By the time Ethan Voss received the report, it was already late at night.
He immediately made a trip to Nahaid Prison and requested to see the strange prisoner being held in the infirmary. The guards led him through several secured corridors before stopping outside a reinforced medical room.
Inside lay the creature responsible for the chaos at the Hell's Kitchen bar.
The moment Ethan stepped into the room, his eyes narrowed.
The man strapped to the hospital bed had pale skin stretched tightly across his face. His expression was feral, and when he snarled, a pair of sharp fangs protruded clearly from his mouth.
A vampire.
Ethan frowned slightly as he studied the creature.
So vampires really existed in this world.
That realization raised another question in his mind. If they had existed all along, how had they remained hidden for so long without anyone noticing?
The answer was fairly obvious.
They lived quietly.
Extremely quietly.
From what Ethan remembered, vampires possessed several advantages. They had long lifespans, impressive strength, and agility far beyond ordinary humans.
But their weaknesses were just as severe.
Sunlight.
Ultraviolet radiation.
Garlic extract.
Silver.
Even minor injuries from these substances could cause their bodies to disintegrate instantly into ash.
With vulnerabilities like that, vampires were destined to live in the shadows like sewer rats. They could never openly exist in human society.
There was only one exception.
Blade.
The legendary Daywalker.
A dark-skinned warrior who hunted vampires relentlessly. Unlike ordinary vampires, Blade could walk in sunlight without harm. Over the years, he had become their greatest enemy.
Some stories even claimed he had once killed Dracula himself.
Ethan turned to Bullseye.
"Over the next few days, keep an eye out for someone," he said.
"A man named Eric Brooks."
"He has a partner named Whistler. If you find them, report to me immediately."
Bullseye nodded.
"Yes, boss."
Ethan intended to recruit Blade if possible. A warrior with that kind of experience would be extremely valuable. However, he wasn't sure whether Blade would cooperate.
Someone like Blade might easily assume Ethan was running another criminal organization.
The following morning, Ethan appeared at Stark Industries headquarters wearing a crisp white suit. In one hand he carried a small box filled with fresh strawberries.
He stopped outside the office of Pepper Potts and knocked lightly on the door.
Inside, Pepper had recently been promoted to the position of CEO of Stark Industries. As a shareholder, Ethan had no difficulty arranging a meeting with her.
"Come in," a calm female voice answered.
Ethan pushed the door open.
When Pepper saw him, she immediately stood up with a polite smile.
"Hello," she said warmly. "We've met several times at events, but I don't think we've ever actually had a proper conversation."
Ethan nodded.
"Tony brought you to a few banquets before. I remember."
They sat down across from each other.
Before either of them could begin speaking, the television mounted on the wall suddenly switched to a news broadcast.
"…It's difficult for many observers to understand why a former secretary—Pepper Potts—has been appointed CEO of Stark Industries."
"What qualifications does she have?"
"She has absolutely no management experience—"
"Mute," Pepper said calmly.
The television instantly fell silent.
Ethan smiled slightly.
"Rough day?"
Pepper exhaled slowly.
"It's been exhausting."
Ethan leaned back in his chair.
"When my father passed away," he said casually, "I had to take over the Typhon Group almost overnight. The media said the same things about me."
"They claimed I was inexperienced."
"They said the company would collapse."
He shrugged lightly.
"But I didn't have a choice. I was my father's only son."
"Later, when the company started performing well, those same people suddenly began calling me a business genius."
Pepper laughed quietly.
"So you're saying I should ignore them?"
"Exactly."
Ethan smiled.
"You're not responsible to those reporters."
"Tony believes in you."
"And as one of the smaller shareholders, I believe in you too."
"That's enough."
Pepper nodded gratefully.
"Thank you. Honestly, I'm confident I can manage Stark Industries."
She smiled slightly.
"After all, I've spent years managing someone far more difficult than the company itself."
"You mean Tony?"
"Exactly."
Ethan laughed.
"If you can handle Tony Stark, then running Stark Industries should be easy."
As he spoke, he placed the box of strawberries on the desk.
"I saw these downstairs," he said casually. "They looked fresh, so I brought them for you."
Pepper's smile turned slightly awkward.
"Oh… I'm really sorry."
"I'm actually allergic to strawberries."
"It's the only thing in the world I'm allergic to."
Ethan blinked in exaggerated disappointment.
"Well, that's unfortunate."
He shook his head apologetically.
"But don't worry. Now I know you don't like strawberries."
"Next time I'll bring something better."
Pepper smiled politely.
"You're too kind. Honestly, your encouragement already helped a lot."
After a brief conversation, Ethan eventually stood up and left.
In truth, comforting Pepper had never been his real goal.
The real objective had been something else entirely.
In the corner of Pepper's office stood a large 3D model of the Stark Expo park.
Hidden inside that model was the key to the future.
Although the model was covered with a white cloth, Ethan had arrived prepared. The small lapel pin attached to his suit was actually a miniature scanner capable of penetrating thin materials.
During the conversation, the scanner had already recorded the entire structure.
With that three-dimensional blueprint, Ethan could recreate the design in his laboratory within the Kingdom of God.
Once completed, he would be able to synthesize the new element needed to stabilize the Arc Reactor.
In that regard, he was now several steps ahead of Tony Stark.
If the Ancient One hadn't warned him earlier, Ethan might have simply taken the entire model directly.
Possessing the key to Stark's survival would mean controlling Iron Man completely.
Several days later, the Monaco Grand Prix began.
Inside the luxurious Paris Hotel, a lavish banquet was underway for the elite guests attending the race. Wealthy socialites, business tycoons, and celebrities gathered beneath glittering chandeliers.
Tony Stark was present.
So was Justin Hammer.
Even Elon Musk had appeared.
Ethan Voss attended as well, though he deliberately stayed hidden in a quiet corner of the room, observing everything silently.
From there, he watched Stark and Hammer exchange sarcastic insults.
As usual, Hammer lost the verbal battle miserably.
Nearby, the beautiful reporter Christine Everhart was paying far more attention to Stark than Hammer. Despite Hammer's attempts to impress her, she barely responded to him.
After some time, Ethan noticed Stark quietly slip away from the banquet.
He understood immediately what was happening.
Tony Stark was slowly dying.
Palladium poisoning was spreading through his body, and Stark believed he didn't have much time left. Because of that, he had started living recklessly.
Right now, Stark was probably heading toward the racetrack.
Pepper, meanwhile, remained seated alone near a large window.
Ethan straightened his suit and walked toward her.
With a polite smile, he pulled out a chair and sat across from her.
"How could anyone leave such a beautiful woman sitting alone?" he said casually.
Pepper smiled when she saw him.
"Mr. Vane," she said. "What brings you here?"
"I've had some free time lately," Ethan replied. "So I came to enjoy a little excitement."
He studied her expression.
"How have things been at the company?"
Pepper sighed.
"Chaos."
"I'm still trying to figure out who works in which department."
Ethan nodded sympathetically.
"That's normal."
"Stark Industries has tens of thousands of employees and hundreds of departments."
"I'm sure you'll handle it."
"Oh, right," Ethan said suddenly, tapping his forehead.
"I brought you another gift today."
He placed a small jewelry box on the table.
Inside lay a brilliant amethyst necklace that shimmered under the soft lights.
Ethan lifted the necklace gently.
"To be honest," he said with theatrical sincerity, "I'm surprised someone as beautiful as you isn't wearing a necklace."
"Something like this suits you perfectly."
Pepper's eyes widened slightly.
"This… this is too expensive."
"I can't accept it."
"Pepper," Ethan said softly, "consider it my apology for the strawberries."
"No, no," she said quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I just can't accept such a valuable gift."
"You're overthinking it."
"You could call it a small reward from the boss to an employee."
Pepper hesitated.
Almost every woman appreciated beautiful jewelry.
But after thinking for a moment, she still shook her head.
Ethan sighed dramatically.
"Alright."
"How about this?"
"You can wear it for now."
"If Tony gives you a new one someday, you can return mine."
Pepper blinked.
A faint blush appeared on her face.
"Mr. Vane… I don't know what you're talking about."
Ethan smiled knowingly.
"Some things are obvious to outsiders."
Pepper defended herself quickly.
"We're just colleagues."
"He's my boss. I'm his employee. That's all."
Ethan tilted his head slightly.
"So… you're saying you don't want him to give you a necklace?"
A playful spark appeared in his eyes.
"Why not test it?"
"Let's see how long it takes before Tony Stark replaces the necklace I gave you."
Pepper frowned thoughtfully.
Ethan leaned forward slightly.
"People like Tony Stark may seem like playboys," he said gently, "but they often don't understand their own feelings."
"He probably hasn't realized what he feels yet."
"Sometimes," Ethan added, "a little push can help."
Pepper hesitated again.
"I can return it anytime?"
"Of course."
Ethan smiled warmly.
"May I?"
Pepper nodded shyly.
Ethan stood and walked behind her, carefully fastening the necklace around her neck.
As he stepped back to admire the result, a smug thought crossed his mind.
Tony Stark.
You had a lot of fun mocking me at that banquet.
Now let's see how you deal with this little thorn.
.....
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