Chapter 16 Special Treatment
The moment the r
the ringtone chimed, the entire conference room fell silent
You could’ve heard a pin drop.
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Within seconds, everyone started exchanging wide–eyed glances. Expressions lit up with barely contained excitement, the air thick with the smell of gossip.
The two whispering employees from earlier gripped each other’s hands, visibly thrilled, lowering their voices even more.
“Ahhh! It’s Hannah again!”
“Tsk, he really spoils her. Everyone else has to silence their phones before entering meetings, but the boss? He never does- just so he doesn’t miss a message from her.”
“Bet he’s about to walk out of the meeting again! He’s a real simp for her!”
J–Ugh, drama. I heard several senior execs are already preparing to jump ship. The CEO’s totally distracted–barely focused
on company operations. That last quarter’s earnings report was a mess.”
“Business talk later. First, let’s enjoy the romance.”
Stella’s expression darkened. She took a deep breath, lips pressed tight.
There were clear signs pointing to Ethan’s eventual downfall.
Her clear gaze stayed fixed on Ethan.
Tina had just returned to the conference room and taken a seat behind Ethan, laptop in hand, when she heard the ringtone.
Her fingers tightened instinctively on the keyboard.
He’s not leaving again, is he?
The balding executive who was presenting paused. He didn’t dare keep talking.
Don’t interrupt the CEO while he checks his phone!
Ethan noticed the sudden change in atmosphere and frowned slightly
He’d forgotten to silence his phone–again.
He’d already decided to keep a lower profile. Nathan had warned him.
If the company really went under-
Where would he get money to support his sister?
Stella noticed Ethan hadn’t rushed to check his phone this time. Her expression eased slightly.
This is just pathetic.
Otherwise, she’d seriously start wondering how he managed to build a company this big in the first place.
Ethan fiddled with the bracelet on his right wrist, glanced at the executive, and was just about to ask him to continue.
Then the ringtone chimed again.
This time, it was an incoming voice call,
Ethan couldn’t resist anymore.
Hannah had never called via voice before–something must be wrong
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Chapter 16 Special Treatment
He grabbed his phone and answered without hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
On the other end came a soft voice, laced with tears. “Ethan.. I got hit by a car. It hurts so much..“.
Ethan’s expression turned serious at once. “Where are you? Send me your location. I’ll be there right away!”
It was a quiet, low–traffic photo spot popular with influencers.
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After ending the call, Hannah stood up from the pavement, adjusting her sunglasses and cap. She turned to her assistant on the electric bike.
“Take the bike and go now!
She knew Ethan would worry and come running.
She couldn’t stand how he’d suddenly stopped doting on her.
So she resorted to this–just to see if he still cared.
She’d told her assistant to gently nudge her with the bike. She’d fallen with her bare knees scraping the ground.
When Ethan showed up, she’d say it was a delivery guy and she let him go out of kindness.
That way, she’d
Win–win
come off as both sweet and forgiving–and Ethan would feel all the more sorry for her.
The assistant rode off, glancing at the minor scrape on Hannah’s knee and scratching her nose awkwardly.
By the time Mr. Ethan gets here, this thing will have healed already….
She really couldn’t understand what had gotten into Hannah lately. She used to act completely indifferent toward Ethan.
And now she was pulling stunts like this?
She seriously suspected someone clever was coaching Ethan behind the scenes–playing hard to get had clearly worked.
And Hannah had fallen for it.
Good luck, Mr. Movie Star
Ethan received Hannah’s location–it wasn’t far.
He twisted the bracelet on his wrist again, then stood to address the room. “I have something to handle. Continue without me. The secretary will send me the meeting summary later.”
Everyone nodded quickly. No one dared object,
A few senior executives looked like they wanted to speak, but in the end said nothing.
They’d already voiced their concerns privately–never listened to, just left feeling resentful.
Still, they couldn’t deny it.
In just four short years, Ethan had turned the company from a money pit into a rising giant. His business instincts were undeniable.
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