"Hey, what are you doing here?!" one board member exclaimed, startled at the unfamiliar face.
"I can't believe you made me go in alone. Where is he?" the man asked, glancing back toward the door.
"Are you deaf or something?!" Shaun snapped, irritation flooding his tone.
In that instant, Ethan stepped into the room, his confident stride silencing all murmurs. "Hey, Damian. Why did you go in without me?" he asked nonchalantly.
"You were the one who said I should go ahead and you would follow," Damian replied.
He was striking—a man with fair skin, thick eyebrows, a strong jawline, and coal-black eyes that held an air of authority. His dirty blond hair was slicked back, giving him a polished appearance that contrasted with the chaos surrounding them.
"The prodigal son returns," Ethan mused, taking in the scene with a smile. Mae's heart raced, both fear and warmth flooding her as he approached her.
"What's he doing here after all this time?" Mae thought, tension gripping her.
Ethan reached Mae and sat down at the table beside her left hand, an easy charm decorating his features. "Didn't I tell you not to start the meeting without me, love?" he teased.
"What are you doing here?" Mae stuttered, shocked.
"Well, I came back to see you. I was missing the one person who drives me crazy, so I decided to return," he grinned, leaning in as if nothing else mattered.
"Are you just trying to push my buttons?" Mae gasped, knowing this meeting was far from personal.
"What do you think?" He leaned closer, their warmth mingling as their chests met.
"Ethan?" she murmured, lost in a fleeting moment of intimacy.
"I know you missed me too," he stated, his tone playfully insistent as he slowly leaned in to kiss her. Mae's mind raced, disbelief coursing through her veins.
"Is this the kind of behavior you showcase in front of the board and shareholders?" Damian thought incredulously. An amused smirk crept onto Brooke's lips when she caught the interaction, relishing in Ethan's mischief.
"In case you two didn't realize it, this isn't your bedroom," Shaun growled, his anger bubbling over.
"Ethan sure derives joy in pissing Shaun off," Brooke thought as she observed the escalating situation.
Mae snapped back to reality, the stakes too high to get lost in personal pleasures right now. She pulled away, shooting Ethan a withering glare; he'd effectively distracted her from the importance of the meeting.
"How have you been coping without me, brother?" Ethan turned to Shaun, smirking knowingly.
"Don't call me that!" Shaun's fury boiled over.
Ethan dismounted from the table, addressing the entire room, arrogance filtering through. "Are you still ashamed of me, brother?"
"I said don't call me that!" Shaun barked back.
"Well, I just hope you know that if anyone should be ashamed, it should be me for being related to you," Ethan shot back, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Don't forget I'm no longer your secretary, Shaun. The tables have turned. Don't force me to get you to behave," he warned.
"What are you doing here, Ethan? You no longer work for us, so why are you here?" Shaun demanded, desperation threading his voice.
"Why are you dressed so casually?" another board member commented, scornful.
"Well, my wife invited me here," Ethan stated offhandedly.
"Mae invited you?" Caleb asked, his eyebrows knitting together.
"Yes, she did," Ethan replied, clearly unfazed by their scrutiny.
"President Mae, what is this man doing here?" another shareholder inquired, uneasy about the unexpected visitor.
"Should we still tell them about our plans, bae? It looks like they don't want you here anymore," Ethan said, a playful lilt in his voice.
"What plan are you talking about?" a board member pressed.
"Well, Mae came up with this brilliant idea to help both SJ Group and RX Hotels."
"What?!" went the chorus of reactions from around the table.
"Since my brother is taking over, I'm not sure that will be possible anymore," Ethan said with a slight smile.
"Why won't it be possible?"
"My brother's pride and ego would be bruised. It would be a punch to the face for him if he were to accept the deal," Ethan declared with confidence.
"We don't need it, Ethan. We are doing just fine without you," Shaun shot back defiantly.
"Doing just fine? Ever since Ethan left, all you've done is screw up and make wrong decisions. We have lost some of our major clients just because of you," Ethan countered vehemently.
"Excuse me?" Shaun was taken aback by the boldness.
"I don't care about your pride or ego; you will accept this offer I'm giving you," Ethan commanded.
"I will do no such thing," Shaun said with resolve.
"Do you even know what it means to have an offer from Blackwood to be one of their partners?" Ethan pressed.
"Yes, are you trying to ruin us?" Shaun barked back.
"Alex, talk some sense into your son," Caleb implored.
"Why don't we let the two brothers settle this like gentlemen?" Alex suggested, an edge of optimism in his voice as he looked between them.
"I wonder what Ethan is going to do now," Brooke thought, her interest piqued.
"What do you say, Shaun? Do we do this the easy way or the hard way?"
"Just because you inherited everything your grandfather owned doesn't mean you're all that great. You didn't work for anything you have. You're just a lucky brat who now thinks the world revolves around him," Shaun spat, venom coating his words.
"Mae, do you have anything else you're doing after this?" Ethan inquired, purposefully shifting the focus.
"Yes, I have a busy schedule," she replied hesitantly.
"Becca, cancel every appointment Mae has after this," Ethan directed, lips curling into a smirk.
"Okay, Mr. Ethan," Becca responded quickly.
"If we leave in the next five minutes, we should be able to get home before noon, right?" Ethan queried, glancing at Mae.
"Yes," she confirmed, looking reluctant but somewhat relieved.
"Then it's time to end this reunion," Ethan declared, his voice low but firm.
"What are you planning to do?" Shaun asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Do you know we are all here?" Ethan replied calmly, his gaze sweeping across the table.
"Yes, I'm really sorry about that. Anyway, if Shaun doesn't want my help, I understand. He just wants to prove he can be a bit useful, and as his family, I have to support him."
"What the hell are you talking about, Ethan?" Shaun challenged, eyes blazing.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting, but I have to take my leave now. I have a meeting with Feng Teng, and I wouldn't want to keep them waiting," Ethan stated plainly.
"You're meeting with Feng Teng?" everyone exclaimed.
"Yes, their CEO called me last week, saying they wanted to meet. They're the other reason I'm in town right now," Ethan explained confidently.
"Why would they want to meet?" one board member asked, bewildered.
"Well, they found out I no longer work for SJ Group, so they want out of the deal they made with you guys, and they want a deal with Blackwood. You know what's funny? I took them from Blackwood, and now I'm returning them," Ethan said smugly.
"You're taking Feng Teng away from us?" Shaun spluttered, disbelief washing over him.
"You wouldn't dare do that, Ethan!" Shaun blustered.
"Calm down, older brother. I'm not taking them away from you. I was just going to hear them out, and if they want in with Blackwood, I would humbly decline. But I don't get to decide if they still want anything to do with SJ Group, as that solely depends on you, Shaun. Not only that, the future of this company depends on you."
"What does that mean?" Shaun pressed, his voice quivering.
"You know better than anyone what's going to happen if Feng Teng decides to end the deal," Ethan trailed off.
"Are you threatening me?" Shaun asked, anger seething through his words.
"No, I'm just stating the impending chaos. You'll never be able to recover from the losses even if Mae breaks their hotel profit record, and you know how high that is," Ethan warned.
"What are you trying to say?"
"In simpler terms, I can't wait to see you fail and then clean up your mess like I always have," Ethan said with a glint of amusement.
"Excuse me?" Shaun sputtered, stunned silence falling over the room.
"When you screw up, you make things a whole lot easier for me," Ethan continued, his voice slicing through the tension.
"I am not accepting the deal," Shaun gritted through clenched teeth.
"Have it your way, but let me warn you: trying to compete with me right now is the dumbest thing you'll ever do in your life."
"I want you to get out of here!" Shaun yelled, his composure fraying at the edges.
"Shaun, stay quiet!" Caleb rebuked, his tone stern.
"I'm still the one in charge here!" Shaun shot back defiantly, but his bravado failed to mask the uncertainty creeping in.
"This is not about you anymore, boy! We are all going to be in debt if you don't accept Ethan's deal," Chairman Owen interjected, frustration brimming.
"I don't remember you being the one who makes the shots," Shaun snapped, looking back at Owen with defiance.
"This is the person you wanted to replace Mae with? You're going to make an even greater loss," Owen warned, casting a glance at Shaun.
"Nobody asked you to speak, old man," Shaun shot in anger, but Owen was unfazed.
"Control your son, Alex, or I'll do it myself," Chairman Owen warned, voice low and heavy.
"Shaun, behave yourself, or I'll have you thrown out," Alex threatened.
"You can't do anything to me, Father. Have you forgotten about the clauses you signed with my mother?" Shaun shot back, the threat hanging in the air.
"I'm sorry, but my hands are tied. I can't do anything to him," Caleb admitted, frustration showing on his face.
"You can't, Father-in-law, but I can," Mae interjected, her voice rising above the chaos with quiet strength.
"And what are you going to do? You're about to be removed from your position. Your husband is just here stalling and trying to distract us so we won't focus on removing you," Shaun sneered.
"Well, brother-in-law, I'm still the one with the highest shares, and that's all I need to make my next move," Mae stated confidently.
"What next move?" Shaun challenged, incredulity pouring from him.
"RX Hotels is breaking our partnership with SJ Group," Mae declared, triumph radiating from her.
"What?!" The room erupted in protests.
"That's ridiculous! You'll have to pay an absurd amount of money if you break the partnership," Shaun argued, desperation seeping into his voice.
"Well, she doesn't have me for nothing," Ethan recounted with a sly grin.
"If RX Hotels ends the partnership and Feng Teng ends their deal, does that mean SJ Group will face significant losses?" Brooke asked, suspicion in her tone.
"Shaun, what the hell do you think you are doing?" Caleb's voice was gruff, edging toward panic.
"Do you still think you can work some miracle to save this company?" Ethan poked, eyes piercing Shaun's mask of confidence.
"Is this the best you can do, Ethan? Do you seriously think you have me cornered? Whatever you do, I'm not accepting your offer, so make all the moves you want," Shaun said defiantly, though his composure wavered.
"I haven't even made a move," Ethan replied calmly, throwing dismissive words that sliced through Shaun's bravado.
"Get up and leave here now! Don't make me repeat myself," Shaun shouted, frustration boiling over.
"Damian, have you done what I asked you to do?" Ethan asked, turning his attention elsewhere.
"Yes, they should be calling any minute now," Damian affirmed.
"Whose phone is that?" Shaun asked, a frown forming.
Shaun dug into his inner coat pocket and pulled out his phone—the screen illuminated an unknown number.
"Aren't you going to take that?" Ethan urged, his tone light.
Shaun reluctantly answered. "Hello?"
All eyes shifted back to Shaun as tension filled the room; his face began to pale, fear etching itself into his features. He shook as the voice on the other end sent a chill down his spine, the phone slipping from his grasp and falling to the ground.
"Are you okay, brother?" Ethan asked, concern masked by intrigue.
"I'll accept the deal," Shaun conceded, his confidence drained and his voice weak.
"Wow! What changed your mind?" Ethan responded, bemusement brushing his words.
"That doesn't matter. You've gotten what you want, so you can leave now," Shaun said, desperation lacing his command.
"I'll leave when I want to," Ethan maintained his stance.
"Ethan, thanks a lot for helping us," Shaun forced out, each word almost suffocating on his tongue.
"I'm only doing this for Mae. I didn't give out this deal because I wanted to help; I only did it so Mae can remain the president. I hope that's not too much to ask," Ethan replied, satisfaction creeping into his voice.
"It's not, Ethan. Mae can keep her position," Shaun deflected, a thread of vulnerability in his tone.
"She's not keeping her position!" Ethan shot back definitively.
"That's not your decision to make, Shaun, so know your place," Mae interjected firmly.
"Not only does she get to keep her position; she can do whatever she wants, and I don't want anyone objecting to her just like you've been doing," Ethan declared, unyielding.
"We won't object to her anymore," one board member admitted, visibly intimidated.
"And the next time you conspire against her again, I won't hesitate to use the power I have to make your lives miserable," Ethan warned, his eyes springing with fiery conviction.
"Ethan?" Shaun coughed, clearly shaken.
"I hope you got the message," Ethan replied with a smile.
"Yes, we got it," Shaun stammered, beaten.
"I'll take my leave now," Ethan announced, pushing Mae's chair as she protested, determination written across his features.
"Hey! Where are we going to? I'm not done with the meeting!" Mae exclaimed.
"We're going home."
"But—"
"Just enjoy the ride," Ethan urged.
"Ethan, what should I do about them?" Damian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Take care of them. I'm heading home right now. You tidy things here and come over, okay?" Ethan replied, casually leaving the tension behind.
"Okay, Ethan," Damian nodded as Ethan walked out with Mae still in her swivel chair, Becca trailing close behind.
"What just happened?" one board member mumbled in disbelief.
"The stepson just outwitted the biological son," another chuckled softly.
"Michael, we need to get going now," Damian said, rising from his seat with urgency.
"Family dinner at six. Ethan and Mae are coming, so be on your best behavior and tell my mother our relationship depends on this dinner," Michael directed as he turned to Caleb.
"See you then," Caleb reassured as Michael and Damian headed for the exit.
"Hey, where do you think you're going, Michael?" one board member questioned.
"I don't have the time to sit here and watch Shaun behave like an immature baby. I have reasonable things to do with my time," he responded curtly.
"Let's go," Damian said as they walked out of the room.
"I think I've seen enough of you being a disappointment for one day," Alex said, getting up as he gestured for the board members of RX Hotels to follow him.
"Let's leave this place," Chairman Owen decided, rising from his seat, and everyone began to disperse.
Only a few board members of SJ Group and some shareholders from RX Hotels remained in the room, leaving Shaun simmering at the table, fists clenched tight.
"How did Ethan find out about our plan?!" Shaun bellowed, frustration spilling from him.
"We have no idea, Shaun," one board member replied, glancing nervously around the room.
"My guess is that someone said something they weren't meant to," Ella suggested, a sharp edge cutting through her tone.
"Are you indirectly accusing one of us of being a mole?" Shaun shot back, calculating.
"I'm not accusing any of you," Ella replied, defiant in her stance.
"If it turns out that one of you blabbed to Ethan, I swear I'll…" Shaun warned, his fury palpable.
"What will you do, Shaun? Right now, you're utterly useless," Ella remarked, losing patience.
"Joining forces with you was a mistake," another board member chimed in, watching the fallout.
"Even if you're utterly stupid, you should at least know what that means," Ella continued scornfully.
"With your impulsiveness, hot temper, and lack of foresight, you can't even beat Ethan, let alone put up a fight against the Blackwood family," another member advised, casting a warning glance.
"If you know what's good for you, you better stop this foolishness and give up while Ethan still considers you family," a board member added ominously.
"You know he doesn't need much of a reason to take you down if he wants to; I'd advise you to be grateful to him," another warned.
"Shut up!" Shaun yelled, teeth gritted in fury.
"I hate this job," Ella sighed, frustration welling inside her, when suddenly a phone began ringing beside her. She picked it up, glancing at the caller ID.
"Hello, Ella," the voice on the other end came through, urgent.
"Why are you calling without a heads-up?" Ella asked, her gaze sharp.
"It's really urgent. I heard that brat went back to his family," the caller insisted.
"Yes, he actually crashed the meeting we had today," Ella relayed, knowing the implications.
"Did he ruin Shaun's plan?" the voice inquired, concern weaving through the tone.
"'Ruin' isn't the right word to describe his actions today. He obliterated the entire scheme," Ella admitted, a grimace plastered on her features.
"That boy is a real pain," the caller sighed.
"Shaun is proving to be more of a useless pawn with each day," Ella remarked.
"Remember, we only need Shaun to help us get to his mother. He's just a toy for Ethan to play with while we work on our plans."
"Then I guess we'll have to keep a close watch on Shaun," came the response, unwavering.
"What do you propose?" Ella inquired, her patience thinning.
"Don't worry your pretty head. I'll deal with Shaun myself," the caller assured her.
"What about Ethan? How is he still the president?" Ella pressed, bewildered by their lack of control.
"To be honest, I underestimated him greatly, and now it's come back to haunt me. Now I understand how SJ Group managed to still be on par with us after Alex's divorce."
"Are you saying he's been hiding behind the secretary role all this time?" The incredulity in her voice was palpable.
"In just a month, he's proven to the shareholders of Blackwood that he's more than capable of running the company without any help from the board members," the caller confirmed.
"What?" Ella gasped, and uncertainty began to creep into her stomach.
"He's more dangerous than we anticipated."
"That means taking him out won't be easy," she conceded.
"With Blackwood on his side, it complicates things further," the caller replied, frustration evident.
"Can't we just attack his family?" she suggested, but then hesitated.
"I have a bad feeling about us attacking his family," the caller warned, caution lacing every syllable.
"What do you mean?" Ella prodded.
"Ethan is not like Shaun; he wouldn't jump to conclusions about his enemies. If we harm any of his family members, he's going to hunt us down and inflict infinity of pain in revenge. That's not what we want right now."
"So what are we going to do about him?" she asked, concern deepening.
"We need to dig into Ethan's life. We need to find some dirt on him. Something that would help us in taking him out," came the calculated response.
"Should I tell Ava to carry out the investigation?" Ella asked eagerly.
"Yes, please do that. I'll have to end this conversation here; I'm meeting up with our partners," the caller stated.
"Take care, dear, and don't do anything crazy," she remonstrated.
"I won't."
"I love you."
"I can't wait for all this to be over so we can finally be together," she murmured longingly.
"Me too."
"I love you, Ella," he said, the warmth escaping his lips.
"I love you more," she whispered back, tears spilling down her cheeks as the call disconnected, leaving the bitter aftermath hanging in the air.