Chapter 9 - The Billionaire’s Table
Canlis sat perched on a cliff overlooking Lake Union, its mid-century stone architecture and floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of Seattle that felt miles away from the corporate wreckage downtown.
At a private corner table reserved for VIPs, Arthur Sterling sat waiting with a cup of black coffee. He wore a simple, elegant navy blazer, his silver hair neatly combed, his sharp eyes scanning the room with the casual confidence of a man who owned half the Pacific Northwest.
When Ethan walked into the dining room—wearing a sharp, charcoal-gray suit with an open-collar shirt—Arthur stood up immediately and extended his hand.
“Ethan,” Arthur said, his voice deep and warm. “Thank you for making time for an old man.”
“Arthur,” Ethan shook his hand firmly, pulling out a chair opposite him. “After the show you put on at the gala, I figured the least I could do was buy you lunch.”
Arthur chuckled, signaling the waiter. “That wasn't a show, son. That was overdue business. Grant Holloway thought he could buy his way through the digital age without understanding the basic rules of integrity. Men like that always trip over their own shadow eventually.”
“He’s facing fifteen counts of wire and securities fraud,” Ethan noted, picking up a menu. “His lawyers are already trying to negotiate a plea deal.”
“Let them negotiate,” Arthur waved a hand dismissively. “His empire is ash. Sterling Global is currently absorbing their logistics network, and our board has already voted unanimously on our next step.”
Arthur leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.
“I want to merge your cybersecurity architecture with our entire corporate grid, Ethan. A fifty-fifty joint venture. You retain complete autonomy over your technical protocols, and my firm provides the capital and global scale. You won't just be consulting anymore. You’ll be setting the standard for the entire tech sector.”
Ethan looked at the billionaire. Four years ago, he had been sitting in a basement in Tacoma, wondering if he could afford milk for his daughter. Now, he was being offered the keys to the kingdom.
“That’s a massive expansion, Arthur,” Ethan said calmly. “My firm is built on precision and trust. I don't want bureaucracy.”
“There will be no bureaucracy,” Arthur promised. “Just you, your team, and the resources to build whatever you want. And by the way... I already spoke with Mason about your daughter's waffle requirements. My baker is standing by.”
Ethan couldn't help but laugh. “You checked on my daughter’s breakfast preferences?”
“When you reach my age, you learn that keeping ten-year-old girls happy is the true secret to long-term economic stability,” Arthur smiled. “So, do we have a deal?”
Ethan extended his hand across the white tablecloth.
May you like
“We have a deal, Arthur.”
As they shook hands, the sunlight broke through the clouds over Lake Union, casting a brilliant, warm light across the restaurant. The past was officially buried. The future was wide open.
