The Rise of the White Lotus

One week later...

It only took three days for Ethan Lu to get the results of the test he specifically asked for. With the influence of his little borrowed power from the Lu surname, the process took a lot less time making it much faster than ever. 

Yet, even after receiving the results, Ethan Lu didn't open the folder that was delivered right on his doorstep. Was it because he was afraid that the result would be the same just like what his grandfather showed him?

No. It was because he was certain that there's no need for that. Just like how Avah Tong managed to have a glimpse of his true self, he too knew her from inside and out. Therefore, after his confrontation with her, he got the answer to his question, without a doubt that he was not the father. 

Inside his small office in the Lu Corporation, Ethan Lu just stared at the stack of documents piled up on his desk. Although it was almost afternoon, he hadn't finished a single document that was needed later and for tomorrow. 

Soon, as he dwelled inside his nothing box in his brain, thinking especially of nothing— he was snapped back to reality hearing a knock coming from outside his office. 

"Come in," Glancing up at the shut door, Ethan Lu permitted entry which made the person outside slowly open the door, revealing Lyrick Jiang with his signature one-sided hairdo, and a neat formal business attire as if his clothes are not meant to be creased. 

"Young master, about the project—" Lyrick Jiang's usual toneless voice was about to fetch the documents that needed to be signed by Ethan Lu, he was abruptly interrupted when his young master suddenly spoke. 

"Ah, that, I haven't signed it yet." Shrugging his shoulders, Ethan Lu nonchalantly said in a matter of fact tone as if it was not an important document in the first place. 

"Y-young m-master, is there something wrong with it?" Knitting his brows together, Lyrick Jiang, for the reason that he had been traumatized by his young master's change of moods from time to time, he stuttered a little. 

"Uh, no." Shaking his head sideways, Ethan Lu pursed his lips before it stretched upward. "I just don't feel like doing what this company is instructing me to do. You know Rick, I just thought that I've been sucking up to those geezers for a long time and I don't know the reason why?" Rubbing his chin, Ethan Lu spoke his mind loudly that was akin to red alarms blaring inside Lyrick Jiang's mind. 

The word 'code red' kept on repeating in his head as he listened and absorbed the words that his young master was spouting. 

'Oh Lord, please let this be a nightmare! Please please, I am not hearing this!' Internally weeping, Lyrick Jiang called to the heaven's and the Absolute One's power to cast a miracle and change this curse. After all, one way or another, Lyrick Jiang knew where this was heading and it would be a real headache for sure. 

"Do you think grandpa will get mad if I didn't sign the document? Be honest." Clearing his throat, Ethan Lu spun his chair as he asked. 

"N— yes." Lyrick Jiang gritted his teeth as he sincerely wanted to say no, however, how could he? He could never lie to his boss or else, he would never be trusted again. 

"Right? Plan A: disrupt all projects of our companies subsidiaries and make my grandpa mad. Let's see if he will cut ties with me after this." Grinning, Ethan Lu exclaimed as if his idea was one of the greatest plans of all. 

"Young master!" Almost sounding as if he were begging, Lyrick Jiang called out in distress which took no effect on the stubborn young master. 

"Don't worry about it. I got you." Waving his hands off, Ethan Lu dismissed his assistant as he reassured him that he would be safe from trouble. Alas, that wasn't what concerned Lyrick Jiang. Even so, he could only abide and do nothing afterward. 

Hearing his assistant's footsteps fade away, and then the door gently shut close, Ethan Lu momentarily closed his eyes as the grin on his lips eventually vanished. 

"I'm sorry, Rick." He murmured. Ethan Lu understood that Lyrick Jiang wished for the best to him. However, now that he doesn't have anything to worry about, he was thinking what was he still doing in the Lu Corporation?

After all, he didn't need to wait for a few more months so he has enough money to sustain the child he thought was his needed if ever he would resume his rebellion to gain his real freedom. But since it turned out that he doesn't have that responsibility anymore, the savings he has right now was enough for him to survive. 

Just as Ethan Lu was deep in his thoughts, he heard the desk vibrate caused by his phone. Out of habit, he checked who it was and it was an unknown number. 

Ethan Lu's brows furrowed as he wondered who might be the person using this unfamiliar contact number? Gravitating whether to answer or not, Ethan Lu decided to decline the call as he didn't like the uncertainty of the caller. 

Alas, after he rejected the call, he received a text message from the same number. To his surprise, the content of the series of messages was disturbing. It says:

"Ethan, how can you do this to me? I just loved you and had to do what I did because I don't want to lose you. Please talk to me."

"Why are you not answering? Didn't you at least appreciate what I've done for you? Did you really just see me as your sex toy?"

"Answer the damn phone! What is wrong with you?! I just want to talk! 

"I need you! I don't know what to do..."

"Ethan, let's meet tonight at the villa please? I am going crazy and I will kill myself and end this child's life if you don't show up." After this message, Ethan Lu didn't receive anymore messages from her. For some reason, he could hear her voice in his mind cry so loudly and beg out of desperation. 

Still, what shook him was her last message. Was she bluffing? Is she obsessed to the extent of threatening him with their lives? What ploy was this?

He didn't know what to think as he could not blindly trust Avah Tong again. She lied about the father of her child— making him believe that it was his. She acted too naturally that he never noticed her schemes. Therefore, how did she think that he would just run back to her just because of that kind of a threat?

After all, in the first place, he never loved her and the child's father wasn't him. What made her think that he would care? 

"F*ck!" Gritting his teeth, Ethan Lu cursed loudly before his temper instantly reached its peak. He threw his phone onto the wall so hard that it broke the phone in that instant. 

Yes, he wasn't the biological father. However, he might not say it but, one way or another, he truly cared for the baby. He was not at fault for what his mother did and this threat— it surprisingly got through to him. 

"No, no, I wouldn't! I don't care! She's bluffing! She knew that I would get affected if she involves the kid— she's not like that." Ethan Lu profusely shook his head sideways as he convinced himself that Avah Tong was a professional con. 

Because of that, it made him work for another day for the Lu Corporation and finished the stack of documents that were piled on his desk. Surely, the Lu Corporation matters were a good distraction for a person like him. 

The person who was shaken but happy at this abrupt change of the wind's direction was Lyrick Jiang as he could finally sigh in relief again. Ethan Lu didn't stop working until dawn and he didn't notice the time. 

He tried to sleep but to no avail, Avah Tong's image kept on flashing before his eyes everytime he closed his eyelids. Therefore, he chose to pull an all-nighter instead and finish everything in one go. 

Surprisingly, when he finished checking the last project, the spirit of sleep still hadn't dropped by. But, grinding, and forcing himself to work endlessly still exhausted his mind which that in itself had affected his body. Thus, he plopped his back against the chair he has been sitting in since earlier. 

Massaging his temple, Ethan Lu breathed in and out as he relaxed his mental state. However, just as he tried to fall asleep, Avah Tong's disturbing message suddenly flashed before him. 

"Sh*t!" Cursing loudly, Ethan Lu slammed his fist on the surface of the desk— frustrated that it still haunted him even after hours of relentlessly working. 

Violently pulling out the drawer, Ethan Lu picked up the folder which had the paternity test results in it and without further ado, he opened up the folder and checked the results. As expected, the results weren't as shocking as the first time when Edward Lu showed him the DNA test results of the child and him. 

He was not the father. 

Even so, due to the disturbing threats she left him earlier, Ethan Lu decided to drop by at the villa where she still shamelessly stayed. He wanted to set things straight and come to terms with her in a more calm adult manner. 

*****

Arriving at the villa, it was still very dark and the house had no lights switched on as well. Ethan Lu ignored the haunting vibe the place had emitted as he directly headed to the door entrance. 

Just as he was about to knock, he creased his brows as he noticed that the door was slightly opened. For some reason, he felt alarmed as he immediately reached for his phone and speed dialed Lyrick Jiang. 

"Young master...?" Sounding weary, Lyrick Jiang cleared. 

"Rick, locate my location now using my phone's GPS and come straight here. Bring some guards with you." With that said note, Ethan Lu hung up and didn't give Lyrick Jiang a chance to ask what was happening. 

"Avah?" Slowly, Ethan Lu tiptoed inside the house, as his vigilance rose by every passing second. His initial thoughts after seeing the door was left open was that someone might have broken in— he didn't know what had happened, but that was his first thought. Thus, if that's the case, he was certain that he could take whoever broke in down as he was still active in training his strength. 

"Avah? Are you there?" In a slow pace, Ethan Lu cautiously headed to the switch so there could be a source of light. Alas, since he wasn't always in this place and only spent a short amount of time here whenever he was there, he had to search on the wall to find the switch, where he tried to remember where it was located. 

Fortunately, after a long few minutes of searching, he finally felt the switch on the tip of his middle finger and without a second's hesitation, he turned it on which immediately brightened up the place. 

The abrupt light instinctively made him narrow his eyes as it was too dark earlier before the light took over. Slowly, he opened his eyes and let them get used to the light. 

Scanning around, he immediately saw Avah Tong kneeling in the corner in a trance. Her eyes seemed to dim with the lack of energy to live as she stared at the floor, unblinkingly. 

"Avah!" Alarmed by her sight, Ethan Lu rushed towards her and kneeled while both his hands instinctively shook her shoulders. After snapping her back to reality, Avah Tong slowly lifted her head to see the person before her. 

"Ethan?"

"Hey, what are you doing here? And—" Scanning her, the rest of his words stopped as he saw cuts on Avah Tong's hands and little wounds on her arms. There were also fresh cuts on her legs that had a smeared dried blood around its proximity. 

"Why did you just arrive now? You're late..." As Avah Tong uttered her words, her tears unreservedly fell down as her hands, shoulders, and her whole body shuddered. 

"What..." Confused by what she said, Ethan Lu knitted his brows before a realization struck him. "Avah, where is he?" His eyes widened, as the grip on her shoulders tightened to the extent that her shaking stopped. 

"I said where is the child?!" Gritting his teeth, this time, Ethan Lu's voice raised as his eyes sharpened while his heart pounded louder and louder after not getting a single response from her after he uttered his last question. 

"He— he" Hiccuping, Avah Tong could not bear to continue her words as her sobs were out of control. Still, with the pain on her shoulder, she managed to construct a proper sentence. 

"He's gone!"