Chapter 55: Who's Pretending To Be Him?

D… Dear? She called him dear?

Ethan's brain short-circuited. His usually sharp mind, capable of handling multi-billion-dollar deals, completely blanked at that single word.

"How was your meeting?" Lillie asked again, her voice calm and indifferent, as if she hadn't just thrown his entire thought process into chaos.

"…Fine?"

Lillie raised a delicate brow. "Are you asking or telling?"

Ethan cleared his throat. "Telling?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

He immediately corrected himself. "Ahem. Telling you."

Silence followed.

Ethan shifted awkwardly, unsure if he should take his seat at his desk or move to the love seats at the corner of the room. He had never been this uncertain about his own office before.

Lillie, on the other hand, appeared completely unfazed. She casually pulled out her phone when it vibrated, her slender fingers gliding over the screen.

Ethan fidgeted. His eyes darted around the room, desperate for something to focus on. He had already memorized every inch of his office, but suddenly, the texture of the walls, the angle of his bookshelf, and even the number of pens on his desk seemed fascinating.

Then, Lillie's cool voice broke through his spiraling thoughts.

"Those two…"

Ethan snapped to attention immediately, his entire focus on her. "Hm?"

"Song Mokun and Tang Hejiu," she continued, her tone even. "Those two are my people."

His brows furrowed slightly. "Oh…" He paused before cautiously asking, "Is… is there something I need to know?"

The feeling of being clueless about something happening within his own company unsettled him. The fact that Lillie knew more only made it worse. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate her involvement—it warmed his heart to know she was helping him—but he was supposed to be the one protecting her, not the other way around.

Lillie let out a soft sigh and stood from his chair, turning to face the window. Her gaze drifted downward, distant.

"We both knew that our marriage is final and completely ineluctable."

Ethan simply responded with a quiet "En."

Something about her demeanor felt off. There was something she wasn't saying, and it was starting to get under his skin.

"So, secrets are meant to be shared by spouses, isn't that right?" Lillie turned to face him, but her expression remained unreadable.

Ethan nodded slowly. "Hm…"

"Ethan… do you recognize those?"

He frowned in confusion before following her gaze.

That's when he saw them.

His heart lurched into his throat.

The files.

They were right there on his desk, wide open, in bold, unmissable letters—

VERMILLION DRAGON.

A sharp chill crawled down his spine.

He had been so distracted by Lillie's presence that he completely failed to notice the damning evidence sitting in plain sight.

He really wanted to smack himself.

How on earth did he—Ethan Li—not see those files before now?

Lillie's voice was calm, almost amused. "Mind sharing your other persona, Vermillion Dragon?"

Ethan stiffened.

How the hell does she know that name?

More importantly—what is her connection to the Underworld?

His mind raced. Did she have ties to the other Underworld Leaders? Was she a part of it herself?

"Lillie…" He carefully tested the waters, watching her for a reaction. But she remained quiet, simply waiting.

He exhaled sharply, already knowing there was no avoiding it. "…How are you related to the Underworld?"

"I will answer if you answer my question first."

Of course.

Ethan inhaled deeply before replying, "I am—no, was Vermillion Dragon. I left the Underworld long ago."

"Why?"

He hesitated.

Because of you.

That's what he wanted to say.

Ethan left because he refused to live as a criminal. If his identity was ever exposed, it would endanger the people he held dear.

Back then, he was young, impulsive, and hungry for excitement. School bored him. Business training with his father felt predictable. So, he created a small gang with a few close friends.

That gang grew.

Then it became an organization.

He became one of the most notorious and feared demons in the Underworld—Vermillion Dragon.

But when he realized what he had built, he walked away.

He didn't want to see disgust in her eyes.

Resentment, he could handle. Anger, he could endure. But if Lillie ever looked at him and thought, You're the worst. I will never accept someone like you…

That would be unbearable.

But now, as she stood in front of him, she wasn't afraid of him. She didn't look disgusted. Her tone remained calm, almost curious.

"Did you assign anyone as the next boss?"

Ethan's frown deepened. "Yes, I gave all rights to my closest friends—the ones who built the group with me."

Lillie's expression remained unreadable. She tilted her head slightly, as if weighing his words. "So, you didn't dissolve Vermillion Dragon. You just… handed it over."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "I left. That was the only thing that mattered to me."

Lillie hummed softly, tapping her fingers against his desk. "Interesting."

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

She met his gaze, unwavering. "Because there was no claim of new management to the title."

A heavy silence settled between them.

Ethan's entire body tensed, his mind racing.

No claim? That's impossible.

"That's not possible," he said firmly, but even as the words left his lips, doubt crept in. He had walked away. He had cut all ties. He had left it behind.

Lillie didn't blink. "Is that so?"

Ethan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. No. That can't be right. If no one took over, then… what the hell happened to Vermillion Dragon?

Unless—

A cold chill crept down his spine.

Lillie leaned in slightly, her voice quiet but unwavering. "Ethan, you may have left Vermillion Dragon…"

She paused.

"…but the Underworld never lets go that easily."

His breath hitched.

He had spent years trying to bury his past.

Now, it was clawing its way back to the surface.

His hands curled into tighter fists as his mind raced. He had burned all bridges. He had erased that part of himself.

Hadn't he?

His reign over the title was over. His friends should have taken over and done whatever they wanted with it. That was the plan. That was how it was supposed to go.

But if what Lillie said was true…

Then who was wearing the crown he thought he had discarded?

Who's pretending to be him?

"Here's my final question."

Lillie's voice cut through his thoughts like a blade.

She turned to face him fully.

And Ethan froze.

Two fiery red eyes stared back at him.

His breath stalled. His heart slammed against his ribs.

His blood ran cold.

"Do you… recognize me?"

His lips parted slightly.

A whisper escaped.

"Y… you are…"