"You should ask yourself, and answer it yourself, not me. I have nothing to do with your missing money. If you blame me for it, I certainly won't accept that." Mr. Drago crossed his left leg, his expression firm.
Mr. Drago's words crushed Mrs. Elizabeth's spirits. The hope of getting her money back felt impossible. She couldn't shake the thought that her money wouldn't just disappear without a reason. Suspecting her own children was also out of the question. Mrs. Elizabeth refused to wallow in despair; five thousand dollars meant a lot to her, especially since she was currently building a business and opening a shop.
Ethan, who had been silent and listening to his mother's conversation with Mr. Drago, suddenly glared sharply into his eyes. Ethan's intense gaze made Mr. Drago's temper flare slightly. He genuinely disliked being stared at so sharply. "Why are you looking at me like that, Ethan? Are you suspicious of me?" Mr. Drago's tone began to rise.
Ethan gave a bitter smile when Mr. Drago showed his displeasure at being stared at. "I've been quiet all this time, why would you think that, old man?" Ethan's words once again provoked Mr. Drago, who slammed his fist on the table in front of him.
"You impudent young man! You act insolently even in my own house, mind your manners, Ethan! I've been kind enough to your mother, what more do you want from me? You still think negatively of me, what can you even provide for your mother, Ethan? I pity you; you can't even afford a mobile phone." Mr. Drago's words were clearly disparaging, while Mrs. Elizabeth pleaded with Ethan to be quiet.
"That's enough, Ethan! Don't make the situation hotter. We came here only to find the truth, not to seek animosity," Mrs. Elizabeth said, holding Ethan's hand and offering a smile.
Hearing Mr. Drago's condescending remarks, Ethan was reminded of the Mona family's attitude, who also belittled him. Ethan still couldn't shake the shadows of insults and ridicule in his mind.
Ethan didn't accept Mr. Drago's condescending remarks. "You sound arrogant, old man! I may not be able to make my mother happy yet, and I may not be able to buy a phone yet. But I have something very precious that you don't!" Ethan's words made Mr. Drago give a slight click of his tongue.
"Remarkable! You are truly pathetic, Ethan! You have something very precious that I don't?" Mr. Drago and his two henchmen burst into laughter.
Then, with a cynical smile, Mr. Drago asked Ethan, "Tell me, Ethan, what is it that I don't have?"
"I have a family. Do you have a family, old man?" Ethan replied, puffing out his chest.
"Ethan, can't you be quiet for a moment?" his mother pleaded, seeing the tension between Ethan and Mr. Drago.
Ethan fell silent for a moment when his mother asked him to, then he continued his words, striking a painful blow to Mr. Drago. "Why haven't you answered my question, old man? Is your tongue tied? You are indeed a rich man, but what's the use if there's no love and affection? What good is your wealth and riches, old man? If you and your house aren't even taken care of. Where is your family, old man? Are the two people beside you your family? Where are your children and your wife, old man?"
Mr. Drago's body trembled violently, his blood immediately boiling upon hearing Ethan's deeply hurtful words. His hands clenched tightly into fists, his jaw clamped shut. His two henchmen also felt enraged, hearing Ethan's remarks which they perceived as belittling their master.
"I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense, Ethan! Get out of my house now, before I take drastic measures against you. And you should remember, I still have power in this city; you are nobody to me," Mr. Drago shooed Ethan out of his house, his lips trembling.
Seeing the tension between Ethan and Mr. Drago, Mrs. Elizabeth tried to calm them down. After all, Mrs. Elizabeth didn't want to cause any trouble with Mr. Drago.
"Please forgive my son's words, Mr. Drago! He didn't mean to offend you. I hope you can understand," Mrs. Elizabeth clasped her hands together in front of her chest.
"I'm already fed up hearing your son's remarks, Mrs. Eliza! Pay attention to all the words he's uttered; do they sound ethical to you?"
Before Mrs. Elizabeth could reply, Ethan quickly interrupted again, "I was reluctant to even step into your ridiculous and smelly house. No wonder not a single soul wants to visit your grand house that smells and is dirty like a ghost's nest."
"Enough! Mrs. Eliza, quickly take your son and leave, before my wrath grows!" Mr. Drago bellowed, raising his index finger and pointing towards the front door.
The burly man beside Mr. Drago approached Ethan and pushed him towards the exit. Mrs. Elizabeth was speechless as the strong man pulled her up from her seat.
As he was leaving, Ethan still managed to sneer at Mr. Drago, "You might be able to control others, but don't expect to control my family!"
Mr. Drago's burly bodyguard continued to push Ethan out of the house, with Mrs. Elizabeth following closely behind him. Her emotions were now in turmoil due to the conflict between Ethan and Mr. Drago. A feeling of dread now engulfed her soul, worried that Mr. Drago would retaliate against Ethan's words. This would surely impact her and Hellen, as well as the business she was just launching.
Ethan and his mother paused their steps, faintly hearing shouts from inside Mr. Drago's house. When Ethan and his mother were finally outside, the burly man slammed the door shut forcefully. Mrs. Elizabeth gasped, having held her breath for a long time due to the intensely pungent odor.
"You've caused a big problem with Mr. Drago. I don't know what possessed you, Ethan! I'm worried he'll retaliate for all your words just now," Mrs. Elizabeth expressed her concerns directly to Ethan, but Ethan wasn't intimidated by the idea of Mr. Drago retaliating.
"Calm down, Mom! I'll face Mr. Drago. I'm never afraid of anyone, even if he has power in this city. I already warned you about this loan, didn't it occur to you that you were short on money? You still put your trust in Mr. Drago. He doesn't care that you lost money. Do you think Mr. Drago will return your missing money? I can see the cunning in his eyes," Ethan's explanation still couldn't make his mother realize the truth.
"My goodness! You might not be afraid of Mr. Drago, but what about me and Hellen? Don't you think about our safety? Who will look after us when you're at work, Ethan?"
"If Mr. Drago tries anything with you and Hellen, I'll make sure he doesn't live long in this world, Mom! I won't let you or Hellen come to any harm," Ethan understood his mother's worries and stated his intention to protect her and Hellen.
"Whatever you say, Ethan! We're just ordinary people; let's not get into trouble with people like Mr. Drago," Mrs. Elizabeth continued to complain about Ethan, who was stubborn but resolute.
Mrs. Elizabeth was reminded of her husband, who also possessed a firm and stubborn nature. He never bowed down to anyone, not even to high-ranking officials. Mrs. Elizabeth felt that some of her husband's traits and personality had been passed down to Ethan.
As they walked towards the gate, Ethan asked his mother again, "What's your plan now?"
"I'm going to rent a shop near our house and buy equipment. Once I have a place and the tools, I'll buy groceries from the nearest supplier. Now, I want to warn you, be careful of all possibilities; Mr. Drago might be planning his revenge," Mrs. Elizabeth replied, advising Ethan.
Ethan clasped his mother's hand tightly, silently promising to protect and make her happy in the future. At the gate, Ethan retrieved his motorcycle parked in front of the guard post. He bid farewell to his mother and left for work. Simultaneously, a taxi passed in front of Mrs. Elizabeth, and she immediately flagged it down. Mrs. Elizabeth intended to look for a shop to rent and order many food supplies to sell later.
Meanwhile, Mr. Drago, still infuriated by Ethan's words, violently threw bottles and glasses from the table against the walls of his house.