My Ultimate OP System: Summoning All Dragons, Gods, Heroes & Villains-Chapter 42: Putting Out A Hit
Ethan barely paid attention to the system screens materializing before him as they entered the car.
His mind was too occupied trying to piece together what had happened in the office.
[Self-imposed Objectives completed:
-Reaching out to Isabella: +2000xp 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
-Taking over as CEO: +3000xp]
[Bonus Reward for stepping up when it mattered most: +2000xp]
[Total Experience Points: 25,950]
The notifications faded away as quickly as they appeared.
Valerie remained quiet in the passenger seat, saying nothing about what she overheard from that scrawny man earlier. She was pretty certain Ethan knew, after all it was his company being talked about.
It also didn’t seem like any particular matter of concern to her, and frankly, she had enough on her plate trying to adjust to her new role as an assistant butler.
After almost an hour’s drive, they arrived back at the manor and walked into the house together.
Valerie observed from the side as Ethan and Eduardo discussed themselves.
"Eduardo, can you get me the copy of the account sheets in good possession?" Ethan asked.
Eduardo nodded. "Of course, Master Ethan."
He disappeared for a moment and returned carrying a thick ledger and several folders stuffed with documents.
Ethan took them and began flipping through the pages. His eyes scanned the columns of numbers, cross-referencing entries, checking dates and amounts.
After a few minutes, he looked up and said, "This all looks good on paper, but the banks will truly tell us. So call up the banks tomorrow morning. See if you can set up a meeting with whoever’s in charge of our accounts. Then go through these records with them. If money has been diverted, which I’m certain is the case here, we’ll find out quickly."
Eduardo looked genuinely intrigued.
The way the young master went through those sheets and quickly figured out the next best course of action, even when he had no prior experience with any of this, was extremely baffling.
However, he simply nodded and said, "Yes, Master Ethan."
Ethan then added, "Before you leave for the banks tomorrow, I’ll sign new notes that would let you make withdrawals of up to four hundred thousand gold grits from the family account."
Eduardo was taken aback. His eyes widened slightly, but he waited for Ethan to finish.
Ethan continued, "You’re to use the note only after confirming there has been a diversion that prevented the pay of these working men. And if that’s the case, then we’re owing those working men about two hundred and fifty thousand in total from what I just saw on these sheets. The extra hundred and fifty is the bonus I promised."
Ethan knew four hundred thousand wasn’t anywhere close to denting their family’s pockets, and he had a promise to make good on.
"Yes, Master Ethan," Eduardo replied with a slight bow.
As though Ethan suddenly remembered something, he asked, "What time is it?"
Eduardo glanced at his pocket watch. "It’s only just gone past the hour of five."
Ethan’s eyes widened. "Shit, shit," he muttered under his breath.
He had less than three hours before his date with Isabella and had absolutely nothing planned out yet.
"Is there anything the matter, Master Ethan?" Eduardo asked, noticing the sudden shift in his expression.
Ethan scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "The thing is... I have this date with this girl from school tonight."
Eduardo’s eyes widened. "A date?"
From the kitchen, Francesca’s voice rang out in surprise. "Did I just hear that right?"
She came rushing out, wiping her hands on her apron with a look of utter shock on her face.
Valerie, standing off to the side, was surprised at them being surprised. Wasn’t that supposed to be normal for someone his age?
Ethan shook his head and gestured with both hands as if trying to ask them to relax a little bit.
"It’s a harmless, normal date," he said.
Eduardo stepped forward. "With whom?"
Francesca repeated the same words. "With whom?"
Both questions came at the same time as Francesca came closer toward their place in the living room.
Ethan looked amused by their reactions. "Her name is Isabella, and she’s King Tudor’s daughter."
There was a moment of silence as Eduardo and Francesca glanced at each other in disbelief.
Even Valerie’s eyes widened briefly. The King’s daughter wasn’t just anybody. Royalty was the most respected in all of the country of Gritnia.
Eduardo cleared his throat and straightened up his posture. "I know the best places you could take her to."
He began listing them off one by one. "There’s Bellmonte’s, a fine dining establishment overlooking the northern gardens. Or perhaps La Vérité, known for its exquisite cuisine. And then there’s Solmaris Hall, a more private venue with live orchestral performances."
Francesca nodded enthusiastically after each suggestion and even added a few comments of her own. "Oh yes, Bellmonte’s is lovely. Very romantic lighting too."
Eduardo turned toward Ethan. "Which one would you prefer, Master Ethan?"
Ethan hesitated. "Uhm... I’m not sure, but..."
Right before he could say anything further, Valerie chipped in.
She raised her hand slightly and said, "I apologize for intruding into the conversation, but since she’s the princess, then you should try to do something that’d leave the best impression."
Ethan turned toward her, looking mildly intrigued. He muttered, "Hm..." then asked, "What do you have in mind?"
Valerie’s thoughts quickly drifted to the large airships she remembered seeing docked at the wide courtyard behind the main building.
Then she answered confidently, "What about a dinner date on an airship?"
The eyes of the others widened at the suggestion.
——
Meanwhile, back in his study within his chambers at home, Victor sat on a cushioned seat, swirling a barely filled glass cup of wine.
He had a frown on his face as he stared at nothing in particular, replaying the events of the day over and over in his mind.
Suddenly, rage boiled over.
He stood abruptly and hurled the glass cup against the wall, causing it to shatter on impact, with red wine splashing across the expensive wallpaper like blood.
"Just who the fuck does he think he is?!" Victor yelled out.
The door to the study opened, and a younger woman entered. This was his wife, Sabina.
Her long brown hair fell elegantly over her bare shoulders, and her dress was tailored to reveal just enough skin to maintain an alluring appearance.
She had the typical red eyes of a vampire, and her glossed lips suited the sultry tone in which she spoke. "Is my darling still angered by what happened today?"
Victor turned toward her, with an expression of frustration. "Of course I am. What kind of dumb question is that?"
He began pacing. "My plans are being ruined, Sabina. Everything I’ve worked toward. And now I have to deal with that brat acting like he owns the place."
He stopped and turned back to her. "You also need to get your things packed. We might have to leave Grayfort City for now, at least until I’m sure they’ll never be able to trace the diverted funds back to me."
Sabina tilted her head slightly, and her smile widened just a bit. "What if there’s no need for that?"
Victor frowned. "What do you mean?"
She walked closer, and her hips swayed with each step. "What if removing the root of the problem simply solves it all? with that, you could still continue with the original plan."
Victor stared at her for a moment, processing her words. Then, slowly, a smile crept across his face.
"With that sort of money," he said, almost to himself, "we could leave this continent for good."
Sabina nodded. "Exactly. So, baby, do what you always do."
She raised her hand and slowly motioned her index finger across her neck in a slicing gesture. "Remove the root cause, and we’ll all be fine."
Victor’s smile widened, then he nodded.
Sabina walked over to him, leaning forward until her face was mere inches from his. Then she kissed him deeply, and slid her hand downwards to feel the hardness forming beneath his trousers.
She pulled back slightly, her lips still close to his. "When you’re done, you can come have me in the room. I’ll be lying there, ready and waiting."
She turned and walked away, moving her waist in such way to make sure Victor’s eyes stayed glued to her ass until she left the room.
Victor stared in thoughts for a moment after she had left, then he picked up his Arcphone from the desk, clicked through the screen and dialed a contact.
The line connected.
Victor’s voice was cold when he said,
"I have a new job for you, and this one needs to be done quickly."
