Empire 74

This chapter makes a quiet but clear adjustment to the story. Small choices and brief pauses point the plot in a new direction. The shift is steady, not loud, and it sets up what comes next.

A few actions and reactions stand out. A held-back answer, a quick decision, or a look that lingers changes how characters see each other. These beats feel small now but carry weight forward.

Emotions sit just under the surface. The tone shows doubt, hope, or pressure even when the words stay measured. What is not said guides the scene as much as what is spoken.

Earlier choices and old tensions shape how people act here. History does not repeat, but it limits and nudges. The present is easier to read when the past is kept in view.

Trust, distance, and leverage shift by degrees. Roles adjust, and the space between characters changes shape. By the end, connections are not exactly what they were.

Objects, gestures, and setting notes do quiet work. They mirror the mood and hint at motives. Paying attention to them clarifies what is at stake.

Short remarks, paused replies, and choices made too quickly point to what will matter soon. The chapter plants markers that future scenes will pick up.

A few sentences carry the heart of the scene. They show fear, resolve, or longing in simple words. These are the lines that will echo next chapter.

In the end, everyone’s gaze inevitably landed on Ethan.

“Nadia, you’ve had enough to drink,” Ethan said, his expression wiped clean of any emotion. He turned his head slightly and instructed Ash, “Take Miss Nadia home.”

“Yes, sir…”

Ash nodded immediately and hurried over to help Nadia, but she avoided him, weaving unsteadily until she stood in front of Ethan. Chapters first released on find•novel.net

“We’ve been friends for years, Ethan. Are you really going to turn down even a single drink from me? Let’s share this one, and then I’ll leave on my own. I won’t trouble your people any further.”

Ethan didn’t say a word. He simply picked up his glass and downed it in one go, never once letting his gaze fall on her.

Nadia’s tears slid silently down her cheeks.

“Fine. You’re quite something, Ethan. I won’t bother you again.”

She closed her eyes, threw back her own drink, and the moment she set the glass down, her body went limp, collapsing straight toward Ethan.

Without so much as a flinch, Ethan sidestepped her, moving so quickly that not even the hem of his jacket brushed against her.

Ash, having caught Ethan’s earlier look, stepped in right away and caught Nadia by the arm, steadying her with a respectful, “Miss Nadia, you’ve had a bit too much. Let me see you home.”

Nadia clearly hadn’t expected Ethan to avoid her so completely, not even offering the smallest gesture of kindness.

She opened her mouth to say something more, but Ethan’s cold, indifferent gaze made her swallow

her words.

“No need…”

She glanced at Ethan once more, then pushed away from Ash and stumbled out of the room.

The atmosphere at the table shifted completely after she left. All eyes were on Ethan–including

Ramona’s.

He, however, simply nudged the lazy Susan as if nothing at all had happened. “Don’t be shy, everyone. Please, help yourselves.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Jordon.”

Even though curiosity burned in every heart, no one dared to ask more in the face of Ethan’s overwhelming presence.

Ramona hesitated, then spoke softly, “Mr. Jordon, about Miss Nadia just now… Are you sure you don’t want to check on her?”

19:00

She remembered Yancey mentioning that Nadia came from a distinguished family, always so self–possessed and proper. For her to lose control in public like that, she must be genuinely hurting.

Ethan’s voice softened a little. “Today is our engagement party. You’re the one who matters tonight.”

“Ash will get her home safely. There’s no reason to let someone irrelevant disrupt our evening.”

“I’m your fiancé, Ramona. Leaving you behind to chase after another woman on our engagement day would be disrespectful to you. I would never do that.”

Moments earlier, Nadia’s outburst had only made Ramona feel more distant from the idea of their arranged marriage. But Ethan’s straightforward explanation and the importance he placed on her sent a ripple through her heart, subtle but undeniable.

So this engagement, which she had thought was just a formality, meant something to Ethan. He took it seriously, he cared about her feelings.

After the party, Florence and Phineas couldn’t bear to part with Ramona. If they had their way, she’d have moved into Ethan’s estate that very night.

Ramona, unable to refuse their kindness, could only beg off by saying she was busy with work.

Ethan personally drove Ramona home.

She was exhausted from working nonstop, and it wasn’t long after getting in the car that she drifted off. When she woke again, the car was already parked in front of her building.

Ethan sat quietly beside her, as if he’d just been waiting for her to wake up.

“Mr. Jordon… I’m so sorry, did I sleep for a long time?” Ramona glanced at the clock and gasped in surprise. “It’s so late… You should have woken me!”

It was already one in the morning. She’d slept for over an hour.

“You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to disturb you. Go on in and get some rest.”

“All right. Thank you, Mr. Jordon…”

She nodded, not wanting to take up any more of his time.

But as she stepped out of the car and glanced back, she saw him lower his head and pinch the bridge of his nose, clearly exhausted as well.

Of course, Ethan was working even harder than she was, no doubt even more tired. Yet he didn’t seem accustomed to showing any vulnerability; even that faint trace of fatigue was carefully hidden.

The next morning, at Holt Group.

Brianna had barely taken her seat when she realized countless eyes were on her. Everyone in the office seemed to be watching.

“Ms. Prescott, the Chairman would like to see you in the executive office,” an employee hurried over and whispered.

“Who did you say?”

19:00

Brianna had just picked up her water bottle, which slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor, splashing water all over her. She barely noticed.

The Chairman… that was Griffin Holt, Jotham’s father.

Why was he here? Griffin hadn’t set foot in the company in ages. He’d handed over all authority to Jotham.

Jotham had even promised her that Winnie would never tell Griffin about her, that at least while they were both at work, she had nothing to worry about.

The scene closes, but its pressure does not. Something has shifted, and the next step will have to meet it. The feeling is unfinished on purpose.

Expect tighter tension and fewer safe options. Hidden truths may press forward. The path ahead should feel earned and a bit sharper.

Which choice will echo the longest? Who revealed the most by saying the least? How might today’s restraint become tomorrow’s turning point?

Rules, memory, and the setting frame each decision. Inside that frame, even small moves gain size. The chapter belongs to its world as much as to its people.

With this chapter done, the story steps forward—quieter, clearer, and ready to show what those choices mean.