Chapter 51: Silent Takeover

Breakfast was awkward—at least for Lillie. For Ethan, it was the best morning he'd had in a long time. Though he barely touched his food, his mood was light, his appetite sated by the "treat" from the night before.

If Lillie could read his thoughts, she would have wanted to beat that smug look off his face.

Meanwhile, Storm stood rigidly by Lillie's seat, his sharp gaze locked onto Ethan. His tail swished aggressively, and his ears flicked back in clear disapproval. He had failed his duty last night. His Mistress had been defiled by this human! That cut on his lip was proof. If only Storm had known about the secret second entrance to the bar, he would have prevented it!

Feeling the weight of her thoughts, Lillie cleared her throat, setting her cup of tea down. "How are things back at Hong Long?" she asked casually.

Ethan, who had been thoroughly enjoying his wife's flustered state, paused. "Nothing much," he replied. "The usual—signing documents, endless calls, meetings that feel like a slow death." He exhaled as if exhausted just thinking about it. "Why?"

"Nothing…" she murmured, stirring her tea.

Ethan didn't press further, but he was bemused. Lillie rarely asked about his company unless something caught her attention.

Oddly enough, her question jogged his memory. Last night, before he got distracted, Yu Minglian had sent him an email about an unexpected shift in Hong Long's shareholder structure. Three key shareholders had suddenly sold their stakes to an unknown party. He had meant to review it—but then, Lillie happened.

Now, sitting across from her, he felt an uneasy weight settle in his chest.

Ethan and Lillie left Tranquil Villa in separate cars, heading in different directions. The moment Ethan stepped into his office, he noticed something was off.

Yu Minglian, his highly efficient assistant, was hunched over her desk, typing furiously. Her usually immaculate bun was slightly undone, and tension radiated from her stiff shoulders. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't even notice his arrival.

Ethan's frown deepened. The elevator dinged when it reached the executive floor—she should have heard it. Yu Minglian was never this distracted.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

Yu Minglian jumped, a startled gasp escaping her lips. She turned abruptly and bowed. "M-Mr. Li! I—I apologize for my lack of awareness!"

Ethan waved off her apology. "It's fine. What's going on?"

Yu Minglian swallowed nervously and gestured toward her monitor. "It's about the report I sent you last night—the change in shareholders."

Ethan's eyes sharpened. "What about it?"

Yu Minglian clicked a file open and pointed to the screen. "Another major shareholder sold their stake early this morning. The same unknown entity acquired it. This person now holds 18% of Hong Long's shares—making them the second-largest shareholder after you."

Ethan's jaw tightened.

This was no coincidence. Someone was making a move against him.

"Do we have any leads on who it is?" he asked, voice cool.

"Not yet. The purchases were made through an offshore holding company, masking the true buyer," she explained. "We're trying to trace the transactions, but it'll take time."

Ethan leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "Who were the sellers?"

"Two were mid-tier shareholders who've had their stakes for years. The other two were investment firms—both of whom had small but steady holdings in Hong Long. It's unusual for them to sell all at once."

Unusual? No. Planned. Someone had orchestrated this.

Ethan exhaled slowly, reigning in his irritation. "And the shareholder meeting today? Will they be attending?"

Yu Minglian hesitated. "There's been no confirmation from them. The shares were bought under a corporate entity, and they haven't assigned a representative yet."

A calculated move.

Ethan's eyes darkened. If this person had the guts to buy their way into Hong Long's power structure, they needed to be prepared to face him.

"Get legal on this," he ordered. "I want an urgent review of our shareholder agreement. Find out if there are any restrictions on hostile takeovers."

Yu Minglian nodded. "Right away."

Ethan straightened, buttoning his suit jacket. "Also, contact the board. If this entity refuses to show up at today's meeting, we'll make sure they want to."

His assistant swallowed hard. "Understood, sir."

As Ethan strode toward the meeting room, a storm was brewing in his mind.

Whoever was behind this move wasn't just testing the waters—they were making a direct challenge.

And Ethan Li never let a challenge go unanswered.