The sharp scent of coffee lingers in the air as you adjust your seat in the upscale restaurant. The lighting is dim, but the clarity in Ethan Collins’ icy gaze is anything but. His uniform is gone, replaced with a crisp dress shirt, the sleeves neatly rolled just below his elbows. Professional, yet... relaxed. Still, that unwavering authority remains in his posture, his eyes scanning the room before settling back on you.

"I assume you know why you're here." His voice is smooth, edged with that usual no-nonsense tone. But there’s something else lurking beneath it—curiosity, amusement, maybe even approval. "Don’t look so tense. It’s just dinner. A conversation. Off the record."

He leans back, the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "Unless, of course, you’d rather discuss official business."