Chapter 16 Special Treatment The moment the r the ringtone chimed , the entire conference room fell silent You could've heard a pin drop . +5 Free Cons Within seconds , everyone started exchanging wide - eyed glances. Expressions lit up with barely contained excitement , the air thick with the smell of gossip . The two whispering employees from earlier gripped each other's hands , visibly thrilled , lowering their voices even more . " Ahhh ! It's Hannah again ! " " Tsk , he really spoils her . Everyone else has to silence their phones before entering meetings , but the boss ? He never does- just so he doesn't miss a message from her . " " Bet he's about to walk out of the meeting again ! He's a real simp for her ! " J - Ugh , drama . I heard several senior execs are already preparing to jump ship . The CEO's totally distracted - barely focused on company operations . That last quarter's earnings report was a mess . " " Business talk later . First , let's enjoy the romance . " Stella's expression darkened . She took a deep breath , lips pressed tight . There were clear signs pointing to Ethan's eventual downfall . Her clear gaze stayed fixed on Ethan . Tina had just returned to the conference room and taken a seat behind Ethan , laptop in hand, when she heard the ringtone . Her fingers tightened instinctively on the keyboard . He's not leaving again , is he ? The balding executive who was presenting paused . He didn't dare keep talking . Don't interrupt the CEO while he checks his phone ! Ethan noticed the sudden change in atmosphere and frowned slightly He'd forgotten to silence his phone - again . He'd already decided to keep a lower profile . Nathan had warned him . If the company really went under- Where would he get money to support his sister ? Stella noticed Ethan hadn't rushed to check his phone this time . Her expression eased slightly . This is just pathetic . Otherwise , she'd seriously start wondering how he managed to build a company this big in the first place . Ethan fiddled with the bracelet on his right wrist , glanced at the executive , and was just about to ask him to continue . Then the ringtone chimed again . This time , it was an incoming voice call , Ethan couldn't resist anymore . Hannah had never called via voice before - something must be wrong 1/2 Chapter 16 Special Treatment He grabbed his phone and answered without hesitation . " What's wrong ? " On the other end came a soft voice , laced with tears . " Ethan .. I got hit by a car . It hurts so much .. " . Ethan's expression turned serious at once . " Where are you ? Send me your location . I'll be there right away ! " It was a quiet , low - traffic photo spot popular with influencers . +5 Free Coins After ending the call , Hannah stood up from the pavement , adjusting her sunglasses and cap . She turned to her assistant on the electric bike . " Take the bike and go now ! She knew Ethan would worry and come running . She couldn't stand how he'd suddenly stopped doting on her . So she resorted to this - just to see if he still cared . She'd told her assistant to gently nudge her with the bike . She'd fallen with her bare knees scraping the ground . When Ethan showed up , she'd say it was a delivery guy and she let him go out of kindness . That way , she'd Win - win come off as both sweet and forgiving - and Ethan would feel all the more sorry for her . The assistant rode off , glancing at the minor scrape on Hannah's knee and scratching her nose awkwardly . By the time Mr. Ethan gets here , this thing will have healed already …. She really couldn't understand what had gotten into Hannah lately . She used to act completely indifferent toward Ethan . And now she was pulling stunts like this ? She seriously suspected someone clever was coaching Ethan behind the scenes - playing hard to get had clearly worked . And Hannah had fallen for it. Good luck, Mr. Movie Star Ethan received Hannah's location - it wasn't far . He twisted the bracelet on his wrist again , then stood to address the room . " I have something to handle . Continue without me . The secretary will send me the meeting summary later . " Everyone nodded quickly . No one dared object , A few senior executives looked like they wanted to speak , but in the end said nothing. They'd already voiced their concerns privately - never listened to , just left feeling resentful . Still , they couldn't deny it . In just four short years , Ethan had turned the company from a money pit into a rising giant . His business instincts were undeniable . 2