The next morning t Ethan up early and dressed semi formally, ready to head out.
Lana had called him late the previous night, confirming that Camila had agreed, reluctantly, to a eting.
Ethan had a feeling that Lana was the one who forced her to accept.
Picking up his keys and phone, he stepped out of his room—only to nearly bump into Isabela, who looked completely different from how he rembered.
She stood at his door, hand raised in a fist as if she was just about to knock when he opened the door.
Unlike the oversized hoodie she was dressed in the previous day, Isabela now wore a black blouse tucked into dark gray skirt, paired with simple flats and a slim backpack hanging off one shoulder.
Coupled with the fact that she had gone with contacts instead of her round glasses, she looked completely different.
"Um, good morning," she said, her voice a bit more formal than usual.
Ethan blinked once, montarily thrown off. "Morning," he replied, eyeing her outfit with mild curiosity. "You heading out?"
Isabela nodded. "Yeah. I’m heading to work, so I thought I should tell you before leaving."
’Right, her internship’ Ethan rembered and offered, "how about I drop you off? I’m also on my way out."
Isabela hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly around the strap of her backpack.
"Oh—uh, no, it’s fine. I don’t want to bother you," she said quickly, while her eyes seem to nervously darted around.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, imdiately picking up on her guarded tone.
"It’s not a bother," he said casually. "I’m already heading out, rember?"
She shook her head, offering a faint smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Really, it’s okay. I’ve already gotten the route down thanks to Google maps. It’s just one bus ride and a short walk."
Ethan didn’t push, though he noted the way she avoided his gaze.
"Alright," he said calmly, not letting his suspicion of her actions surface. "Stay safe then."
"I will," she replied, quickly stepping past him and toward the door.
Ethan watched her go with expression thoughtful. There was sothing she was hiding, that much was obvious.
But he had more pressing matters to deal with. And honestly, he didn’t really care what she did, as long as she didn’t cause too much trouble under his roof.
Locking the door behind him, Ethan made his way down the hallway, pulling out his phone to review the address Lana had sent. The eting was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at Camila’s house near the outskirts of Atlanta.
But first, he had to swing by Strata Comrcial to pick Lana up before heading to the eting.
Getting into his car, he drove out of his apartnt building’s small parking lot, one which was barely big enough to fit three cars.
While driving, he made sure to text Lana, informing her that he was on the way.
Fifteen minutes later, he parked in front of the modest Strata Comrcial building. It was nestled between two larger office spaces, but it had a modern facade with clean glass windows and a minimalist logo above the door.
Before he could text her again, the front door swung open and Lana Wolfe walked out, dressed in a navy blazer over a cream blouse, black trousers, and low heels. Her phone was in one hand, a tablet tucked under her other arm.
She had long black hair and similar colored eyes, making her look like a cold business woman, which was not the image Ethan had when they spoke.
Lanaspotted him imdiately and headed for the passenger side.
"You’re early," she said as she slid into the car, glancing at him with mild surprise. "And a lot younger than I expected."
"You’re not the first to say that," Ethan replied with a polite smile.
Lana buckled her seatbelt, then leaned back slightly in the passenger seat, studying him for a mont longer with faint curiosity. "Still, I wasn’t expecting soone who looks like they barely just graduated college to be trying to buy a data center."
Ethan shrugged, starting the car. "Age isn’t really a asure of capability."
"True," Lana said, turning her attention to her tablet.
As they drove through the city, She studied him from the corner of her eye. "So, what exactly do you want with Drake Systems? Most buyers just want to gut the infrastructure and flip the property."
Ethan kept his eyes on the road, as he replied. "I’m securing it on behalf of a tech company."
Lana raised an eyebrow. "A company? Is it one I’d recognize?"
"Doubt it," he shook his head, "it’s a new one with no public presence yet."
Lana tilted her head slightly, a small frown appearing on her face. "So, a startup?"
"You could call it that," Ethan nodded, eyes still on the road.
That earned him a sidelong glance. Lana studied his face for a mont longer, then said nothing.
__________
The drive lasted another twenty minutes before they pulled up to a more quieter part of Atlanta.
The houses in this neighborhood were widely spread apart with tall trees between them.
Ethan pulled into the driveway of a sleek, modern suburban house and turned his car engine off.
Lana pulled out her phone to call Camila, only for it to buzz soon after.
She looked at the screen before swearing, "you’ve got to be f*cking kidding ."
Ethan spared her a glance. "Sothing wrong?"
She was already typing furiously. "One of my other clients just had a property ergency. A pipe burst during a last-minute inspection and the buyer’s threatening to pull out."
"Can’t soone else from your firm handle it?"
"They’re all out. Most of the team’s still remote or in other etings," she muttered, clearly frustrated. "And this deal has been in limbo for two months. If I don’t step in now, it’s dead."
Ethan leaned back in his seat,"so you’re leaving?"
Lana sighed, already unbuckling her seatbelt. "Yeah, I have to. I’m really sorry, but I’ll text Camila and let her know you’re coming in alone. She doesn’t like surprises, so don’t take it personally if she’s a little... intense."
"Noted," Ethan said, watching her step out of the car.
She paused, hand on the door. "Just be honest. Camila’s smart—too smart, sotis. If you try to bullshit her, she’ll know."
Ethan gave her a soft smile before replying, "I don’t plan to."
That earned him a small, approving nod before she shut the door and walked briskly back down the driveway, already on a call.
Even though the streets seed empty, a taxi appeared out of nowhere as soon as she lifted her hand.
He watched her get in and the cab imdiately sped away before he turned back and faced the house.
"Let’s hope this goes well," he muttered to himself before exiting the car.
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