The waiter arrived with two perfectly seared Wagyu steaks, the aroma of truffle butter and aged oak filling the space between them. For a while, the intensity of the phone call seemed to fade, replaced by the clinking of silverware and the low hum of the city below.

Ethan took a sip of the vintage red wine, a bold Cabernet that stained the glass like velvet. Sarah watched him over the rim of her own glass, her eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight.

"I have to admit, Ethan, your father had excellent taste in restaurants, but he lacked your... flair for the dramatic," said Sarah Miller.

"My father was a builder. I am a restorer. Sometimes, to restore something, you have to burn away the rot first," said Ethan.

As he spoke, Ethan felt a soft, rhythmic pressure against his calf. Sarah's leg was sliding slowly up his shin, her high heel grazing his trousers with a bold, deliberate touch. Her pink aura, visible through Ethan's lingering [Erovision], flared in rhythm with the movement, becoming deeper and more vibrant.

"It's been difficult since he passed," said Sarah, her voice dropping to a more intimate, sincere register as she cut into her steak. "When Vincent took over, it felt like the soul was being sucked out of the building. We all tried to keep his vision alive, but we were drowning. Every board meeting felt like a funeral for the company's ethics. I always hoped someone would come back to claim the throne. I just didn't expect it to be someone so... capable."

"You stayed. That counts for something in my book. Most people jump ship the moment they see smoke," said Ethan, leaning back and watching her.

"I stayed because I knew what Future Technologies could be. And because I'm loyal to the legacy, not the man in the chair—unless the man in the chair earns it," said Sarah Miller. She shifted her leg higher, her knee now resting against the inside of his thigh.

"You know, Vincent almost managed to bury the 'Aegis' project last quarter," said Sarah Miller, leaning in as the waiter cleared their main plates. "He saw it as a drain on the immediate dividends. He couldn't see past the next fiscal report."

"The Aegis project? I've seen the name in the files, but I'm still getting my head around the deeper technicals. Why was he so intent on killing it?" asked Ethan.

"It wasn't about killing it; it was about the timing. Aegis is a high-risk capital injection designed to artificially inflate our stock value while simultaneously shorting our main competitor. A major client is paying us under the table to devalue them so they can initiate a hostile takeover. It's a ruthless play, even for us," said Sarah Miller.

Ethan leaned back, looking thoughtful. In the corner of his vision, a subtle blue light flickered.

[Master, I have analyzed the market trends and the competitor's upcoming announcements. If you proceed with the Aegis injection tonight, you will fail. The competitor's stock is set to emerge tomorrow morning due to an unannounced government contract. Future Technologies would lose approximately 120 million dollars in a single day,] said Crul.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. He looked at Sarah, who was already checking her watch, looking ready to green-light the move.

"Sarah, don't do it. Cancel the Aegis injection for tonight. If you move that capital now, we're going to lose. The competitor's stock isn't going to drop; it's going to skyrocket by tomorrow morning. We'll be down 120 million before the opening bell," Ethan said.

Sarah froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and skepticism. "Ethan, my team has been tracking this for months. All the data points to a collapse. How could you possibly know it's going to arise?" asked Sarah Miller.

"I have my sources, and they are never wrong. If you want to keep your reputation as a brilliant CFO, you'll stop that transaction right now," said Ethan, his voice cold and commanding.

Sarah bit her lip, staring at him for a long beat. The sheer confidence in his eyes was staggering. She pulled her phone from her clutch and stepped slightly away from the table, her fingers flying across the screen as she dialed.

"This is Miller. Kill the Aegis injection. Now. I don't care if the orders are already in the system, pull them back. Yes, immediately," said Sarah Miller into the phone.

She hung up and sat back down, her chest rising and falling with the adrenaline of the moment. She looked at Ethan as if seeing him for the first time—not just as a lucky heir, but as something far more formidable.

"I just stopped a hundred-million-dollar play based on a hunch from a man who's been in the office for less than twenty-four hours. How do you do it? How do you know so much about everything?" asked Sarah Miller.

Ethan offered her a slow, dangerous smile, leaning closer until the scent of her perfume mixed with the aroma of the wine. "I'm just good at everything I set my mind to, Sarah," Ethan said.

Sarah's pink aura flared with an intensity that almost blinded his Erovision. She read in, her voice a sultry, whisper challenging. "Oh? And what else are you good at?" asked Sarah Miller.

"Do you really want to find out?" asked Ethan.

Sarah didn't flinch; instead, she tilted her chin up, her lips parting slightly. "I'd love to," said Sarah Miller.

As they began to close the final inch, the sudden clink of porcelain shattered the silence. A waiter appeared like a ghost at the edge of the table, holding a silver tray with a flourish.

"The decadent chocolate fondant with gold-leaf garnish for the lady and gentleman. Would you care for—" the waiter began.

Ethan stopped mid-motion and turned his head slowly. He leveled a glare so sharp and filled with such lethal irritation that the waiter's words died in his throat. Under that gaze, the man's hands began to tremble, and he took a stumbling step back.

"I... I apologize, sir. I'll... I'll give you a moment," said the waiter, coughing awkwardly as he retreated toward the kitchen with his head bowed.

The spell was broken, but the electricity remained. Sarah let out a soft, breathless laugh, looking at the melting dessert and then back at Ethan.

"It seems even the staff is intimidated by your 'other' talents," said Sarah Miller.

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