The sudden turn of events left everyone in shock. The bodyguards outside were on edge, understanding the consequences if anything happened to Isabella Li—they'd end up feeding the fish in the bay. However, seeing that Ethan Wu was threatening the assistant Evan Feng rather than Isabella, they hesitated to open fire immediately.
Isabella, after her initial shock, raised a hand to gesture toward the door.
"No! It wasn't me! Boss, I'm innocent!" Evan Feng, unaware of Ethan's identity and thinking this was Isabella's doing, immediately began pleading with her.
He assumed the call for reinforcements was aimed at him. With his head pressed down on the desk, he couldn't see the guns aimed at Ethan from the doorway.
"Innocent?! Facing death, and you still claim innocence?" Ethan snarled, appearing furious. "How do you explain the five million dollars in your Swiss bank account?"
"What? What five million? What are you talking about? That's not mine…" Evan Feng tried to argue.
Bang!
Ethan slammed the back of Evan Feng's head down again, then searched his pockets and pulled out his phone.
"See, look, there's nothing on my phone…" Evan Feng cried out.
Ethan ignored him and entered a series of numbers, using the second SIM card slot to make the call.
Dylan Ding's private number wasn't saved in Evan Feng's contacts; he had memorized it. Each time they spoke, he would delete the call history, and calls from his secondary SIM were untraceable by the carrier.
Unfortunately, Ethan happened to know Dylan Ding's private number as well.
Once the call connected, Ethan switched to speaker mode and placed the phone on the desk.
After a few rings, the call was answered.
"Did you get the information?" an urgent voice asked from the other end.
Ethan pressed a button to hang up immediately. He then set the gun down on the desk and slid it toward Isabella until it stopped right at the edge.
Adjusting his cuffs and collar, Ethan returned to the sofa, crossing his legs in a calm, composed manner.
Isabella's face remained expressionless, her gaze icy as she stared at Evan Feng.
Walking up to the desk, she picked up the gun, examining it thoughtfully. Without looking up, she said in a low voice, "You've been with the Li family for many years, serving my father for ten years and me for four."
"Over the years, I've been aware of the benefits you've reaped, both openly and covertly. I turned a blind eye out of respect for your loyalty. But five million dollars? Is that all it takes to betray me?"
Her words seemed to penetrate Evan Feng's resolve, causing him to tremble as he knelt on the floor, tears streaming down his face.
"Miss Li, I… I… It wasn't my choice… I was forced!" Evan Feng whimpered, trembling all over, his back drenched in blood.
"So, you truly have been betraying me all along? I wondered how it was that Dylan Ding managed to 'coincidentally' run into me on business trips or how that endorsement deal suddenly fell through…" Isabella's eyes flickered with fury.
"Miss Li, I… it wasn't about the money…"
"You didn't take money from Dylan Ding?"
"Yes, yes, I did! But! But it was under the madam's orders! It was her, Miss Li!" Evan Feng pleaded, sweat dripping down his face and back.
Isabella's expression shifted slightly.
The "madam" referred to her mother.
The Li family had always intended for Isabella to marry Dylan Ding. When they arranged the bet, there was an agreement: if Isabella discovered that her family had intentionally assisted Dylan, he would automatically lose.
But if her mother truly was behind it, the family would never admit it. It would be impossible to prove.
This was a dilemma with no solution.
"Miss Li, I was in a tough spot! I never wanted to harm you… My loyalty has always been to the Li family…" Evan Feng begged.
Isabella's gaze softened, her eyes growing more complex.
If her mother was indeed behind it, Evan Feng's betrayal could be seen as coerced.
"He's lying," Ethan interjected from the sofa, examining his nails without even glancing at them. "It was Dylan Ding's idea. Your mother doesn't want you to marry him. She doesn't want you to become a sacrificial pawn in the family's alliances. But she's under pressure from her own family—your grandfather."
"Pinning this on your mother was Dylan Ding's ploy. He promised Evan Feng not only the five million but also a company transfer after everything was settled. And if caught, he'd still hand over the company to Evan Feng."
"Dylan Ding knows that while you can stand up to anyone in the family, even your grandfather, you have a soft spot for your mother, who has always sided with you."
"At first, Evan Feng wasn't willing to be a traitor. He knew your temper. But Dylan Ding convinced him, saying that if discovered, he could claim it was under your mother's orders. Your mother wouldn't admit to it, and you'd think it was because of the bet. You'd end up believing Evan Feng was following her instructions."
"Lies! All lies! Who are you, you scoundrel?! Who do you think you are?" Evan Feng completely lost his composure, shouting obscenities at Ethan.
He was infuriated because Ethan's every word was true.
In his millennia of repeated days, Ethan had often resorted to interrogation to uncover secrets, exploiting the fact that each day reset without consequences.
Once, on the morning of July 7, Ethan had kidnapped Evan Feng, torturing him finger by finger, learning numerous hidden truths. Another time, he had flown for hours to South City, arriving at noon to kidnap Dylan Ding himself, interrogating and ultimately killing him.
Ethan knew all their secrets.
"If I were lying, why get so worked up?" Ethan looked calmly at Evan Feng. "If Isabella were to call Dylan Ding right now, relay my accusations, do you think Dylan would stand by you?"
"If he does, he'll owe you a company. If he doesn't, he loses nothing whether you live or die, wouldn't you agree?"
Ethan's words pushed Evan Feng into a state of extreme terror.
"Greed isn't a crime. But greed without brains? Don't blame anyone else." Ethan concluded.
Evan Feng's mental defenses shattered.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Miss Li, I've realized my mistake! Miss Li! Miss Li!" Evan Feng began banging his head against the floor, his forehead bleeding.
Isabella calmly sat down, setting the gun on the table. "So, tell me everything you've done for Dylan Ding over the years."
Evan Feng, shaking, spilled everything, confessing to spying on her movements, stealing company data, and hindering various aspects of her business.
When he finished, Isabella listened calmly, her expression unchanging.
"Leave. I don't ever want to see you again," she said.
"Thank you, Miss Li! Thank you!" Evan Feng stammered, bowing repeatedly, then stumbled toward the door and fled.
As soon as he left, Isabella picked up her phone, made a call, and gave a simple instruction: "Evan Feng. Make it clean."
She hung up and tossed the phone onto the table, removing her glasses and massaging her temples, showing a rare moment of weariness. She was, after all, carrying a heavy burden.
"When will my ten million hit my account?" Ethan's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Isabella looked up, her gaze now peculiarly assessing.
She didn't actually need glasses. Her gold-rimmed glasses were plain lenses, and she could see just fine without them.
"I agreed to that, did I?" Isabella asked quietly.
Ethan shrugged, nonchalant.
"Ha!" Isabella let out a brief laugh, then picked up her phone, swiping through it for a moment.
Ding!
Ethan's phone chimed. He glanced at it and saw a bank notification—twenty million deposited!
With her prior investigation into Ethan, Isabella hadn't needed to ask for his bank details. She already had them on hand.
"You overpaid," Ethan said, tucking his phone away.
"My brother—what's his situation?" Isabella asked directly.
Ethan only chuckled, remaining silent.
"You're bluffing?" she asked coolly.
"I know what you're thinking," Ethan replied. "You believe I have some intel but still doubt me. You think I'm trying to gain your trust, maybe even suspect I'm a pawn sent by Dylan Ding, sacrificing Evan Feng to stage this act, correct?"
He smiled. "And that's why, after I tell you about your brother, you'll consider shooting me. Isn't that right?"
Isabella fell silent, her gaze steady on him.
"To ease your concerns, I wouldn't mind becoming your fourth fake boyfriend," Ethan suggested, maintaining his smile. "You know how much Dylan detests even the idea of a 'green hat'—he can't stand it, even if it's fake. How about it?"
"… Why? Are you not afraid of death?" Isabella finally asked.
"Ambition. With a connection to you, my life could become very interesting, wouldn't you agree?" Ethan grinned.
Isabella's gaze lingered on him, and slowly, a smile played at her lips.
"I'm starting to like you," she admitted with a grin.
And she meant it. She appreciated greedy people. People who were indifferent were the most dangerous. The greedy ones—they had weaknesses and could be controlled.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]