Chapter 267 Internal Strife
The once seemingly solitary Ethan was now completely different from the current Ethan, who had firmly established himself.
If the Ashford family or the Wilson family wanted to break the deadlock, the key was to find a way to eliminate him. Once Ethan was removed, the forces he had gathered would also collapse.
This principle was clear to anyone who wasn't a fool. Because the Wilson family or the Ashford family was so powerful, they were even less likely to make a move against those around Ethan casually. If things escalated, the stronger side would suffer the most.
Even Dorian wouldn't casually target those around Ethan before dealing with Ethan himself. Unless you can pinpoint Ethan's weakness, any action would backfire, leading to Ethan's furious retaliation.
When Dashiell calmed down, he immediately realized this and knew that it was impossible to target the people of the Nova Terra branch at this time.
It was not that it couldn't be done, but the price to pay was too high for them to bear!
"Beverly, you made a wrong choice and dragged the entire Nova Terra branch down with you. I hope you don't regret it!" Zephyr warned Beverly with a stern face.
"I know what I chose. I don't need your reminder. As someone with inheritance rights in the Wilson family, do you and Logan even know what you're doing?" Beverly scoffed with disdain, clearly looking down on the two who had succumbed to Brady's authority.
"Are you all planning to stay and wait for me to buy you a drink? I'm afraid this drink will be a bit bitter and hard to swallow," Ethan reminded Dorian and the others with a forced smile.
Dorian stared coldly at Ethan for a long time before suddenly laughing.
Ethan didn't like this inexplicable laughter, as it made him uncomfortable.
"What are you laughing at?" Ethan asked, squinting his eyes.
"Nothing. Although this outcome was unexpected, it's not unacceptable. At least we see you clearly now, and that's not unjust," Dorian laughed self-deprecatingly.
"You don't seem like the type to give up easily," Ethan said noncommittally.
"You're right. It's too early to talk about winning or losing. Actually, you are far from having the qualifications to show aggression in front of me. Perhaps you should be grateful," Dorian said inexplicably before turning and leaving without looking back, walking away decisively.
"Ethan, we will meet again!" Kenny also gave Ethan a deep look and then followed Dorian out, walking away just as gracefully as if he were the victor of the night.
"Aren't you all leaving? Are you really waiting for me to buy you a drink?" Ethan reminded unceremoniously as he watched Dorian and Kenny disappear from the banquet hall entrance.
Dashiell and the others looked grim but eventually swallowed their pride and left the scene without a word.
Compared to the Ashford family and the Wilson family who left in disgrace, the people of the Miller family and the Harris family were extremely excited, and the atmosphere of the banquet reached its peak at that moment.
In fact, the most excited were the mainstream media reporters. No one expected that attending this Stellar Nexus Enterprises banquet would allow them to witness such a spectacular drama. Not only would it be tomorrow's headline, but they also had enough material for the headlines for the next few days!
However, after the Ashford family and the Wilson family left, Ethan frowned and silently left the banquet hall, heading to the corridor outside.
Chloe and Sarah both looked puzzled. They sensed that Ethan seemed to be in low spirits and followed him outside.
"You don't seem very happy. Tonight, you managed to humiliate the Ashford family and the Wilson family. Shouldn't you be pleased?" Sarah asked, looking at Ethan's preoccupied expression with surprise.
Ethan glanced at the two girls and slowly shook his head. "I'm wondering what Dorian's last words really meant."
"It's just a sentence. No need to dwell on it so much," Chloe said, gently patting Ethan's back to comfort him. She could clearly feel that Ethan was somewhat tense at the moment.
"Why do I feel like both of you are acting strange? Is it really necessary to be so serious? It seems like we were the ones who won tonight, right?" Sarah reminded them, looking puzzled.
"Win? It's not that simple. Just like Dorian said, it's too early to talk about winning or losing. He's right; I haven't yet shown the qualifications to be aggressive in front of him. Even though it seems like I've had the upper hand in our encounters so far, it hasn't really hurt the Ashford family at all," Ethan reminded them seriously, shaking his head.
"So, what are you planning to do next?" Chloe asked with concern.
"I haven't decided yet. We'll take it one step at a time. In the coming days, we need to keep a low profile." Ethan sighed helplessly.
Although Sarah didn't like the current atmosphere, she knew that Ethan had a point and could only close her mouth reluctantly.
"No matter what, you are our pillar of support right now. Everyone is waiting for you. Let's go back inside; standing out here will only make people start to overthink," Chloe reminded him seriously.
Ethan nodded and led the two girls back into the banquet hall. However, he didn't tell them what he was concerned about. This sudden worry made him feel suffocated and unable to explain it, which made him very uncomfortable.
However, as Chloe said, he was now the pillar of the three-family alliance and could not afford any problems. At least on the surface, he couldn't let anyone see any issues!
When Dashiell and Logan returned to the parking lot, they found that Dorian and Kenny had already left without even saying goodbye.
"What does the Ashford family mean by this?" Logan shouted angrily, only to be met with a hard slap from Dashiell.
"You hit me?" Logan stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Dashiell, momentarily forgetting the stinging pain on his cheek.
"Idiot, don't you think you deserved it?" Dashiell retorted, pointing at Logan's nose.
In reality, Dashiell didn't know where to vent his frustration, and Logan's outburst came at the worst possible time.
"You really think you can represent the Wilson family? Don't forget I'm the one with inheritance rights in the Wilson family. Who do you think you are to hit me?" Logan, already dissatisfied with Dashiell, was completely triggered by his sudden attack.
"Inheritance rights? Does the Wilson family still listen to those with inheritance rights? Look at yourself. Someone like you will never be a match for Ethan!" Dashiell sneered dismissively.
Logan wasn't one to take insults lightly. This remark hit a nerve, and before Dashiell could react, Logan punched him hard, knocking him to the ground.
Zephyr squinted his eyes, coldly watching the two fight in the parking lot without any intention of stopping them. Eventually, as if he had seen enough, he walked out of the parking lot, ignoring the two bruised and battered men.
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