Chapter 136: Long Sleep

The evening air was pleasantly cool when Ethan stepped onto the balcony. The sun was gradually sinking below the distant buildings, casting a warm glow across Arcane City as the streets began to fill with the familiar sounds of people returning home. A gentle breeze brushed against his face, and he leaned against the railing for a few seconds, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

It was the sort of evening he had wanted for a long time. No meetings, no endless negotiations, no troublesome business associates demanding his attention. Just a quiet home where he could spend time with his wife and daughter.

Unfortunately, the suspicious sedan had ruined some of that peace.

Ethan straightened and reached into his pocket for his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Vincent’s number, then initiated the call. The other man answered after a few rings.

"Ethan?" Vincent’s voice came through the phone, sounding mildly curious. "I wasn’t expecting your call this evening. How are you doing?"

"Good evening, Vincent. I’m doing fine," Ethan replied, resting one hand on the railing. "I need you to look into something for me."

Vincent’s tone immediately became more attentive. "What’s that?"

Nodding, Ethan explained. "About two hours ago, while I was driving home with my family, a dark sedan started following my car. It stayed behind me through several turns, even when I changed routes. I eventually managed to lose it, but I want to know who owns the vehicle."

There was a brief silence before Vincent responded. "Someone was following you? Did you get the license plate?"

"I caught enough of it to identify the car. I’ll send you the details I remember. I want you to investigate the registration, find out who the owner is, and see whether you can get a photograph of the person."

"Understood," Vincent replied. "Do you think it’s connected to someone you know?"

"That’s what I want to find out." Ethan’s expression turned thoughtful as he recalled the sedan maintaining its distance behind him. "It could be someone with a personal grudge, or someone acting on another person’s instructions. I don’t want to jump to conclusions before we have the facts."

Vincent hummed in acknowledgment. "I’ll have it looked into. If the registration leads nowhere, I’ll see what else can be found. I’ll let you know when I have something useful."

"Good. Try to find out who was driving as well as who owns the car. They might not be the same person." Ethan smiled.

"I understand. Leave it to me."

Ethan gave a small nod, even though Vincent couldn’t see him. "Thanks. I’ll send you the details shortly."

After exchanging a few more words, they ended the call. Ethan immediately sent Vincent the information he had managed to remember about the sedan, then slipped his phone back into his pocket.

He remained on the balcony for a while, looking out over the city as his thoughts wandered.

’Who could be interested in following me?’

He had certainly made enemies in his previous life. As Victor Caldwell, he had spent decades competing against powerful businessmen, negotiating ruthless deals, and crushing those who tried to take advantage of him.

Some people had respected him, others had feared him, and more than a few had resented him enough to wish him harm.

But this was a different life.

He was Ethan Hale now, a husband and father trying to build a comfortable future for his family. He had no desire to return to the exhausting world of endless power struggles, yet it seemed that trouble was determined to find him anyway.

His thoughts briefly turned to the people he had encountered since his rebirth and the problems that had already crossed his path. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that someone had a grudge against him, but he wasn’t going to waste his evening imagining every possible threat.

’I thought I could finally live in peace now, but my enemies are not few.’

Ethan sighed and shook his head. There was little point worrying about an unknown enemy before Vincent had uncovered anything useful. If someone truly intended to cause trouble, he would deal with it when the time came.

For now, he had a wife and daughter waiting inside.

With that thought, he left the balcony and returned to the bedroom. Evelyn was already lying down, and Nora had settled beside her, looking considerably more comfortable than she had in the car. Ethan changed into his nightclothes and climbed onto the bed, carefully settling beside them.

Evelyn turned toward him with sleepy eyes and shifted closer, resting her head against his chest. Nora, apparently unwilling to be left out, moved nearer until she was comfortably tucked between her parents.

Ethan smiled and wrapped an arm around each of them.

"Everyone’s exhausted today," He murmured, brushing a hand over Nora’s hair.

"Because someone kept teasing me," Nora mumbled without opening her eyes.

Ethan chuckled softly. "Of course. It was entirely my fault."

"Mhn," She replied, already drifting off.

Evelyn smiled against his chest before closing her eyes. Ethan looked down at the two people beside him, and the remaining tension in his shoulders gradually eased.

Whatever problems awaited him, he could face them later. Tonight, he simply wanted to enjoy the warmth of his family.

He held them close as the room grew quiet, and before long, all three had fallen asleep.

...

The following morning, Ethan woke before the others, as he usually did. The bedroom was still quiet, with Evelyn and Nora sleeping peacefully beside him. He carefully slipped out of bed, making sure not to disturb them, and headed to the living room.

After changing into his exercise clothes, he began his usual routine. He started with stretches before moving into a series of bodyweight exercises, gradually increasing the intensity as his body warmed up. The familiar rhythm helped clear his mind, and for a while, he focused entirely on his movements rather than the suspicious car or the investigation he had requested from Vincent.

When he finished, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. The cool water refreshed him, washing away the lingering fatigue from the previous day. After drying himself and changing into clean clothes, he stepped out of the bathroom and made his way toward the living room.

He had barely reached the doorway when the bedroom door opened.

Evelyn emerged first, yawning as she stretched her arms above her head. Nora followed close behind, rubbing her eyes and trying to suppress another yawn. Both looked as though they could have used another hour of sleep.

Ethan paused to watch them, a faint smile spreading across his face.

"Good morning, sleepyheads." He greeted them, folding his arms as Evelyn let out another yawn and Nora leaned sleepily against her mother’s side.