Ethan:
The gates of the base slid open as the car approached, the headlights cutting through the darkness before fading against the concrete walls. Ethan didn't slow until the vehicle came to a complete stop inside, the engine falling silent as the tension of the night seemed to settle into something colder, more controlled. The chaos of the factory was gone, replaced by structure, by routine—but it didn't erase what had happened. It never did.
He stepped out without wasting time.
Inside, the base was already active. Low voices, footsteps, the quiet hum of systems running in the background—it was a different kind of battlefield here, one built on information and control rather than fists and gunfire.
Luca was the first to approach, his sharp eyes immediately scanning Ethan, as if checking for injuries without asking directly.
"Where's Yuna?" he asked.
Ethan didn't hesitate. "At the penthouse. She needed rest. She wasn't feeling well."
There was no extra explanation, no unnecessary detail. Just facts.
From behind, Elena stepped forward, concern already evident on her face. "I'll go check on her," she said quickly. "She didn't look good back there."
Ethan's response came just as fast.
"No."
The word was calm—but firm enough to stop her mid-step.
"She asked to be left alone," he added, his tone leaving little room for argument.
Elena frowned slightly, clearly not satisfied, but before she could say anything else, Luca spoke again, his voice more probing this time.
"She's really okay?" he asked, his gaze narrowing just a little. "She asked you to leave her and come here? What's gotten into her? She's the one who—" he let out a short breath, irritation flickering across his face, "—she's the one who usually takes care of herself like it's nothing."
Ethan cut him off before the thought could go further.
"Our mission is over," he said, shifting the focus instantly. "Kai—report to my father. Tell him the work is finished."
Across the room, Kai straightened slightly at the order, nodding without hesitation. "Understood."
Ethan didn't stop there.
"Luca," he continued, turning his attention back to him, "check the company records. Everything from the time I was gone. Meetings, contracts, financial shifts—anything that looks off."
Luca didn't argue this time. He simply nodded once and moved, already pulling up the necessary files.
Then Ethan's gaze shifted again—to Elena.
"You're going back," he said.
She blinked, caught off guard. "What? Why?"
"You don't need to be involved in this," he replied, his tone steady but distant. "This kind of work isn't for you and your father is worried."
Elena crossed her arms slightly, clearly not agreeing. "I know My father's already worried about me," she said. "He calls me every time there's a mission. Even now—he's been trying to reach me since it ended."
There was a brief pause.
Then she let out a small, almost playful sigh. "Aww… he really cares too much."
The moment the words left her mouth, Luca reacted instantly.
"Shh," he muttered under his breath, a subtle warning in his tone.
Elena froze.
Realization hit just as quickly.
Her expression shifted, the lightness gone as she glanced at Ethan, suddenly aware of what she had just said—and who she had said it in front of.
The air changed.
Because everyone there knew—
The relationship between Ethan and his father wasn't something to joke about.
Not even lightly.
"I…" Elena hesitated, then shook her head slightly. "Sorry."
She didn't wait for a response this time. Turning quickly, she walked away, her usual confidence subdued for once as she left the room.
Silence lingered for a second after she was gone.
Ethan didn't react outwardly.
Didn't acknowledge it.
But the shift hadn't gone unnoticed.
Luca returned a few minutes later, a file in hand, placing it on the table in front of Ethan.
"Everything from the past few weeks," he said.
Ethan opened it without a word.
Inside were detailed reports—company meetings, signed contracts, financial statements, shareholder updates. Every piece of information had been compiled with precision.
His eyes moved quickly across the pages.
Meeting summaries first.
Key discussions, decisions made in his absence, who attended, who pushed for what. Certain names appeared more frequently than others—some expected, some not.
Then contracts.
New deals finalized while he was gone. Partnerships formed, agreements signed. He examined the terms carefully, scanning for inconsistencies, for anything that felt rushed or out of place.
Next—
Financials.
Profit margins, losses, investments, cash flow.
His gaze sharpened slightly here.
There were fluctuations—not drastic, but noticeable enough. Certain departments had seen unexpected losses, while others showed gains that didn't entirely align with previous projections.
"Who approved this?" he asked, tapping a specific section.
Luca stepped closer, glancing at it. "Board decision. Your father had final say."
Ethan didn't respond immediately.
He just turned the page.
Shareholder reports followed—updates, concerns, voting patterns. A few stakeholders had raised questions about recent decisions, but nothing had escalated.
Yet.
Still—
It was enough.
He closed the file slowly, his expression unreadable.
The mission at the factory might have been over.
But this—
This was something else entirely.
And unlike the fight earlier—
This wouldn't be solved with strength alone.
The room stayed quiet after the file closed, the faint sound of paper settling echoing more than it should have. Ethan didn't move for a few seconds, his fingers resting lightly on the edge of the file as his mind pieced together everything he had just read. The numbers, the decisions, the approvals—on the surface, everything looked controlled. Organized. But beneath that, there were patterns that didn't sit right.
Subtle shifts.
Carefully hidden.
"Something's off," he said finally, his voice low.
Luca leaned back slightly against the table, crossing his arms. "I figured you'd say that," he replied. "It's not obvious enough to raise alarms—but it's there. Like someone's testing limits without drawing attention."
Ethan's gaze lifted, sharp and focused now. "Or someone thinks I wouldn't notice."
Luca gave a faint, humorless smirk. "That would be a mistake."
Ethan didn't return the expression. Instead, he reopened the file, flipping back to one of the earlier pages. "These contracts," he said, tapping the paper again, "they were pushed through too quickly. Who initiated them?"
"Mid-level executives mostly," Luca answered. "But they wouldn't have the authority without approval from above."
Above.
They both knew what that meant.
For a brief moment, the tension shifted—not louder, not more aggressive—but heavier.
"Keep an eye on them," Ethan said. "Every move. Every transaction. I want reports daily."
"Already started," Luca replied. "But if this goes higher than we think—"
"It will," Ethan interrupted calmly.
There was no doubt in his voice.
Only certainty.
Across the room, Kai returned after finishing the call, his posture straight. "Message delivered," he said. "Your father acknowledged."
Ethan nodded once, not asking for more. If there was anything else to be said, it would come later—on his father's terms, not theirs.
He stood then, the chair scraping faintly against the floor as he stepped away from the table. The fatigue from earlier hadn't disappeared—it was just buried under focus now.,
"Get some rest in shifts," he said. "Tonight's not as finished as it looks."
Luca tilted his head slightly. "You think something's coming?"
Ethan paused near the window, his gaze drifting briefly toward the dark skyline beyond the base walls.
"I don't think," he said quietly.
"I know."
The weight of his words settled over the room.
Because Ethan wasn't someone who spoke without reason.
Luca exhaled slowly, pushing himself off the table. "Alright," he muttered. "I'll double security and keep digging into the records."
Kai gave a short nod as well, already turning to handle the orders.
For a moment, everything moved again—structured, precise, controlled.
But Ethan stayed where he was.
Still.
His thoughts, however, weren't entirely in the room anymore.
For just a second—
They drifted.
Back to the penthouse.
To Yuna.
To the way she had looked before he left—pale, unsteady, trying to act stronger than she felt.
His jaw tightened slightly.
She said she was fine.
But he had seen enough to know that "fine" didn't mean anything after a night like that.
Still—
He had respected her decision.
For now.
His gaze hardened again as he turned back to the room, the brief distraction gone as quickly as it came.
"Luca," he called.
Luca looked up. "Yeah?"
"If anything changes—anything at all—wake me."
Luca nodded once. "You'll know first."
Ethan didn't say anything else.
He simply walked out, the door closing behind him with a quiet, final click.
And in the silence that followed, one thing became clear—
The fight at the factory might have ended.
But whatever was starting now—
Was far more dangerous.