The car rolled into the building's private parking, the engine going quiet as Elena parked smoothly. For a moment, neither of them moved. Yuna leaned back in her seat, one hand still resting lightly over her stomach, her thoughts drifting between excitement and something softer—anticipation. Then she exhaled and opened the door, stepping out alongside Elena.
Together, they walked toward the elevator, the soft hum of the building surrounding them as they ascended. The elevator slid open to the penthouse floor, and the moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. Ethan was already there, seated in the main hall, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. The second he saw them, his attention locked onto Yuna.
He stood almost immediately, crossing the room with quiet, measured steps until he was in front of her. "Where were you?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying that underlying intensity that never quite left him. His eyes flicked briefly to Elena, then back to Yuna. "And you don't have any shopping bags."
Yuna blinked for a second, then answered simply, "We just went out to eat… and came back."
Ethan studied her face for a moment longer, as if trying to read beyond her words. There was something different about her—he could see it—but he couldn't quite place it. Still, he didn't press further. "Okay," he said finally, his tone softening just a little.
Before anything else could be said, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Luca entered, his expression serious as always. "Ethan," he called, getting straight to the point. "I need you at the office. Now."
Ethan let out a quiet sigh, the fatigue from the night clearly catching up to him, though he didn't show it openly. His gaze shifted back to Yuna, concern flickering briefly. "Stay here," he told her, his voice lower now. "Get some rest. You weren't feeling well."
Before Yuna could respond, Elena stepped in. "Don't worry," she said, giving Ethan a small nod. "I'm here. I'll take care of her."
Ethan's eyes moved to Elena for a second, then back to Yuna. Without saying anything more, he reached out, gently cupping Yuna's face in his hand. The gesture was soft, almost instinctive, completely different from the cold control he showed everywhere else. He leaned in slightly and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
"Rest," he murmured.
Yuna didn't stop him this time. She just nodded faintly, her heart tightening slightly at the gesture, especially now that she carried a secret he didn't know yet.
Ethan stepped back, turning without hesitation. Within moments, he was gone, walking out with Luca.
—
Outside, the night air was cool as Kai joined them near the car. The three of them got in quickly, the engine starting as they pulled away from the building.
For a few minutes, the car remained silent, the city lights passing by in streaks.
Then Kai spoke.
"There's a meeting scheduled," he said, glancing at Ethan through the rearview mirror. "Your father is conducting it."
Ethan didn't react immediately, his gaze fixed ahead, unreadable.
Luca shifted slightly in his seat. "Yeah," he added, his tone carrying a hint of tension. "And it's not just a regular meeting. He's been assigning more missions lately. Bigger ones."
Ethan's jaw tightened just a fraction.
"He's pushing more responsibility onto you," Luca continued. "Faster than usual."
That got a response.
"Why?" Ethan asked simply.
Luca exhaled. "Could be a test. Could be something else. But whatever it is—it's not random."
Kai nodded in agreement. "There's been movement in multiple sectors. Deals, operations… everything's accelerating."
Ethan leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping once against the armrest, his mind already processing the implications. His father didn't act without reason. Every decision had purpose.
And if things were escalating—
Then something bigger was coming.
"I'll handle it," Ethan said finally, his voice steady, controlled.
Luca glanced at him briefly. "I know you will. Just… don't underestimate what he's planning."
Ethan didn't respond to that.
His gaze remained fixed ahead, his thoughts moving faster than the car itself.
But beneath all of it—
For just a second—
His mind flickered back to the penthouse.
To Yuna.
To the way she had looked when she walked in.
Different.
Something had changed.
He just didn't know what yet.
And that—
More than anything else—
Didn't sit right with him.
The car sped through the quiet roads, the city slowly thinning as they moved closer to the business district where the office tower stood. Inside, the silence returned, but it wasn't empty—it was filled with thought, tension, and unspoken calculations.
Ethan sat still, his posture relaxed on the outside, but his mind clearly working beneath the surface. The conversation about his father lingered, not because it was new—but because it confirmed a pattern he had already begun to notice.
Luca glanced sideways at him, reading the shift without needing words. "You're thinking the same thing, aren't you?" he said.
Ethan didn't look at him. "He doesn't increase pressure without a reason."
Kai spoke from the front, his voice steady. "Then we should assume this meeting isn't just an update."
"It's never just an update with him," Luca muttered.
The car slowed as it approached the building, the towering glass structure reflecting the dim lights of the city. Security opened the gates instantly, recognizing the vehicle, and within seconds, they were inside the private parking area.
Ethan stepped out first.
The shift was immediate.
Whatever thoughts he had carried from the penthouse—about Yuna, about her strange behavior—were pushed aside, locked away for later. Here, he was something else entirely. Focused. Controlled. Untouchable.
They moved quickly through the lobby, the staff stepping aside without question. The elevator ride up was silent, the faint hum the only sound accompanying them. When the doors opened, the atmosphere changed again—sharper, colder, more formal.
The meeting room was already prepared.
Inside, several key figures were seated, their expressions serious, their attention shifting the moment Ethan entered. At the head of the room stood the man who commanded all of it—his presence alone enough to shift the weight of the air.
Ethan's father.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He walked in, taking his place without greeting, without acknowledgment beyond a brief, controlled glance.
The meeting began almost immediately.
Reports were presented—operations, financial movements, expansions. The same patterns Ethan had just reviewed at the base appeared again here, but with more depth, more detail. Certain sectors were being pushed aggressively, resources reallocated at a pace that suggested urgency rather than strategy.
Ethan listened.
He didn't interrupt.
But he noticed everything.
Every inconsistency.
Every rushed decision.
Every shift in tone when certain topics were mentioned.
At one point, his father's gaze settled on him.
"You'll take over the next operation," he said, his voice calm but carrying authority that didn't need to be raised. "It requires precision."
Ethan met his gaze without hesitation. "Details?"
"They'll be sent to you," his father replied. "You'll lead it."
Not assist.
Not observe.
Lead.
Luca, standing slightly behind, noticed the subtle tightening of Ethan's posture—but only for a fraction of a second.
Then it was gone.
"Understood," Ethan said.
The meeting continued, but the direction was clear now. Responsibility wasn't just increasing—it was being handed over in full control, piece by piece. It looked like trust on the surface.
But Ethan knew better.
This wasn't just about trust.
This was positioning.
The meeting ended as abruptly as it had begun. People stood, files were gathered, conversations resumed in quieter tones. But Ethan remained where he was for a moment longer, his eyes fixed on the table, his thoughts still moving.
"Something's coming," Luca said quietly beside him.
Ethan didn't respond immediately.
Then finally—"Yeah."
Not a guess.
A certainty.
—
Back at the penthouse, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
Warm. Quiet. Still.
Yuna sat curled slightly on the couch, a blanket draped over her legs, while Elena sat nearby, watching her closely.
"You should lie down again," Elena said softly.
"I'm fine," Yuna replied, though her voice lacked its usual strength.
Her hand rested over her stomach again, unconsciously protective, her thoughts drifting back to the hospital, to the words she still couldn't fully believe.
Pregnant.
The word felt unreal—and yet, it changed everything.
Elena leaned back slightly, still processing it all. "You really think he'll be happy?" she asked again, more gently this time.
Yuna smiled faintly, her eyes softening. "I know he will."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
No doubt.
And for now—
That belief was enough.