The Phantom Heiress Rising From The Shadows

Chapter 540:

Ethan stiffened slightly, reluctant to spend an evening babysitting Jayceon’s wounded pride, but the idea of enduring the blind date was even worse. Without missing a beat, he replied, “Yeah, sure. I’ll head over now. We can’t afford to let this deal slip through our fingers.” He made sure his voice carried, ensuring Elsa and Minna overheard him, proving to them that he wasn’t trying to escape but had work matters to attend to.

As he ended the call, a weight seemed to lift off his shoulders. Finally, he had the perfect excuse to leave, one that wouldn’t make Elsa furious or make Minna feel rejected.

Across the room, Elsa caught his last few words, her face tightening in disapproval. She crossed her arms and said pointedly, “There’s always another deal waiting. But…”

“You only get one chance to spend time with family. It’s Minna’s first visit here. Isn’t it rude to just leave now?”

Ethan, feigning ignorance of the underlying meaning of her words, responded, “Mom, this deal has been in the pipeline for months. There are heavyweights in the running, undercutting our bids. Yet, the partner acknowledges our superior quality and is open to another discussion. If I skip out tonight, the deal might as well be gone. Go ahead and have dinner without me; I really need to handle this.” Without waiting for Elsa’s approval, Ethan excused himself and hurried out the door.

car and leave, her heart fluttering. What could

his indifference towards Minna. She knew his heart lay elsewhere, with Brenna. If not, he wouldn’t have scrambled so eagerly

it expertly, offering Minna an apologetic smile. “His company demands so much of his time. Please, don’t take it to heart. I’ll set up another meeting soon.

dismissed Elsa’s concerns, saying, “Oh, please don’t worry about it. Let him focus on his work. He’s not like me, idly passing time at the office by scrolling through my phone. He’s the type who probably wishes there were forty-eight hours in

𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙩

Elsa noted her satisfaction with Ethan. It was expected; after all, no woman would easily pass up an opportunity to be

her. Minna exuded a serene and promising aura, starkly contrasting with

a woman needed a touch of reserve; being too capable wasn’t good for a woman. The Harper

onto the sofa. He collapsed into the plush

coffee table before Jayceon was a chaotic sea of empty glasses, and he sat slumped behind it, visibly intoxicated. His expression was etched with torment, his eyes bloodshot, hinting at tears shed or stifled. Ethan, sitting across from him, seemed oblivious to Jayceon’s distress, his disdain for him barely concealed. In his eyes, Jayceon had crossed a line by unfairly pinning