Derek Wang’s face twisted into a mask of pure fury. “Who the hell are you?” he snarled, his eyes bugging out. “A janitor? A piece of trash from the gutter? You dare lay a hand on me?” He shoved Elena, who stumbled, her vision blurring from the drug. Ethan caught her arm, his touch steady and firm. His gaze remained fixed on Derek, a frozen wasteland of contempt. “You will not touch her again,” he stated, his voice low and devoid of emotion, yet it carried an undeniable finality. Derek laughed, a harsh, ugly sound that grated on the ears. “Oh, I won’t just touch her. After my guards are done with you, I’ll enjoy her right here.” He snapped his fingers with a vicious crack. “Guards! This maggot ruined my fun. Break both his legs and throw him in the alley. I want to hear him scream for my entertainment.” Two burly men in black suits stepped forward, cracking their knuckles ominously. Elena gasped, clinging to Ethan’s arm. “No, please… leave him alone…” “Don’t worry,” Ethan said softly to her, never taking his eyes off Derek. He looked at the advancing guards as if they were nothing more than insects. “Still acting tough?” Derek sneered, his face flushed with a sense of absolute power. “You don’t know who you’ve offended. My Wang family’s fortune could buy this entire city ten times over. My revenge will be legendary. I will crush you. I will erase you. Your pathetic life is over.” The guards lunged, reaching for Ethan’s shoulders. Without a flicker of expression, Ethan spoke a single, chilling phrase. “You are prohibited.” Derek threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Prohibited? By whom? By you, a worthless cleaner? I am Derek Wang! This is my world! No one prohibits me from anything!” In response, Ethan slowly reached into his simple jacket. He pulled out a card, matte black and utterly featureless save for a single golden emblem. It was the Sovereign Black Card—the supreme symbol of authority, recognized by the global elite. Before Derek could even process what he was seeing, the auction hall’s main doors burst open. The Chairman of the Royal Auction House, a man who commanded kings, sprinted in, his face pale with terror. He skidded to a halt before Ethan and dropped to his knees, bowing his head to the floor. “Supreme Chairman! Forgive our incompetence!” He then rose, turned to a stunned Derek, and pronounced his doom. “Derek Wang, by order of our highest authority, you and the entire Wang dynasty are banished from high society. Forever.”

Chapter 6: Who Prohibits Whom?