Ethan Storm’s Dark Awakening novel Chapter 41

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Ethan stared coldly at Richard, jaw clenched. The flashing red lights cast crimson shadows across the office, the shrill wail of the alarm echoing through the now sealed-off bank.

“You really went and pressed it,” Ethan said, voice low, calm-dangerous. “Lockdown mode. Full secu alert. All this… just to silence one woman?”

Richard’s face twitched. Even he realized it now-he’d gone too far. But pride and panic clashed behind his eyes, and he doubled down.

“You assaulted security!” he bellowed, trying to sound authoritative, though his voice cracked. “You’ll be arrested for this! And so will she! You’ve got no escape now!”

Ethan slowly reached into his coat pocket.

“No escape?” he echoed, pulling out a sleek, black card. He held it up, gleaming under the alarm light. “

You might want to take a good look at this.”

Richard squinted, brow furrowing. It was unlike any Newman Bank card he’d ever seen-matte black with a single embossed symbol and no printed numbers.

“What the hell is that supposed to be?” Richard scoffed, laughing nervously. “You think flashing some gimmick card will get you out of this?”

But his laugh faltered. Something about Ethan’s quiet confidence unnerved him.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You’re not high enough in this bank to recognize it, are you?”

Before Richard could respond, the reinforced security doors at the far end of the hall hissed open.

From behind them, a group of sharply dressed personnel emerged, led by a middle-aged man in a tailored gray suit-stern, composed, and radiating authority.

It was Gerald Cain, President of Newman Bank’s central branch.

He stopped in his tracks at the sight of the wrecked office, unconscious guards, and flashing lights.

“What the hell is going on here?” Cain barked.

Richard immediately sprang into performance mode. “President Cain! Thank God you’re here! That man” -he pointed at Ethan, voice rising-“he attacked my staff! Broke in! Threatened us! I had to initiate the lockdown-” 1

But before he could finish, someone else emerged from behind Cain.

A tall man in a navy-blue suit with silver-rimmed glasses..

He took one look at Ethan-

-and his entire demeanor shifted.

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He froze. Eyes wide.

And then he bowed. Deeply.

“Mr. Storm,” he said, voice reverent. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Cain blinked. “Wait, you know him, Mister…?”

“Daniel Chu,” the man said. “General Manager of National Operations.” Then, to Cain: “This man is a VIP Supreme Client. The highest designation Newman Bank offers. He is not to be touched.”

Daniel Chu was the General Manager of Newman Bank-a higher position than the branch president Cain. He had once hosted Ethan personally.

Richard turned ghost-white.

Cain stiffened. “VIP… Supreme?”

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