Ultimate Tycoon: Building the Richest Empire with System and Heroines-Chapter 66: Royal Guest, making powerful connections

Trevor stared at the figure before him, still chained, trembling as the realization hit him.

"E-Ethan? What are you doing here?" Trevor stammered, voice shaky, fear rising in his throat.

Ethan crouched casually, resting one elbow on his knee. "What do you mean what I’m doing? Didn’t you see? I helped Gregory escape." He leaned in slightly, smirking. "Now he’s free to take revenge on Master Yun. I simply gave him the chance to fulfill it."

Just then, the chaos outside suddenly faded.

The smoke that had blanketed the area began to clear, lifting like a curtain after a play. The noise of gunfire, screams, and panic vanished in seconds.

Trevor blinked.

Everyone who had been lying on the ground—the masked men who had been groaning and clutching fake wounds,suddenly stood up.

All of them. Calmly.

What...?

Trevor’s eyes widened in disbelief. He looked around. The guests from the auction had vanished. The nobles and spectators had all fled the area, running out of the hall like their lives depended on it.

Even Master Yun was gone,last seen being helped toward the gates by a panicked Virgil, who had shouted, "Everyone out! Get out of here now!"

Now, in the cleared-out area, only a few remained.

The Knox family.

The guards stationed by the auction hall.

Ethan’s group.

Princess Seraphina and Sir Luke, along with a few of their elite guards.

Everyone else had vanished into the night.

Trevor turned his head back in horror as all the previously injured masked men stood tall, brushing fake dust off their clothes.

One even stretched lazily and yawned.

Trevor’s heart thumped wildly.

"W-What... What is this?! How are they all standing? They were fighting!"

Ethan chuckled and tilted his head. "Don’t stress too hard, Trevor. You might hurt your brain."

Then he blinked innocently. "Oops. I forgot. You don’t have one."

Trevor’s jaw quivered, his mind breaking apart.

It was a setup. All of it. Every masked man. Every shout. Every fake struggle. Everything.

Then, soft footsteps approached.

Seraphina walked toward them with her usual elegance, her expression calm but unreadable. Her golden eyes glimmered in the fading light.

"Ethan," she said quietly, "I hope everything between the master and disciple will unfold just the way you planned."

Trevor froze.

His world shattered.

His mouth hung open, the pieces finally clicking together.

"You... You planned all of this?" he whispered, barely able to speak.

Ethan smiled without answering. He just stood up and dusted his hands.

Trevor’s eyes widened further, trembling in his chains.

Trevor’s breathing turned ragged. His eyes locked on Ethan, filled with disbelief and dread.

"The painting... Putting it in Master Yun’s room... creating a rift between him and Gregory... You... You did everything," Trevor muttered.

Ethan chuckled softly, slowly turning to face him.

"Wow," he said, mock-clapping. "I was wrong about you. You do have more than a little brain."

Trevor’s eyes flared with rage. "Why?! Why did you do this?! What did I ever do to you?!"

Ethan’s smirk deepened as he took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them.

"Heh... You really don’t remember?" he said, voice low and sharp. "You forgot what you did to me back in our old school?"

Trevor gulped, his face draining of color.

Ethan leaned in a little closer, his voice like ice. "And knowing you... I bet you were already planning to do something to Nate and Sasha too, weren’t you?"

Trevor couldn’t say anything. He looked away, cornered, exposed.

Ethan straightened and casually adjusted his cuffs. "Don’t worry. You’ll get your ending. Together with your favorite Master Yun and your dear Young Master Gregory."

Then he turned and walked away, leaving Trevor alone in chains.

"Ethan! Ethan, I’m sorry!" Trevor shouted, his voice cracking. "I’m sorry, please! Forgive me! I don’t want to die!"

He dropped to his knees, crawling forward. "Please... I’ll do anything! I’ll be your dog! Just don’t let them kill me! Please!"

Luke, standing nearby, frowned and gave a cold nod to the guards. "Take him away."

"Nooooooo!" Trevor screamed, his voice echoing across the courtyard as the guards dragged him out.

Virgil stepped beside Ethan, watching the scene unfold. He gave a tired chuckle. "Young man... you’re really scary, you know that?"

Ethan chuckled too, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks. I try."

Jasmine crossed her arms and grinned. "Wow. I was really right about you. I never get bored around you." She tilted her head, playful. "Now I’m really curious to see how it all ends."

Rhea nodded in agreement. "Your plans are always so unique."

Natalie smirked. "Well, it’s alright."

Ethan waved them off, "Stop the praising already. It’ll be even better once the rest unfolds."

They all laughed.

Just then, Seraphina approached, graceful and poised.

"You’re clever, Ethan Bond," she said with a small smile. "I only hope you never turn that wit against me."

Ethan chuckled. "With Sir Luke by your side? I wouldn’t dare." But in his mind, he thought, Who would dare meddle between two yanderes?

Seraphina glanced at the recovered painting, then back at Ethan. "I’m impressed by your plan. And you also found the original Mosalina painting. My father is very fond of old paintings. If he’s happy... then I’m happy."

She paused for a moment. "So, I will give you an extra $100 million. Along with the $300 million I promised. That makes $400 million total."

Ethan blinked, surprised. He turned to look at Virgil and Arion, both of whom had worked closely with him in executing the plan.

They helped a lot, he thought. Without them, none of this would’ve been possible. Sometimes, money isn’t what you really need... sometimes, it’s powerful connections.

He smiled at Seraphina. "Then, Princess, please donate the $400 million to Knox Hall. They deserve it. I’ll only take the bidding amount,$500 million."

Virgil and Arion looked stunned, then visibly moved. Their expressions softened with deep gratitude.

Virgil stepped forward. "Young man, you are truly something else. From this day onward, you are an official guest of the Knox Family. Anything you do... I will support to the best of my ability." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Arion nodded solemnly. "You have our respect."

Seraphina smiled once more. "You’re full of surprises, Ethan Bond. So here’s another gift."

She reached into her coat and pulled out a crimson envelope bearing the royal seal.

"A formal invitation. To the next royal meeting. You’ll attend with my group,as my special guest."

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat.

Bingo, he thought. That’s what I really wanted.

Normally, entering the Royal House was nearly impossible.

But now, he had a direct invitation. And inside... her aunt and her older sister would be there.

It’s going to be fun, Ethan thought, his grin returning.

But first... I should check what Young Master Gregory plans to do next.

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