Chapter 174: Retirement

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Retirement

He quietly watched that face for a few seconds, then stood up from the ground, casually tossed the wrench in his hand upward and caught it again, glancing at her unhurriedly: "What are you hiding from?"

Renee Morgan: "..."

If he knows she’s hiding, can’t he just pretend not to see?

"Heh, with your job showing up anywhere, it’s never a coincidence. I’m just worried about ruining something important, that’s all." Renee reacted quickly, and looked around, as if wanting to confirm whether Ethan Sterling was on a mission.

Ethan could easily see through Renee’s awkward attempt at covering it up, but since she brought it up...

"You don’t need to hide anymore in the future." He said it bluntly, his lips slightly curved, his cool pale skin giving a bit of a feminine look.

"What... Why?" Renee caught the deeper meaning, her eyes filled with surprise.

The air conditioning in the car wasn’t high, Warren was chattering while holding the contract, handling all the company’s big and small meetings, negotiations, and business collaborations—every time she met Renee, there were endless items to discuss.

Renee held the audition script and character bio but couldn’t get herself to read further; Ethan Sterling’s words kept echoing in her mind: "I retired."

So that "You don’t need to hide anymore in the future," turned out to mean this.

Why did he retire?

Even without knowing much about their line of work, Renee understood that for him, reaching this position at his age had cost years of blood and sweat.

Back when they accidentally met in the garden behind the Merrick consulate, she caught the scent of blood; watching him leave, she noticed his right leg moved oddly—probably injured above the knee, along his thigh.

On the flight back to China that day, she again smelled blood, so she asked about it out of concern. He only brushed it off as a small wound, already taken care of.

That calm, almost indifferent attitude deeply affected Renee, filling her with admiration and awe.

How could he just decide to retire so suddenly?

Renee couldn’t settle her feelings of regret; she interrupted Warren and asked: "Warren, why would someone, when they’ve already reached the top in their field and climbed so high, suddenly give it all up?"

Warren pretended to think, then replied: "If someone’s held on for a long time and poured themselves into their career, only to walk away suddenly, it’s likely some huge upheaval in their life—like a family member getting sick..."

Ethan Sterling was always guarded; even if he had faced trouble, he’d never show it in public. Renee really couldn’t figure out what had happened.

Warren saw her up the apartment building before leaving.

Renee removed her makeup, holding the character bio and audition script, studying the character, warming up her emotions, and began reciting lines, slowly absorbing the personality and behavior traits.

Two hours later, she finally detached from the emotions. The lines were so familiar she could recite them backwards; she tossed the script onto the sofa and reached for her phone in the cushion.

Ever since she became popular, her phone always showed 99+ messages. Renee glanced through quickly, then opened her contacts, found Ethan Sterling on WeChat, and pressed to send a message.

She wrote: "Hello, sorry to ask, but why did you suddenly decide to retire?"

After sending it, Renee thought about recalling the message several times. Given his position leaving District J, it wasn’t just simple discharge—it was a true retirement, moving to the sidelines, with the top probably arranging some role for him.

It was a good thing; her question felt intrusive, almost meddlesome.

Maybe it was because of the rescue at the airport. He had protected her all the way home; even with his decisive nature, he still cared about her state of mind, asking if she had anywhere to go, if he should notify her family, and waiting with her until Warren arrived, making sure she was safe before leaving her with someone he considered trustworthy.

Retirement is a big deal; she should be concerned. If he really was facing major trouble, she wanted to check in—if she could help, she would.

A few minutes after sending her message, a notification popped up.

It was Ethan Sterling replying.

He said: "Family reasons."

Was it that a family member was sick and needed care, or was it about money?

Renee never expected Warren’s words would turn out true—it really was trouble in his life.

She remembered what the driver had said: "He’s driving a Bentley, but still worries about a bit of money, even changing the tires himself." Why hadn’t it crossed her mind that maybe he was changing someone else’s tires?

Was life really this tough?

Renee wanted to ask if he needed help, but seeing he’d only replied "family reasons," she knew with his personality, he’d likely refuse.

She pondered for a long time, exited the chat, and called Warren.

Now that she was constantly in the public eye, it was troublesome to go anywhere without someone following; the company had been helping her look for security staff.

Warren urgently needed someone, but Renee actually asked her to wait half a month before hiring.

"You’re just not used to it, or...?" Warren was full of doubts.

"A friend of mine hit a rough patch lately—he’d never easily let others help, and I want to use this chance to return a favor..." Renee racked her brain; that’s all she could come up with.

"If he doesn’t like being helped, giving him this job might not work either." Warren frowned.

Renee of course understood. Even a top bodyguard’s salary might not make much difference for him.

His position in District J was high, but the nature of the job meant he’d never get commercial pay. For him to choose retirement so suddenly, it must be urgent—not just a small sum of money.

Renee: "Got it. Please let the company know—if you find someone suitable, hang on to them for now, keep them ready to start anytime."

Warren noticed Renee said "keep ready to start anytime," not "start immediately"—clearly she wanted to use the job to return the favor.

She thought for a moment, then said: "Alright, you’re not booked for any commercial events, so we can delay a few days. If you want to go somewhere, just get Lewis to drive you."

Lewis was the company driver.

"Thanks, Warren."

After the call, Renee reopened her chat; there was a new message.

He said: "Don’t feel sorry for me."

That day in the underground garage, when Ethan Sterling said "retired," Renee was stunned for a long time, unable to say a word. Her clear eyes showed shock and confusion, like a flood breaking loose—leaving Ethan just as bewildered.

The kind of dread as if a god had fallen to earth—one could see how high she placed him in her heart within this profession.

It was as if he belonged here—as if when he’d no longer rush into the front lines as a soldier, he was a sword sheathed, all his sharpness hidden—what a pity.

Renee didn’t know how Ethan felt making that decision; everyone else saw it as a loss, but how hard must it be for him?

"Okay, when you’re free, let’s have dinner?" Renee decided to just move past the topic, so as not to touch a sore spot.