"What are you thinking about so seriously?" Ethan leaned closer and asked.
"Nothing," Vivian said, coming back to herself. "My best friend's husband has the same name."
Her hair swayed lightly as she shook her head.
She signaled for him not to worry, though the strange feeling in her chest refused to disappear.
Vivian did not connect the Ethan in front of her with Celeste's husband.
The name was the same.
But the men were too different.
In her memory, Celeste's husband had been quiet, obedient, and usually moving around the kitchen in an apron.
She had never remembered his face clearly.
The Ethan before her was impossible to forget.
His face and presence were too commanding.
If Vivian had truly seen him like this before, even once, she would have remembered.
"Best friend?" Ethan asked with a faint smile. "You mean Celeste Shaw?"
Vivian's brows tightened immediately.
Her gaze turned guarded.
"Celeste has a husband. Don't get ideas about her. If you try anything crooked with her, I won't forgive you."
"Already jealous?" Ethan asked.
He leaned slightly toward her.
"Who's jealous of you? Don't flatter yourself."
Vivian glared at him, her red lips pressed together.
She looked dignified and somehow flustered at the same time.
To steady herself, she changed the subject.
"Although I agreed to be your girlfriend, business is business. After the beauty cream goes to market, I will give you half of the net profit as a technical stake."
"Fine," Ethan said. "Arrange it however you want."
He did not bother pretending to refuse.
Who disliked money?
Not him.
The more, the better.
Vivian stared at him, then laughed despite herself.
"You're not even going to be polite?"
"We're practically family now," Ethan said. "Why be polite?"
Before Vivian could reply, his arm curved around her waist again and drew her in.
Perhaps because she was starting to grow used to his boldness, she did not resist as sharply as before.
She only lifted one slender hand against his chest.
"Who is your family? Stop touching me whenever you want."
She freed herself from his arms and smoothed the slight disorder in her suit jacket.
"I am your girlfriend, not your wife. In public, show some respect."
"Sooner or later," Ethan said. "One day you'll be the one clinging to me."
Vivian looked at him with open disbelief.
"Me? Clinging to you? You really are confident."
"The future is long," Ethan said. "We'll see."
He did not rush to convince her.
Vivian returned to business.
"Come with me to the Lowe family. Derek's issue must be resolved properly."
"He's vicious and petty. Dragging this out won't help you."
"The Lowe family's roots in Northbridge run deep. This isn't something fighting alone can suppress."
In Vivian's view, Graham Lowe was protective, difficult, and dangerous.
Now that she and Ethan had technically established a relationship, she might be able to use the West name and some interest exchange to make Graham reduce the issue from a major feud to a minor misunderstanding.
"When we get there, let me handle it," Vivian warned. "Speak less. Control your temper. Don't start fighting the moment someone says something ugly."
She was genuinely afraid Ethan would rely on his strength, tear apart the Lowe office, and make the situation impossible to repair.
"Miss West," Ethan said, "do you believe Graham Lowe will call me father when he sees me?"
Vivian stared at him.
Her expression said she was looking at a very handsome lunatic.
Graham Lowe was a Northbridge power broker.
Thousands of people made a living under him.
Make him call Ethan father?
Vivian honestly envied Ethan's mental stability.
She snorted.
"If Graham Lowe calls you father, I'll call you father."
Ethan snapped his fingers.
"Deal. Don't regret it later."
"A promise is a promise," Vivian said.
She did not take it seriously.
Because she did not believe he could do it.
After that, the two left the conference room, walked out of West Group, and got into the car.
They headed toward Lowe Group.
Ethan sat quietly on the surface.
In reality, he had summoned the system panel only he could see.
He switched to inventory and found a prop named `One-Dollar Flash Purchase Card`.
According to the system description, this item could forcibly purchase any commodity or business in the world for one dollar.
The owner's consent was not required.
During three years of automatic check-ins, Ethan had accumulated quite a few of these cards.
He selected one.
Target: Lowe Group.
`One-Dollar Flash Purchase in progress...`
`Purchase successful. Congratulations, host. You have obtained one hundred percent of Lowe Group's shares. Total value: 13.8 billion dollars.`
`System rationalization complete. Current family head Graham Lowe's loyalty value modified successfully. Default recognition: host is highest authority.`
Ethan read the notification and smiled without making a sound.
At that moment, Graham Lowe had unknowingly become the public-facing puppet who would continue operating Lowe Group on Ethan's behalf.
After using the item, the system handled everything.
Ethan only needed to live as he pleased.
...
Lowe Group.
Chairman's office.
A heavyset middle-aged man slammed a file across Derek Lowe's face.
"You can't even handle one woman. What use are you?"
The man was Graham Lowe.
"You were extorted for ten million dollars in public. You threw the Lowe family's face into the mud."
Derek's face was still swollen.
When the file hit him, pain twisted his expression again.
"Dad, it wasn't that I couldn't handle her. Vivian found some wild man from nowhere. That guy is a monster. I brought seven or eight black-belt fighters, and none of them even touched him before he destroyed them."
"I gave the ten million to survive. If I hadn't paid, the Lowe family line might have ended with me."
"Trash," Graham roared. "No matter how many excuses you make, trash is still trash."
But doubt flickered in his eyes.
When had Vivian West gained someone so powerful?
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the office door.
The secretary's voice came from outside.
"Chairman, Miss Vivian West from West Group is here. She says she has an important matter to discuss."
Graham exhaled heavily and forced down his anger.
"Let them in."
"I want to see which little animal dared to hit my son in Northbridge."
Derek's eyes flashed with vicious hope.
"Dad, that guy must be with her. You have to help me vent this anger."
The office door opened.
Vivian stepped in on high heels.
Ethan followed behind her, hands in his pockets, relaxed as if visiting a lounge.
The moment Derek saw him, he reacted like a dog whose tail had been stepped on.
"Vivian West, you have some nerve bringing this bastard here. Do you think the Lowe family has no one?"
He pointed at Ethan.
"Dad, it's him. He's the animal who hurt me. Call someone and kill him."
Derek was too busy barking at Ethan to notice his father's face.
Graham Lowe's expression had turned ghastly.
His hands pressed against the desk were trembling.
Cold sweat rolled down his temples.
"Graham Lowe," Ethan said calmly, looking at him, "from what your son said, you want to kill me?"
Author's Note:
This story will continue updating here.
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Thank you for reading.