The waiter arrived with two perfectly seared Wagyu steaks, the aroma of truffle butter and aged oak filling the space between them. For a while, the intensity of the phone call seemed to fade, replaced by the clinking of silverware and the low hum of the city below.
Ethan took a sip of the vintage red wine, a bold Cabernet that stained the glass like velvet. Sarah watched him over the rim of her own glass, her eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight.
"I have to admit, Ethan, your father had excellent taste in restaurants, but he lacked your... flair for the dramatic," said Sarah Miller.
"My father was a builder. I am a restorer. Sometimes, to restore something, you have to burn away the rot first," said Ethan.
As he spoke, Ethan felt a soft, rhythmic pressure against his calf. Sarahās leg was sliding slowly up his shin, her high heel grazing his trousers with a bold, deliberate touch. Her pink aura, visible through Ethanās lingering [Erovision], flared in rhythm with the movement, becoming deeper and more vibrant.
"Itās been difficult since he passed," said Sarah, her voice dropping to a more intimate, sincere register as she cut into her steak. "When Vincent took over, it felt like the soul was being sucked out of the building. We all tried to keep his vision alive, but we were drowning. Every board meeting felt like a funeral for the companyās ethics. I always hoped someone would come back to claim the throne. I just didnāt expect it to be someone so... capable."
"You stayed. That counts for something in my book. Most people jump ship the moment they see smoke," said Ethan, leaning back and watching her.
"I stayed because I knew what Future Technologies could be. And because Iām loyal to the legacy, not the man in the chairāunless the man in the chair earns it," said Sarah Miller. She shifted her leg higher, her knee now resting against the inside of his thigh.
"You know, Vincent almost managed to bury the āAegisā project last quarter," said Sarah Miller, leaning in as the waiter cleared their main plates. "He saw it as a drain on the immediate dividends. He couldnāt see past the next fiscal report."
"The Aegis project? Iāve seen the name in the files, but Iām still getting my head around the deeper technicals. Why was he so intent on killing it?" asked Ethan.
"It wasnāt about killing it; it was about the timing. Aegis is a high-risk capital injection designed to artificially inflate our stock value while simultaneously shorting our main competitor. A major client is paying us under the table to devalue them so they can initiate a hostile takeover. Itās a ruthless play, even for us," said Sarah Miller.
Ethan leaned back, looking thoughtful. In the corner of his vision, a subtle blue light flickered.
[Master, I have analyzed the market trends and the competitorās upcoming announcements. If you proceed with the Aegis injection tonight, you will fail. The competitorās stock is set to emerge tomorrow morning due to an unannounced government contract. Future Technologies would lose approximately 120 million dollars in a single day,] said Crul.
Ethanās eyes narrowed. He looked at Sarah, who was already checking her watch, looking ready to green-light the move.
"Sarah, donāt do it. Cancel the Aegis injection for tonight. If you move that capital now, weāre going to lose. The competitorās stock isnāt going to drop; itās going to skyrocket by tomorrow morning. Weāll be down 120 million before the opening bell," Ethan said.
Sarah froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and skepticism. "Ethan, my team has been tracking this for months. All the data points to a collapse. How could you possibly know itās going to arise?" asked Sarah Miller.
"I have my sources, and they are never wrong. If you want to keep your reputation as a brilliant CFO, youāll stop that transaction right now," said Ethan, his voice cold and commanding.
Sarah bit her lip, staring at him for a long beat. The sheer confidence in his eyes was staggering. She pulled her phone from her clutch and stepped slightly away from the table, her fingers flying across the screen as she dialed.
"This is Miller. Kill the Aegis injection. Now. I donāt care if the orders are already in the system, pull them back. Yes, immediately," said Sarah Miller into the phone.
She hung up and sat back down, her chest rising and falling with the adrenaline of the moment. She looked at Ethan as if seeing him for the first timeānot just as a lucky heir, but as something far more formidable.
"I just stopped a hundred-million-dollar play based on a hunch from a man whoās been in the office for less than twenty-four hours. How do you do it? How do you know so much about everything?" asked Sarah Miller.
Ethan offered her a slow, dangerous smile, leaning closer until the scent of her perfume mixed with the aroma of the wine. "Iām just good at everything I set my mind to, Sarah," Ethan said.
Sarahās pink aura flared with an intensity that almost blinded his Erovision. She read in, her voice a sultry, whisper challenging. "Oh? And what else are you good at?" asked Sarah Miller.
"Do you really want to find out?" asked Ethan.
Sarah didnāt flinch; instead, she tilted her chin up, her lips parting slightly. "Iād love to," said Sarah Miller.
As they began to close the final inch, the sudden clink of porcelain shattered the silence. A waiter appeared like a ghost at the edge of the table, holding a silver tray with a flourish.
"The decadent chocolate fondant with gold-leaf garnish for the lady and gentleman. Would you care forā" the waiter began.
Ethan stopped mid-motion and turned his head slowly. He leveled a glare so sharp and filled with such lethal irritation that the waiterās words died in his throat. Under that gaze, the manās hands began to tremble, and he took a stumbling step back.
"I... I apologize, sir. Iāll... Iāll give you a moment," said the waiter, coughing awkwardly as he retreated toward the kitchen with his head bowed.
The spell was broken, but the electricity remained. Sarah let out a soft, breathless laugh, looking at the melting dessert and then back at Ethan.
"It seems even the staff is intimidated by your āotherā talents," said Sarah Miller.