The night air was thick with tension, the city's neon lights casting a dim glow over Ethan Lu's penthouse. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the skyline with a contemplative gaze. The weight of the past few days sat heavily on his shoulders.
Victor Chen was cornered, and desperate men were always the most dangerous.
Behind him, Eileen was seated at his desk, rapidly typing on her laptop. The encrypted files Marcus had provided were slowly unraveling, revealing layers of corruption, deceit, and betrayal.
"We have him," she finally said, leaning back. "Victor has been funneling money through a chain of offshore accounts, using fake investments to clean his dirty cash."
Ethan turned, his sharp eyes locking onto the screen. "How much?"
Eileen smirked. "Over two hundred million."
A low whistle escaped Ethan's lips. "That's enough to bury him."
She nodded, but there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. "Ethan, if we do this… he won't go down quietly. He'll fight."
Ethan smirked, taking a slow sip of his whiskey. "Then let him."
The Trap is Set
The next morning, Ethan's team worked with surgical precision. The financial data had been carefully packaged and sent to the authorities under an anonymous tip. At the same time, Ethan's people in the business world started spreading whispers—rumors of Victor's involvement in illicit dealings.
By noon, Victor's investors were panicking. Stocks in his companies took a hit, and board members were making emergency calls.
Victor sat in his office, his grip tight on his phone as he barked orders to his people.
"Find out who's behind this," he growled. "I want names. I want leverage. And I want them now."
His assistant hesitated. "Sir, there's something else."
Victor's glare was murderous. "What?"
The assistant swallowed hard. "Eileen Zhao. She was seen meeting with Ethan Lu."
The silence in the room was deafening.
Victor leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he smiled.
"So that's how it is."
A Dangerous Confrontation
That night, Eileen stepped out of her car, the underground parking lot eerily quiet. She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, her instincts on high alert. Something felt off.
A shadow moved in the distance.
Before she could react, a hand clamped around her wrist, pulling her forcefully into the shadows. She twisted, her training kicking in, but her attacker was strong.
"Not so fast," a low voice murmured.
Her breath hitched. She knew that voice.
Victor Chen.
Eileen's pulse raced, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Victor," she said coolly. "This is a surprise."
His grip tightened. "Betraying me? That's the surprise, Eileen."
She met his gaze without fear. "You did that to yourself."
Victor chuckled darkly. "Is that what Ethan told you? That he's the good guy in all this?" He leaned in, his voice a whisper. "You really think you can trust him?"
Eileen's jaw tightened. "I trust myself."
Victor smirked. "That's a shame. Because you just made yourself a very dangerous enemy."
Before she could respond, headlights flooded the parking lot. A sleek black car screeched to a stop, and the door flew open.
Ethan.
His expression was like carved stone, his body radiating lethal intent.
"Let her go," he said, his voice calm but deadly.
Victor smirked but released his grip. "Relax, Lu. We were just catching up."
Ethan's eyes never left Victor. "Next time you put your hands on her, you won't be walking away."
Victor chuckled. "We'll see about that."
Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the shadows.
Eileen exhaled, her heartbeat steadying.
Ethan stepped closer, his eyes scanning her for injuries. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I had it under control."
He smirked. "Of course you did."
But his eyes told a different story.