Chapter 4 - The Quiet Power
The nearby tables fell silent as guests turned to watch the commotion. The hostess rushed over, standing behind Richard with a smug, self-satisfied grin, eager to see Ethan humiliated.
"I told him we were full, Mr. Vance!" the hostess chimed in loudly. "He must have snuck in when I was seating real VIPs!"
Ethan didn't raise his voice. He didn't stand up or puff out his chest. He calmly picked up a linen napkin, wiped his mouth, and looked up at Richard with a gaze so intensely cold and authoritative that the manager instinctively took a half-step backward.
"You speak to the mother of your child with profound disrespect, Richard," Ethan stated quietly, his deep voice slicing through the restaurant's ambient noise.
Richard scoffed, trying to regain his arrogant posture. "I don't have to explain myself to a nobody. Security!"
Two burly security guards stepped forward, cracking their knuckles as they approached the booth.
"Ethan, please, you should go," Maya whispered nervously, her hand trembling as she touched his sleeve. "He's connected to powerful people. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."
Ethan looked at Maya’s worried brown eyes, his expression softening instantly into warm reassurance. "I’m not going anywhere, Maya. And neither are you."
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Ethan slowly reached into the inner pocket of his white wool coat, pulling out his sleek, buzzing smartphone. He tapped a single speed-dial contact and placed the phone on speaker mode on the table.
👉 Read Part 5 to hear the phone call that destroyed Richard's world.
