a deal with the unknown

The heavy silence filled the room for a moment.

"Sir, I'll leave you to think about it. If you need me to intervene, I will, but if you say no, I promise to leave and never return," Ethan said, his voice different from the nervous tone he usually spoke in.

Mr. Caldwell stared at him in disbelief, as if he were seeing Ethan for the first time. Until now, he had only seen him as an ordinary young man—brilliant in accounting, but nothing more. However, at this moment, Ethan's presence silenced even David and Lila, who had been using every opportunity to mock him.

Contemplating his options, Mr. Caldwell finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with sarcasm. "Who really are you, Ethan?"

Ethan opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. He couldn't reveal his true identity—not yet. His mission required him to remain unnoticed, to let people believe he was still the same nobody they had always known. The disguise was easy to maintain; the only difference now was that he was no longer truly powerless.

"Who I am doesn't matter," Ethan finally said, his tone carrying a quiet confidence. "What matters is your family and your company. That's all I want to help with."

Lila scoffed. "What the hell?" she spat.

"Look at him, acting like he's anything more than the rag he looks like." She crossed her arms and stepped closer, her voice sharp. "I checked into your background, Ethan Fallow. You're a nobody. There's nothing special about you. Stop pretending like you have anything to offer, you jerk."

Ethan smiled to himself. You really think I'm still the same Ethan Fallow you once knew? If only you knew who my real father was, you wouldn't dare speak to me this way. He suppressed the thought, instead tugging a small smirk onto his face.

Mr. Caldwell exhaled deeply. "Alright, I've made my decision."

Silence fell over the room as all eyes turned to him.

After a pause, he said, "I'll take you to the company and hand over all necessary documents for you to oversee operations." His voice was firm, unyielding. "But I must warn you—if I find anything suspicious about you, I won't hesitate to act. Even if it means spending the rest of my days in jail, I promise it won't end well for you."

David shook his head and walked off into his room without another word.

"But Dad," Lila protested, "you can't just hand everything over to him. He's still a stranger to this family, no matter what."

"I know," Mr. Caldwell said, his tone softer. "I'm not handing over control—just granting him authority to work in the company. That doesn't mean I'm giving everything away. And honestly, we don't have many options left. If we don't act now, James will take everything. I don't know if Ethan is capable of saving this family, but maybe… maybe he's a godsend." His gaze remained on Ethan as he spoke.

Lila pursed her lips but said nothing more, eventually turning and retreating to her room.

"Alright, Ethan, have a seat. Let me get changed, and then we'll head to the company." Mr. Caldwell forced a small smile before walking away.

After a few minutes, he emerged, adjusting his shirt.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," he said. "Let's go."

Ethan nodded, and they left for the company.

—

The car ride was quiet. Ethan gazed out the window, lost in thought.

Mr. Caldwell stole a glance at him before shifting his focus back to the road.

"So… where do you live, actually?" Mr. Caldwell finally broke the silence.

Ethan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Somewhere down the street. An old apartment." His tone was casual, carefully covering the truth. If Mr. Caldwell found out he was staying in a high-end hotel, it would raise too many questions. Anyone who could afford a single night there had to be wealthy—far wealthier than the Ethan Fallow they knew.

Silence settled between them again before Ethan spoke.

"So, Mr. Caldwell… what about your wife? Last time, you told me you didn't know where she went."

Mr. Caldwell inhaled sharply before answering. "Yeah… I said that because she left without telling anyone. But she's at a friend's place—someone who just returned from abroad. She said she was tired of being at home and needed some time away." He forced a smile, but his weary expression betrayed the weight of his struggles.

Another silence settled between them before Mr. Caldwell spoke again.

"Well, I wasn't happy about it," he admitted. "We were supposed to stick together as a family in times like this. This isn't the time to get tired and leave everything behind. But, you know… women have their own way of thinking." He forced a small smile.

"Yeah…" Ethan nodded, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

Before Mr. Caldwell could continue speaking, Ethan quickly interrupted, "Mr. Caldwell, would you mind telling me how you started the company? And what about your old friends? I don't hear much about them anymore. Back when your company started becoming successful, what happened to the people who were with you in the early days?" Ethan asked, studying Mr. Caldwell's reaction closely.

Mr. Caldwell glanced at him before turning his focus back to the road.

"I'm not sure I understand your question," he said, his tone neutral.

"I mean the people you used to work with," Ethan clarified. "According to my research, you had business partners like Roland and a few others. Where are they now?" He made his question sound casual, but deep down, he was searching for something specific—he wanted to uncover James's background.

Mr. Caldwell had no idea that James was the son of Roland, the man who had once been his best friend.

"Well," Mr. Caldwell said after a pause, "everyone went their separate ways. I can't really say where they all are now. People grow, paths change, and not everyone is meant to stick together."

As he finished speaking, they arrived at their destination.

Ethan gave a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

But he wasn't satisfied with the answer. The truth he was searching for remained unclear. His determination to uncover what really happened between Mr. Caldwell and Roland—who had been mysteriously murdered—only grew stronger.

Mr. Maxwell had given him a clear directive: find out if Mr. Caldwell was truly behind Roland's death. If he was innocent, Ethan could help him. But if he was guilty, then Mr. Maxwell would not support Ethan's involvement with him.

The real question in Ethan's mind now was: How do I bring up this conversation in a way that doesn't raise suspicion but gets him to reveal the full story?

Even if he did have something to do with Roland's murder, he'd never admit it outright.

Ethan clenched his fist slightly.

Before I can change this whole situation, I need to know the truth.