Chapter 93: The Underworld Queen’s Courting Tactic

Ethan sat in what looked to be a private room of a bar, listening in on the conversation between the three, on his face was a proud smile at the way Lillian had made use of the information she got.He knew that she was still a bit hesitant and nervous to face her past but she had ended up handling it better than he expected.

"Good job, Midas." He muttered as he took a sip of his Mudslide1. Why did he choose that instead of one that fit the mood, like whiskey or wine?

Well, there was no particular reason apart from the fact that he was a sweet tooth who constantly craved something...sweet.

"What was that?" Irina, who was sitting opposite him in the private room, asked.

She had flown all the way to Atlanta for a meeting with Ethan, an action that baffled him since they could just as easily discuss whatever she wanted through a secured channel, yet she was here.

Ethan was surprised when she informed that she had arrived in Atlanta, while he was in his office.

"It’s nothing," Ethan shook his head as he put the glass down, "by the way Ms. Romanova, I’m still surprised that you’re here."

"First, drop the Ms, I prefer you calling me Irina," she said, a small smile on her lips, "and second, I came because I wanted to see you.."

Ethan’s hand froze on his glass, his blue eyes raising to meet Irina’s. She didn’t look like she was joking so he just went ahead and asked, "and why is that, Ms Romanova."

"Irina," she corrected with a small frown on her face.

"Ms. Irina,"

"Irina."

With a sigh, Ethan gave in and finally said, "Irina."

A satisfied smile appeared on her face as she heard him call his name, "good."

"As to why I wanted to see you," she leaned forward a bit, "it’s just because I wanted to."

Her words confused Ethan even more. Did the queen of the underworld have so much free time?

Seeing the look on his face, Irina just chuckled before she added, "anyway, I also wanted to say that the documents against my brothers proved to be pretty useful so I decided to hurry up your request and deliver them myself."

Ethan sat up straight, this was a better information than her previous flirting, or whatever she was just trying to do.

His brows lifted slightly. "Deliver them yourself? You must be in a good mood."

"As I said," Irina answered, "the information against my brothers was pretty useful."

"I see," Ethan nodded before finally taking another sip of his Mudslide and asked, "where are they?"

She looked at his seemingly eager face before she chuckled and said "be patient and spend some time with me for now, after all, I came all the way to Atlanta just for you."

There it was again.

Ethan just sighed and leaned back, schooling his expression into a neutral one. Irina seemed to be having fun with whatever game she was playing so he let her...for now.

-------

They spent another hour at the private room of the bar before Irina finally got bored and stood up.

"Let’s go," she said and without waiting for an answer, turned to the door.

Ethan didn’t ask either, he just followed behind her as they headed for her car just outside the bar.

Two buff men stood in waiting and immediately opened the door as they spotted her.

The door was held open for the two to enter before the man closed it and walked to the front, getting in with the other.

"Where are we going?" Ethan asked.

She looked at him before saying, "a surprise."

That didn’t sound good, but Ethan decided to play along. Irina seemed completely different from the last time they met.

She seemed a lot more tame right now, and the reason for that? He had no idea, neither did he want to find out.

The drive lasted for a while as the buildings kept zooming past them and Irina still had no intention to reveal their destination.

Finally, the vehicle slowed, then stopped.

Irina’s lips curved into that faint smile. "We’re here."

The guards stepped out first, scanning the area with professional precision before opening the door for her. Ethan followed, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.

It wasn’t what he expected.

The building before him was unmarked and bland from the outside, looking more like a forgotten warehouse on the outskirts of Atlanta than anything important.

But as soon as Irina led him in, Ethan immediately noticed the difference.

The interior was pristine, almost sterile. White floors, white walls, the faint scent of disinfectant hung in the air and the faint whirring of machines deeper inside.

"This..." His voice trailed off, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This isn’t a warehouse, is it?"

"No," Irina said, clearly amused at his discovery, "this is your lab."

Ethan stopped walking, his head turning toward her. "My lab?"

Her smile widened as she stepped closer, brushing past him casually as if to force him to keep up. "Yep."

"I don’t remember a lab being part of my request," Ethan said, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"No you didn’t," Irina said, "but I figured that that you’d need it after all the stuff you requested."

There was silence between the two as they kept on walking before Ethan asked, "why?"

"I’d say it was because of the information you provided on my brothers," she paused, stopped and turned to him, "but I’d be lying, so just take this as my courting gift."

Ethan, even with an upgraded brain, tried and failed to comprehend her words.

"Courting?" He repeated, almost wondering if he had misheard.

"Yes," She nodded with a look of seriousness, "you’re the first to look at me with neither fear nor greed, so I’ve decided that you’ll be mine."

"Listen Ms. Iri—" Ethan started but was cutoff by Irina suddenly closing the distance and her face got incredibly close to his.

"Irina," she basically spelt out, "besides, you have no say in this matter, Ethan."

Ethan leaned back a bit, which only worked to get Irina to lean in even more, "I’m courting you from this moment on until you’re mine."

His jaw flexed as he leaned back just enough to keep a sliver of space between them.

His sharp blue eyes locked onto hers, searching for the faintest trace of humor, of jest or even bluff. But there was none. Irina Romanova—queen of the underworld was completely serious.

"You’ve got guts," Ethan finally said, his voice even and calm. "But I don’t recall asking to be courted."

Irina smirked, straightening just enough to give him back his personal space. "That’s the thing about me, Ethan. I don’t wait for permission. When I want something, I take it. That’s what I’ve been taught my entire life."

Ethan adjusted his cuffs, hiding the slight twitch of his fingers that betrayed his irritation. "And what happens if I refuse?"

"Refuse?" She tilted her head, amused, "even if you do, I’ll just keep trying. Besides, I’m a patient woman, Ethan and once I’m determined to get something, I will have it."

Before Ethan could reply, she pivoted smoothly and kept walking, forcing him to follow deeper into the sterile corridors of the facility.

With a sigh, he followed behind, first it was Lillian and now Irina? What even was going on.

Finally, they entered a wide chamber lined with reinforced glass panels. Inside, stacked in neat rows and secured within airtight crates, were the items Ethan had requested—rare materials gleaming under the laboratory lights.

Graphene sheets sealed in nitrogen cases. Platinum-iridium filaments spooled in magnetic suspension. Vials of experimental neuro-conductive polymers, glimmering faintly under the light.

Even prototype-grade micro-assembly rigs—equipment so precise that even top universities wouldn’t dream of acquiring them in 2010.

He had to admit, he really hadn’t expected to get them this soon, he was impressed.

Irina stood smugly behind him as she asked, "impressed?"

Ethan turned to her but said nothing as she added, "this is one of the perks of becoming mine, unlimited access to anything you want for whatever project you’re on."

"Don’t I already have that with our current agreement?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, but that’s different," she answered, "with our deal, you’d be expected to return any favor but becoming mine? I’d give anything you ask without hoping for anything in return."

"Tempting," he finally said, his tone neutral, "but I think I’ll pass. For now."

Irina’s lips curved into a sly grin, unfazed by the rejection. "For now," she repeated, as if savoring the phrase. "That means you’re still considering it."

"I’m not," Ethan corrected flatly, though he didn’t push the point further. Instead, he shifted his attention back to the crates. His fingers brushed against the cold glass, his mind already partitioning tasks across mental "threads."

He ran multiple calculations at how he’d work this out and each ended with success.

"You’re already ignoring me for your toys,"Irina said with mock offense, but her eyes never left him. "That’s fine. I like men who obsess. Just don’t forget—I gave you this playground."

a mix of Vodka, Kahlúa and Baileys