Ethan felt heat rise in his face, but it wasn’t embarrassment. It was frustration—the familiar sting of being dismissed before he could prove anything. He thought of his father working endless hours without complaint, always invisible.
He took a step closer.
“It’s the intake,” Ethan said, louder now. “I can fix it before your service team gets here.”
Bennett’s laughter faded into a smirk. “You? If you touch one thing and damage it, I’ll make sure your father never works here again. Not a single reference. Not a dollar more. Understand?”
“I won’t damage it,” Ethan replied. Then, meeting the billionaire’s eyes, he asked, “If I fix it, how much will you pay me?”
Silence fell.
No one spoke to Daniel Bennett like that.
“You want to make a deal?” Bennett said coldly. “Fine. You’ve got ten minutes. If the car starts, I’ll give you everything in my wallet. If you fail—or scratch it—you and your father are gone. Deal?”
It was a reckless gamble. Ethan knew his father depended on that job. But he also knew what he’d heard in the engine.
He nodded.