Ethan gazed out the car window at the passing city lights on the way back to the hospital.
"Gotta say, your mind works fast," Wade Qi remarked from the driver's seat. "If I'd had your brains back in the day... Ah, forget it. Water under the bridge."
Ethan shook his head wearily. "Didn't have a choice. Had to find a way out. Anyone important enough for The Boss to personally pour drinks for is someone who values their reputation. The bigger they are, the more they fear any brush with scandal. Once the police get involved in anything, even tangentially, people like that get nervous. The more powerful you are, the more enemies you have waiting for a misstep."
"I was talking about how you never mentioned the debt to Autumn the entire time," Wade Qi clarified.
"Oh, that," Ethan said. "Probably just habit. I tend to keep things vague. Leaves me room to maneuver if things go sideways."
"Which is why you're good," Wade Qi nodded. "I saw Tyler He bolt from the club earlier, by the way."
"I know," Ethan smiled faintly. "Autumn gave him up. But I would've guessed anyway. Right now, there are really only two groups who want me gone. Tyler He, who wants to get rid of me first to make it easier to take down Serena. The second is Lucas and Gwendolyn. But they couldn't have teamed up with Autumn unless Michael Langford was involved. And a man like Michael... I haven't had much contact with him, but if he made a move, it wouldn't be something this amateurish. A simple frame-job like this is full of holes. Even if it had worked, it would've been mutually assured destruction. The Boss would have seen through it, and Michael wouldn't have come out looking good."
"How could The Boss ever trust someone who rises by setting up his own people?"
Wade Qi gave him a thumbs-up.
"Speaking of which," Ethan changed the subject. "We never did talk about your salary. You need money, right? That twenty thousand from the casino was probably just a stopgap. What are you expecting for pay?"
"Haven't really thought about it," Wade Qi admitted, keeping his eyes on the road. "According to our bet, I owe you my service. Doesn't feel right to ask for a salary on top of that. But... yeah, I do need the money."
"Then figure it out," Ethan said. "Add up whatever you need—loans, other expenses. Give me a number. But you know my situation. I don't even know what my own monthly income will be yet. The money from the job for Michael is for my mom's treatment; it's untouchable. This way, even if my future income is uncertain, I'll know what I'm committing to."
"Alright," Wade Qi agreed, not one for false pride. A man had to make a living. There was no shame in that. Working for free would be the strange thing.
Pushing open the hospital room door, Ethan saw Maya sitting by the bed, her head bowed.
Hearing the door, she looked up immediately, her eyes filled with the anxiety of someone who knew they'd caused trouble.
Before either could speak, Lydia's voice cut through the quiet. "Did you bully this girl, Ethan? She's been sitting here looking guilty since she arrived, saying she was waiting for you. Won't tell me what's wrong."
"It's nothing, Mom. I'll talk with Maya." Ethan patted Maya's shoulder, signaling for her to follow him outside.
Maya kept her head down as they left the room, her small hands nervously twisting the hem of her shirt.
"Ethan, I'm so sorry, I..."
"You didn't do anything to me," Ethan shook his head. "And you didn't do anything wrong. You just didn't expect them to take you to a place like that, right?"
"Yeah," Maya nodded vigorously, tears welling in her eyes. "Ethan, if you hadn't been there... I don't know what would have happened. Did I cause trouble for you?"
Ethan sighed. Had Maya caused him trouble? No.
In fact, being able to turn the tables on Autumn's trap was largely thanks to Maya being there. He felt fortunate, but not because Maya was present that night. He was fortunate that Autumn had chosen that night to set her trap, forcing him to go to the club.
Ethan was a person who valued loyalty. He remembered those who were good to him and repaid them manifold. Maya and her father fell squarely into that category.
He patted her shoulder again. "I'm not blaming you. I know it wasn't your fault. But sometimes, it's not about who's right or wrong. Even if the other person is one hundred percent at fault, and you're the one who gets hurt... everyone thinks differently. Even with classmates you think you know, you can never be sure what kind of demon might be hiding inside."
"So, if something like this happens again, first ask yourself why. Why are they suddenly inviting you? Why are they being so nice? Think it through before you act. Of course, you're an adult now. You need to be prepared to learn from your mistakes the hard way. Understand?"
Maya nodded forcefully, tears now streaming down her face.
"Alright, go home," Ethan said, wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Your dad will be worried if you're out too late. I won't tell him about today."
"Thank you, Ethan," Maya whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Ethan sighed and went back into the room, picking up an apple to peel for his mother.
Lydia watched her son. "I heard what you said out there. Sounded like you were talking to yourself as much as to her."
"Yeah, Mom," Ethan admitted, feeding her a small slice of apple. "I've been thinking a lot about the 'why' myself these past few days."
Lydia gently stroked the side of his face. "Don't overthink it. Get some rest."
"Goodnight, Mom."
The Next Morning
Ethan woke up early and headed to The Summit. He did a quick round through the casino. Seeing it was quiet, he returned to his room across the hall, pulled out his homework, and started writing furiously.
A life of hardship had taught Ethan that there was no such thing as 'not enough time.' He'd once managed a fishpond, caught and sold fish, attended school, and still maintained the top grades—all simultaneously.
Being in management now was, by comparison, easier.
He found studying and solving problems very boring. He hadn't discovered any special tricks; it was all rote memorization and brute-force learning. So when people said he had a good mind, he never argued.
By 9 PM, he stretched, his self-imposed study quota for the day completed.
A rapid, urgent knocking sounded at his door.
"Ethan! It's me!"
Serena's voice came from the hallway.
"One sec!" Ethan splashed water on his face, straightened his shirt, and opened the door.
"Ethan, what have you been doing? People said you've been holed up in here all day." Serena tried to peek past him into the room.
"Homework," Ethan stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Senior year. The workload is insane."
Serena listened, then turned to look to the side. "See, sis? One hundred and eighty centimeters of genuine high school senior. Spent the whole day swimming in the sea of knowledge. Will he do?"
"He'll do! He's perfect!" A woman in a flashy red dress, exuding a sultry aura, stepped into view from the side. "I want someone exactly like this—genuinely naive. All the other men around here just pretend to be innocent. It's disgusting to watch!"