At the far end of the rooftop, representatives from five of the most powerful families in Novan City—the Khans, Roscoes, Van Zants, LaRues, and Ansons—gathered.
"What do you make of him?" asked the Khan heir, his tone casual but his gaze sharp.
The Roscoe heir scoffed lightly. She was leaning calmly against the railing. "He's got the look, I'll admit that much. But strength? Doubt it. Probably all polish, no steel."
The Ansons' heir, a quiet observer until now, tilted her head thoughtfully. "Never underestimate anyone," she said, her voice calm but carrying a weight the others noticed.
They had seen it before. The heirs, whether coming from families on par with the Great Families or higher of other cities or countries, would come as mysteriously as Ethan.
These families often had their heirs take on fake identities to prove themselves before taking over. But history had its share of cautionary tales—heirs of the Great Families who made the mistake of angering the wrong people and suffered the consequences.
"What's there to fear?" said the Van Zant heir, shrugging. "We've got our own backers, don't we?"
They all fell silent. The topic of their families' backers was sensitive—hardly something to take pride in. It was an alliance they had no control over.
Their quiet conversations were filled with veiled intentions and silent power plays. Behind the scenes, these families shaped the city, controlling industries like finance, media, politics, technology, energy, and many more.
Among the powerful guests, one stood out in mystery: Lena Volkov. She wasn't hiding, but no one could uncover more than her name.
"You've done well, Ethan," she muttered under her breath.
The Volkovs were unlike the Great Families of Novan City. Their influence stretched across the globe, but no one here realized Lena was one of their three main heirs. That detail was kept secret for a reason.
The Volkovs believed their heirs should struggle to build their own influence. Without the family name to lean on, success would prove their worth. If their status were openly known, it would be too easy for them to pass the test.
Even in Novan City, the Volkovs were respected, but not enough for family heads to treat an ordinary member with special regard. For a main heir, however, the response would be very different.
To them, Lena was just another beautiful woman at the event, though none dared approach her because they were afraid of her identity as one of the Volkovs.
Besides, Lena exuded an aura difficult to describe—something sharp and untouchable, keeping people at a distance.
They could admire her beauty, but they could never get close.
Lena didn't mind. People often thought her striking looks were all there was to her, but that only worked to her advantage. She preferred to live like this.
Moments earlier, Lena's sharp gaze swept over the crowd, landing on two familiar figures—Anton Petrova and her cousin, Nikolai Volkov.
"What's he doing here?" she wondered, her jaw tightening.
Nikolai, one of the three main Volkov heirs and her competitor, was the last person she wanted to see.
Unlike the third heir, who played fair and preferred a more measured approach, Nikolai embodied the ruthless cunning the Volkovs were known for. His monstrous strength, rarely flaunted, was matched only by his ability to manipulate others.
Lena had no doubt he'd heard about her efforts to build influence in Novan City. That must be the reason why he was here.
Nikolai's strategy was as calculated as ever. He didn't dirty his hands; he made connections, forging alliances with those willing to do his bidding. And Anton Petrova was the perfect tool.
'Of course,' Lena thought grimly, watching Nikolai lean in, his lips moving like a snake whispering venom. 'He's feeding Anton everything he needs to turn the Great Families against Ethan and NovaTech... against me.'
Manipulating Anton was easy. He was a horny young master type. Earlier, Lena had seen him hovering near Jessica, his twisted smirk accompanied by a lewd, unwelcome gaze.
Anton might be treated like royalty in Novan City, but within the greater Petrova family, he was mediocre at best—a middling figure with limited power. Yet here, the Petrova name alone was enough to make others grovel at his feet.
Nikolai understood that. He knew exactly how to manipulate someone like Anton, using him to sow chaos. Lena could only guess at her cousin's deeper motives—Nikolai never revealed his hand too early. Unlike most Volkovs, he shunned overt displays of power, preferring to remain underestimated and unknown.
And... it worked.
The Great Families, especially their younger generation, tripped over themselves to win Anton's favor, hoping to secure ties to the Petrova name.
None of them cared—or even realized—that Anton was far from the top of the Petrova hierarchy. They only saw the weight his family name carried on a global stage.
Lena's lips curled into a smirk, her eyes narrowing as she watched the two men. 'Let's see how far you get, cousin. You have no idea who you're up against.'
On the other side of the rooftop, David, Jessica, and Charles Weston, the manager of Novan City Bank, stood in a tense discussion.
Ethan had just excused himself to prepare for his upcoming speech, leaving them to wrestle with the unfolding situation.
Charles' normally calm demeanor was shaken. His brow was furrowed with concern. "I can't believe this," he muttered. "You didn't brief Ethan about the Great Families?!"
David looked uncomfortable. "I wanted to… I just didn't want to overwhelm him before the event then... I forgot."
Charles shot him a sharp look. "You forgot?!"
His voice then lowered. "David, this is serious. The Great Families aren't just here for a business launch. They're here for that thing. Some of them already seen Ethan as a threat."
Jessica, usually calm and collected, looked pale. "What thing? Why does it sound so intense? I thought this was about the launch, not..."
Charles turned to her, his tone softening. "It's more than that, Jessica. The Twelve Great Families run this city. If they see Ethan as disrupting their control, they'll crush him. And we haven't prepared him for this."
David sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought they would spare no heed on us."
"Well, now they have," Charles said firmly. "And now we need to get Ethan up to speed before they move."
Ethan had just finished a conversation with a city official when Charles, David, and Jessica approached, urgency clear in their expressions.
"Ethan, we need to talk," Charles said, his voice low but insistent.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Ethan led them to a quieter corner of the rooftop, away from the prying eyes and ears of the other guests.
"What's going on, Charles?" Ethan asked, his voice calm but focused. "You seem stressed."
Charles nodded and wasted no time. "Yes, I am. It was all because of David." He glanced at David and continued, "The Twelve Great Families are here tonight, not all of them, but five of them.
"Yeah. I know about that," replied Ethan. He still managed himself well. "What's the issue with that, Charles?"
"Well, they're not just here to celebrate NovaTech. They're here to evaluate you."
Ethan frowned, his sharp mind quickly processing the weight of the statement. "Evaluate me? Why?"
David stepped forward, his expression regretful. "It's my fault, Ethan. I should've told you sooner. I've been so immersed in NovaTech's launch that I didn't prepare you for this."
Ethan's expression softened. "No blame, David. But I need to understand—what's going on?"
David sighed. "The Great Families control Novan City. Tonight, five of them are here. The Khans, Roscoes, Van Zants, LaRues, and Ansons."
David hesitated, then spoke, his voice tinged with regret. "I should've told you earlier—should've discussed inviting them. I only understood the severity of the situation when Charles laid it out for me."
Ethan stayed quiet, his patience masking the urgency simmering within. He wanted them to tell him everything and quickly.
David's expression darkened. "I'm not sure how they see NovaTech—or you—right now. But if they think you'll disrupt their power…"
"They'll try to destroy you," Charles interjected, his tone low and foreboding. "And they have the resources to do it."
"Understood," Ethan said, his voice steady, his face unreadable. Yet, a small, confident smile played at the corner of his lips. "Thanks for the heads-up."
Charles studied him. His concern was evident. "Just be careful, Ethan. These aren't ordinary businessmen. They don't like threats to their power."
Ethan nodded, his calm demeanor unshaken. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied, his tone light but resolute. "Though, I suppose this is just part of the game, isn't it?"
"No. This is not like your usual business. They—"
Just then, before David could finish his words, the host's voice echoed through the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to invite Mr. Ethan Cole, the CEO of NovaTech, for his opening remarks."
The crowd fell into a hush as the soft background music quieted, and all eyes turned toward Ethan.
Ethan turned to the three of them and said, "We'll continue later. I need to settle this first."
David wanted to tell more. The same goes for Charles, but Ethan has already walked away. He stepped forward, every movement exuding confidence, commanding the entire rooftop's attention.
As he took his place at the center, he paused briefly, taking in the sight of the gathered elites, the tech world's rising stars, and everyone in between. This wasn't just a speech—this was a statement of intent.
Ethan took a steady breath, stepping forward with the faint hum of conversations fading behind him. His voice, clear yet unassuming, carried across the rooftop. "Thank you all for being here tonight. This evening isn't just about NovaTech—it's about the future we're stepping into together."
He paused, his gaze traveling across the gathered faces, not lingering on anyone but making sure to meet a few eyes along the way. "At NovaTech, we don't believe in standing still or sticking to what's safe. Real progress—meaningful progress—happens when we dare to push boundaries and ask questions others are too afraid to ask."
The crowd remained attentive, their faces a mix of curiosity and calculation. Ethan's smile softened, "Technology, when used wisely, has the power to change lives—not just by adding convenience or following trends, but by making a real difference where it matters most. That's what we aim to do."
There was a slight shift in the room, a soft murmur that fell silent as Ethan moved forward. "This isn't just NovaTech's journey," he added. "This is about collaboration. It's about uniting ideas, talents, and visions to create something far greater than any one person or company could achieve alone. Together, we can build a future that uplifts us all."
Polite applause followed his words, though Ethan could sense the watchful eyes of the Great Families, sizing him up with every gesture. They weren't clapping out of admiration but calculating their next moves.
As Ethan stepped back from the microphone, Jessica, David, and Charles rejoined him. Charles still looked tense, glancing over at the elites who had been observing with quiet judgment.
He brought them to a corner, away from the others. They needed privacy just for a moment.
"We need to tell you more," Charles muttered, shaking his head. "These families—"
This time around, before Charles could finish, a voice cut through the crowd's murmur.
"Ah, there he is—the man of the hour."
Edited: 21 December 2024
Author's Note:
Since the next chapters will be locked, I'd love it if you could check them out here instead of looking for them elsewhere, and if you're enjoying the series and would like to see even more polished, high-quality chapters, your support would mean a lot to me.