Chapter 399

Ethan Caldwell took far longer than usual to switch vehicles this time.

From a safe distance of a hundred yards, Alexander Whitmore could only watch, frustration gnawing at him. He had no idea what was happening inside the car.

Just as Ethan settled into the driver’s seat of his new ride, the back door suddenly swung open. A stranger slid in beside him without hesitation.

Ethan’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as he shot the man a sharp, distrustful glare.

“Who the hell are you?”

The intruder had a jagged scar above his eyebrow and a cigarette dangling lazily from his lips. Everything about him screamed trouble.

“You’ve got a tail,” Zachary Black said, exhaling a slow stream of smoke before rolling down the window to flick the ashes. “And you didn’t even notice, did you?”

He smirked, tapping the cigarette against the edge of the window.

“Thought your little car-swap was clever? To Alexander Whitmore, that’s amateur hour.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’ll ask one more time—who are you?”

Zachary leaned back, unfazed. “Doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is I can help you lose him.”

The car’s engine hummed softly as the city lights blurred past the windows.

Ethan tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.

"We’re almost there," he muttered, more to himself than to the man beside him. "Do you really think switching cars again will make a difference?"

Zachary exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his expression unreadable. "You tell me."

Ethan’s gaze flicked to the rearview mirror.

There it was—a sleek black sedan parked in the shadows, its headlights dark.

It hadn’t been there when they’d pulled in.

A cold knot formed in his stomach.

How long has he been following me?

He had been careful. He’d taken detours, changed vehicles twice.

Yet, Alexander was still on his trail.

Had he figured it out? Did he know Evelyn was with him?

The thought sent a sharp jolt of unease through him.

Zachary smirked, flicking ash out the window. "Relax, Caldwell. I couldn’t care less about your little hide-and-seek game."

Ethan’s jaw clenched.

This wasn’t just a game.

And Alexander Whitmore was no ordinary opponent.

Ethan Caldwell's gaze sharpened. He knew favors like this never came free.

"What's your angle?" His voice was ice. "What do you want?"

"Let's just say your uncle and I have... history."

That got Ethan's attention.

Zachary Black was the man who'd trapped Evelyn Carter in that derelict warehouse months ago.

He'd rigged the place to explode with her inside, but the cops had stormed in before he could flip the switch.

And now, somehow, he was walking free again.

Ethan's lips curled in silent contempt.

This man was gutter trash—nothing like him, born with a platinum spoon in his mouth.

Disgust coiled in his gut, but years of polished manners kept his expression neutral.

He guessed Zachary must have crossed paths with Alexander Whitmore during police training.

The specifics didn't matter. Ethan had zero interest in digging through Zachary's filthy past.

Zachary smirked, as if sensing Ethan's revulsion.

He crushed his cigarette against the windowsill and flicked it into the night.

The dim glow of the city lights filtered through the blinds, casting long shadows across the room.

Evelyn Carter leaned against the cold marble counter, her fingers tracing the rim of her untouched whiskey glass.

Across from her, Alexander Whitmore regarded her with an unreadable expression, his sharp features half-hidden in the dim lighting.

"Listen," Evelyn began, her voice low but steady. "I might not be the hero of this story, but there's an old saying—the enemy of my enemy is your temporary ally. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

Alexander's lips curled slightly, though his eyes remained guarded.

"Life isn't just black and white," she continued, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. "It's about strategy. And as the CEO of Titan Capital, I know you're no stranger to weighing risks and rewards."

The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension.

Outside, the distant hum of the city was a reminder of the world still turning beyond these walls—a world where alliances shifted like sand, and trust was a currency few could afford.

Evelyn met his gaze, her own unwavering.

"So," she murmured, "are we going to play this game together, or do I walk out that door alone?"