Becoming A Tech Tycoon Begins With Regression

Ethan leaned back on the seat as his flight to Boston Logan International Airport took off.

It had been a few days since Athena suggested the vacation and after a couple of preparations he had finally taken off.

Lillian assured that she'd handle everything concerning the company, so he didn't have to worry and should just relax on his vacation.

And that was his plan also, to relax, so why the hell was Irina also here?

"What?" She asked as her eyes met Ethan's, "I already told you that I'm going there for business."

"I find that hard to believe," Ethan muttered mostly to himself but he just let it go and relaxed.

The Russian underworld Queen's curiousity of him was a bother at the start since he was unwilling to play her game.

Not that he'd let her meet María, as he could already picture how that'd end, knowing María, he was sure she'd start making wedding arrangements already.

That thought caused him to let out a small chuckle before leaning back again and shutting his eyes.

"So...what are you traveling to Boston for?" Irina asked, just to make small talk.

Ethan opened his eyes again and turned to her before answering simply, "a visit."

"A visit to?" Irina asked again, she hadn't expected a reply from his but since he answered, that meant he also wanted to make small talk, right?

"Someone important," he answered again before leaning back on his seat and closing his eyes again, "I'll be staying there for a week."

"I see," Irina nodded before she also went quiet, definitely misunderstanding the meaning of 'someone important' as could be seen from the slight change in her expression.

Ethan didn't need to clarify anything since it wasn't that important and he had no intention to....or so he thought.

"She's someone who's basically like a parent to me," he simply said.

"Oh," Irina perked up, "I'd like to meet her, then."

"No," he flatly declined, leaving no room for arguments as he went silent.

The flight continued silently after that with none of the two saying anything else.

---------

A few hours later, an announcement rang in the cabin and through the windows, Irina could see Boston airport unveiling beneath them.

A few minutes more, the wheels of the flight finally touched down.

When they finally disembarked, the chill of Boston air hit him the moment they stepped out of the terminal. It was brisk and refreshing, so unlike the the heat in Atlanta.

"Car?" Irina asked, already fishing her phone out, clearly prepared to summon her own black sedan alongside men in suits.

"I've got a ride," Ethan replied.

And as if on cue, a familiar, warm voice cut through the bustle of the arrivals hall.

"¡Ethan, hijo mío!"

Ethan's chest tightened at the sound. There she was—María, bundled in a knitted shawl, her face lighting up the moment she spotted him.

She hurried toward him with surprising speed for her age, arms already outstretched.

Ethan couldn't help the smile that broke over his face as he stepped forward, embracing her tightly.

"My boy," María said, holding him at arm's length now, her eyes shining, "you look thinner. Are you eating well? No, don't answer—I can already tell you're not."

Ethan chuckled softly. "I missed you too, María."

She peeked behind him, spotting Irina just standing there, surprised at the warmth Ethan was displaying.

"And who is this beautiful lady?" María asked.

Well that just threw his plans of not letting the two meet yet, out the window.

"She's a business part—"

"Hi, I'm Irina Romanova," She cut him off as she walked forward with a kind smile, "one of the ladies trying to win your son's heart."

She deliberately added the son part for free brownie points and she definitely did gain quite a few.

"Oh, he's not my," she wanted to correct the misunderstanding, but seeing that Ethan hadn't said anything yet, she didn't either.

Instead, she turned to him and said, "so that's

Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose, already regretting every choice that led to this moment. "María…" he began, tone weary.

But María was already beaming, her attention fixed on Irina. "Oh, you're gorgeous. Russian, yes? No wonder Ethan looks so stiff, he doesn't know how to handle you." She laughed warmly before looping her arm around Irina's as if they were already family. "Come, come, I'll feed you both. You must be hungry after such a long flight."

Irina's lips curved, she wanted nothing more than to accept her offer but as she had told Ethan previously, she was here for a reason so she politely declined.

"Thank you, señora, but I have a meeting waiting for me in the city. Business, I'm afraid."

María's face fell for the briefest of moments before she quickly brightened again. "Ah, work, work, always chasing you young ones. But you must come by before you leave Boston. My door is open, always."

"I'll keep that in mind," Irina replied smoothly, though her eyes flicked to Ethan as if daring him to contradict her.

Ethan sighed, already bracing for the teasing María was bound to unleash later. "Let's get going, María."

"Sí, sí," María said, taking his arm as though she hadn't seen him in years instead of months. She looked back once more at Irina. "Don't let him scare you off, querida. He pretends to be all stone, but inside…" She tapped her chest. "…he is soft. Very soft."

Irina smirked knowingly. "I'll remember that."

Ethan shot her a warning look, but she only gave him an innocent blink.

They reached the curb where María's modest sedan was parked. Unlike the polished black cars Irina was used to, this one was simple, a little old, but spotless inside and out—María's touch.

"I'll see you around, Ethan," Irina said, her tone carrying more meaning than the words themselves.

She slipped into the back of her waiting black sedan, her men already moving to open doors and clear space.

Before the car pulled away, she leaned out the window and called, "Enjoy your vacation. And María, keep him out of trouble for me."

"Always," María promised with a firm nod, waving her off.

Once Irina's car disappeared into traffic, María turned to Ethan with a knowing smile. "Mhm. Business partner, you say? Lies don't suit you, hijo."

Ethan pressed his lips together, deciding silence was safer than any explanation.

"Come," María said, tugging him toward her car. "We'll talk at home. I made arroz con pollo, and you will eat two plates, no excuses."

-----------------

While Ethan was being smothered in María's warmth, back in Beijing China, Elderwood stood in a certain dark office of a highrise building.

In front of him was a chair facing away from him and towards the floor to ceiling window.

"So what you're here to report is that you failed and now your team is in police custody?" The person, a female sounding one, said calmly,

He bowed his head slightly, the dim light casting harsh shadows across his weathered face. "Yes, Madam. We thought we had successfully gotten everything we needed, but it seems that everything was a trick perfectly created by the presence of Sentinel in our systems."

"So now, your operation is compromised," she said softly. "Do you know what that means for me, Elderwood?"

His jaw tightened. "It means the Chinese authorities will interrogate them. They may extract names, methods. But not mine. I made sure of that. They don't know me."

"Perhaps," she said, "but you know as well as I do—under enough pressure, even the most loyal pawns begin to break. Aleks is foreign, an outsider. Mei? Too emotional. Lin? Weak nerves. They will give something. And when they do…" She let her words hang but Elder wood knew exactly what she meant.

Elderwood took a sharp breath but did not flinch. "Then I'll silence the problem before it spreads. I can still—"

"No." She cut him off with the slightest lift of her hand while her back was still turned. "We will handle the cleanup. Your task now is different."

Her gaze sharpened, pinning him like prey. "This OmniTech or rather Sentinel, I don't like they had disrupted my plans like this and humiliated us by treating us like fools and feeding us fake information."

The chair swivel around, finally revealing a woman draped in a flowing black cheongsam lined with crimson embroidery, her long hair a midnight cascade framing a face that was beautiful yet cold at the same time .

Her presence was commanding, and her eyes were as sharp as blades. These were eyes that could see men and women die at a whim.

Madam Xu.

Elderwood bowed deeper this time, lowering his gaze instinctively.

Her voice was calm,"I do not tolerate humiliation, Elderwood. What OmniTech has done, what Sentinel has done, is not just interference—it is defiance."

She leaned forward, tapping her lacquered nails once against the armrest. "And no one defies me."