaustion in her eyes was painful to see.
"Rachel," he said softly, setting the tea on her desk. "You need to breathe. Drink this. It will help you focus."
Rachel didn't look up. Her hands were trembling as she held a red-inked balance sheet. "Focus on what, Ethan? Focus on how I almost let a common criminal steal our company? My father has given up, my brother is hiding, and I'm sitting here realizing I was never as smart as I thought I was."
Ethan stepped closer, his voice steady. "You were targeted by professionals, Rachel. It wasn't your fault. Do you... do you trust me to help you through this?"
Rachel finally looked at him. The look in her eyes wasn't love or even anger—it was a cold, sharp disdain. She let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Trust you?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"For three years, I've worked myself to the bone while you've done nothing but wash dishes and drive me to meetings. You've had a front-row seat to my struggle, and you've stayed a spectator. Don't talk to me about trust, Ethan. Trust requires a partner who can actually do something. Right now, you're just a reminder of everything I've failed to change."
She turned back to her papers, dismissing him entirely.
Ethan felt a sharp, hollow ache in his chest. He had spent three years protecting her from the shadows, hoping that a foundation of genuine feeling was being built. But in her eyes, he was still just "trash" her family had forced upon her.
Ethan walked out of the room, leaving the tea to grow cold. He didn't stay in the house. He walked out into the cool night air, heading toward the edge of the property where the shadows were deepest.
He pulled out a secure, encrypted phone. His voice was no longer the soft, patient tone of a husband.
"Butler Han."
"I am here, Young Master," the old man replied instantly.
"The time for a slow game is over. My cousin has pushed too far, and the Lins are breaking. I want the Shadow Guard Elites moved into Riverview tonight. Tell them to move in small teams to avoid local police attention."
"Young Master? Moving the Elites is a declaration of war against the main branch."
"Then let it be a war," Ethan said, his eyes turning as hard as flint. "I want Lu Chen to coordinate with them. We are building a perimeter. I want a complete lockdown on anyone entering the city from the Capital. If Marcus wants to find me, I'll make sure he finds a nightmare instead."
Across the city, Diana Song was listening to a recorded briefing.
"The Vipers just sent their hourly report to Marcus," Nina said, standing by the desk.
"They told him the Lin family is broken and the 'target' is still acting as a domestic servant. But since we are paying the Vipers a 'loyalty bonus,' they sent us the audio of the argument between Ethan and his wife."
Diana leaned back, swirling her wine. She didn't need high-tech cameras; she just needed to buy the men Marcus thought he owned.
"So, she rejected him again," Diana murmured. It wasn't a guess; it was confirmed by the mercenaries' microphones. "She's pushing away the only man who can save her. She's too blind to see the God standing in her room."
Diana looked at the guest list for the Phoenix Auction. "If she won't be his Queen," Diana whispered, "then I will give him a reason to leave that house forever.
"What of the plan I asked you to make arrangements for?" Diana asked again.
"The plan is working, Ms. Song," Nina reported. "Marcus Lu just confirmed his private jet is landing tomorrow. He thinks he's coming to buy the Operating License for the warehouse district."
"And the bait?" Diana asked.
"He swallowed it whole. We leaked the information through the Vipers that the mysterious benefactor of the Lin family will be at the auction to finalize the deal. Marcus believes he can trap them there and seize the Crimson Dragon assets for himself."
Diana leaned back, a cold smile on her lips.
"He thinks he's coming to an auction. He doesn't realize he's coming to his own funeral. He's so focused on the money that he's walking straight into Ethan's territory."
"Ethan, I'm going to snatch you for myself sooner or later..." Diana mummered.