“Ahhh!
Ahhh!
Ahhh!”
“Ethan, you’re going too fast!
Slow down!”
On the road, Ethan pressed down hard on the accelerator, sending the Bugatti Veyron surging forward.
The car seemed almost to fly, and the powerful acceleration pinned Chloe Bennett to her seat.
The wind whipped across her face like a blade, leaving her screaming at the top of her lungs.
Anyone who heard her without seeing what was happening might have mistaken the scene for something out of an adult film!
“Hahaha!”
Ethan eased off the accelerator, allowing the car to slow down.
When he saw Chloe’s long hair flying wildly in every direction, he couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
“You’re impossible!”
Chloe shot him an annoyed look and quickly straightened her hair before giving his shoulder a playful smack.
After that exhilarating ride, the awkwardness between them had largely disappeared.
Chloe was no longer as reserved around Ethan as she’d been earlier, and the way she looked at him had grown noticeably warmer.
“All right, we’re here.
This is your company.”
Ethan brought the Bugatti to a smooth stop and glanced at her with a smile.
“Only fifteen minutes.
Not bad, right?”
Chloe stared at him in surprise.
The journey from Ethan’s place to her workplace normally took at least half an hour by taxi.
With traffic, it could easily stretch beyond an hour.
She hadn’t expected to arrive in just fifteen minutes.
What surprised her even more was the seemingly effortless journey.
Every traffic light had turned green just as they approached, and the car had barely needed to slow down.
“Ethan, thank you for bringing me to work.” Chloe brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to sound casual.
“Are you free tonight?
I’d like to treat you to dinner.”
She had always been the one receiving invitations from men.
Now, she was the one asking Ethan out.
That alone showed how dramatically her impression of him had changed.
Money really did have a way of transforming someone’s image.
“Sorry, I’ve got something to take care of tonight.
I’ll treat you another day.”
Ethan glanced at his watch.
Only then did Chloe notice the Patek Philippe on his wrist.
Its elegant design and understated luxury made it clear that the watch was anything but ordinary.
“All right, then.
You have my contact information, right?
Message me when you’re free.”
Chloe smiled sweetly.
Even after Ethan drove away in his Bugatti, she continued waving, unable to suppress the smile on her face.
“Chloe!
Look at you!
You’ve really struck gold!”
Someone patted her on the shoulder.
She turned around to find several female colleagues staring at her with undisguised envy.
“Seriously, what’s going on?
That was a Bugatti Veyron!
Do you have any idea how much that car costs?
When did you become friends with someone that rich?”
“It’s nothing special.
He’s just an old classmate.”
Chloe tried to sound nonchalant, though she couldn’t completely hide her delight.
In the past, people might have scoffed at the idea of marrying into a wealthy family or accused a woman of being a gold digger.
But in this day and age, marrying a genuinely wealthy man was enough to make countless people envious.
“An old classmate?”
Her colleagues’ eyes immediately lit up.
“Your old classmate drives a Bugatti Veyron!
I saw one in a magazine once.
That car costs millions of dollars!
Chloe, how long have you known him?”
“Didn’t you always say you weren’t interested in rich guys?
You even turned down that wealthy man who drove a Ferrari because you wanted to marry an ordinary person.
What happened to that?”
“Please!
A Ferrari and a Bugatti Veyron aren’t even in the same league!
Why would Chloe settle for the former when she knows someone who drives the latter?”
“Exactly!
Chloe, when you marry into a wealthy family, don’t forget the rest of us!”
Her colleagues continued chattering, showering her with compliments and teasing her about her apparent good fortune.
Chloe thoroughly enjoyed the sudden change in their attitude.
A few minutes ago, she had been just another ordinary employee.
Now, her colleagues were already imagining her as the future wife of a wealthy businessman.
And she couldn’t deny that she rather liked the idea.
Before she knew it, the weekend had arrived.
Ethan’s custom-made clothes had been delivered ahead of schedule.
After putting them on, he examined himself in the full-length mirror and nodded with satisfaction.
Clothes could make a remarkable difference.
Ethan already had refined features, and the confidence forged through five centuries in the Marvel Universe had given him an unmistakable air of authority.
With an exquisitely tailored outfit made from the finest fabrics, he looked even more striking.
The understated luxury and impeccable fit gave him a presence that could rival any celebrity on a movie poster.
“Sir, you’ll undoubtedly be the most eye-catching person at tonight’s banquet,” JARVIS remarked in its smooth, humanlike voice.
“Not bad at all.” Ethan adjusted his collar and admired his reflection.
“Though I suppose a little cosmic energy would make the outfit even more impressive.”
He gave himself one final glance before turning away.
“All right, JARVIS.
It’s time to head to the banquet.”
Ding!
Just then, Ethan’s phone rang.
A former colleague from his old company had sent him a voice message.
“Ethan!
I’ve got some incredible news!
Hahaha!
I can’t keep this to myself anymore!”
“You remember our old boss, the Vampire?
More than $1.4 million has suddenly vanished from his accounts, and nobody can figure out where it went!”
“And here’s the best part.
Several of the software products our company developed were illegal, and the Vampire made a fortune through shady dealings.
He doesn’t even dare report the missing money to the police.
All he can do is grit his teeth and swallow the loss!
Hahaha!”
The Vampire’s money had disappeared?
A glint flashed in Ethan’s eyes.
“JARVIS, pull up our target list and search for Marcus Vale.”
Marcus Vale was the name of his former boss, the man everyone at the company privately called the Vampire.
“Found him, Sir.
Here is all the information available on Marcus Vale.”
A window opened on the computer screen, displaying the profile of a greasy-looking middle-aged man.
It was none other than Ethan’s former boss.
And as luck would have it, Marcus was already on the list of people Ethan had targeted.
“No wonder this man had so much money,” Ethan murmured.
“He owns properties and luxury cars all over New York City, keeps mistresses, and showers them with designer handbags.
Turns out his illicit income had already topped $14 million.”
A cold smile appeared on Ethan’s face.
His former employer had run a software company that developed several illegal programs involving gambling and pornography.
Ethan had assumed it was a small operation with limited profits, but it seemed his boss had been making an enormous amount of money behind the scenes.
Now, more than $1.4 million had disappeared from Marcus’s accounts without leaving a trace, and he couldn’t even go to the police.
How could a man who valued money above everything else possibly remain calm after a loss like that?
Ethan’s smile widened.
“If he’s already furious, let’s make him even angrier.”
“JARVIS, empty every account he has.
And leave him a little message while you’re at it.”
A sharp glint flashed in Ethan’s eyes.
Marcus was already on the verge of losing his mind over the money that had vanished.
If every last dollar in his accounts disappeared overnight, the shock might be enough to drive him completely over the edge.
“Yes, Sir!”
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