Prologue
“Will you marry me?” Ethan kneels at the front of his beautiful girlfriend.
Ariana pops out her eyes in surprise, “Yeah, yeah... I will. I love you! You are mine forever!” The ring dazzles and sparkles – it's a diamond ring worth one million dollars!.
“You are always welcome, anytime, any day. The door is open for you,” Mrs. Desmond, the mother-in-law-to-be, hauls.
“Let's be quick with the wedding; it can even be tomorrow,” Mr. Desmond suggests, and everyone laughs.
Two days later.
“I don't love you! You hear me? I don't! You are nothing now. I don't want to be anything like you. Marrying you is like deliberately sinking myself in deep mud,” she shouts at him.
“Leave my daughter alone and never come to this house again, or else I will arrest you!” Mr. Desmond hauls at him.
Ethan looks at him in disbelief.
Chapter One: HOW IT ALL STARTED
Ethan's clothes are the most expensive dress in all of the restaurant.
His wristwatch is even more expensive than his dress. He gets down on his knee, and brings out the ring case.
Ariana anxiously waits; she's been waiting for this for ten years of dating.
“Will you marry me?” he proposes, opening the case. The ring's brilliance captures everyone's attention in the restaurant.
The ring's crystal sparkles in Ariana's eyes as she shouts, “Yeah, yeah... I will! I love you, you are mine forever!”.
He slides the ring onto her finger; it's worth one million dollars!.
They enjoy their date and later retreat to Ariana's house.
“Yeah, Mom! At last!” She screams as she enters the room, spinning around.
The family assembles in the well-set room, although it's not as luxurious as Ethan's.
“Wow,” they all exclaim at the ring, knowing its worth.
Mr. Desmond sits, “Now, we should just pick the wedding day.”
The others also sit. “Anytime you wish,” Ethan says with his cool and gentle voice.
“Let's be quick with the wedding; it can even be tomorrow,” Mr. Desmond suggests, and everyone laughs.
Nick, the first-born and only son, keeps everyone laughing.
As the midnight clock approaches, Ethan
prepares to leave.
“I should be going; it's already late.”
Ariana coaxes beside him, “Please, stay here... sleepover, babe.”
“I wish I could, but I have something urgent to attend to at home,” he explains.
“You are always welcome, always. The door is open for you,” Mrs. Desmond says, and he smiles silently as he gets up.
“Let me get going.” He stands up, followed by Ariana. They bid him farewell, and as soon as he leaves, the family receives an alert with thousands of dollars. He lives a lavish life.
“I can't wait for him to be my brother-in-law,” Nick jokes. “Everyone can't,” Mrs. Desmond agrees, and they all laugh.
“You should leave now,” he says to his girlfriend, who refuses to leave him.
“I am always yours, remember that,” he says, and she finally lets him go after a kiss.
Ethan enters his automatic car, hits the button, and is about to drive when a call enters. His uncle calls. He initially considers ignoring it but decides to pick up.
“Hello, Uncle,” he says politely, although it's fake. The line remains quiet. “Hello,” he repeats.
“Ethan, your parents... your parents are dead,” his uncle finally says. And that's the news that starts it all.
******
After the funeral, Ariana returns home. Without any glimpse of empathy, it's all just an act.
“How was the funeral?” Mrs. Desmond asks, sitting down with a heavy sigh.
“I heard he was their only child,” Mr. Desmond asks.
“Yes, Dad, he's the heir,” she replies, delight evident.
Nick enters the room, “That's so cool! It means we'll become the in-laws of the youngest billionaire.”
“You should at least show some remorse if you can't feel it,” Ariana says.
******
The words reverberate in Ethan's mind. It feels like he misheard or is dreaming. He hopes it's all a dream.
“What are you saying? I have no entitlement to any of my parents' property?” he demands.
His bald-headed uncle states, “For your information, they are not your parents. You are adopted and not even legally so; they took you in.”
“Lawyer Lee, tell me he's wrong. My father should have written a will,” Ethan implores, looking at the lawyer.
“Unfortunately, he didn't, and he left you nothing. All the property will go to his only family, which is Mr. Ben here. You'll have to sort it out among yourselves,” the lawyer explains before leaving.
Turning to his uncle, Ethan pleads, “Uncle, please don't do this to me.”
He falls to his knees. His uncle bends down to his level.
“Why is that all your bragging and pride?” Tears stream down Ethan's face. He must do this now to avoid losing everything.
“For your information, I have no intention of taking you in. Pack your things and get out of here, you bastard!” his uncle shouts.
“Please, show mercy!” Ethan begs with all his might. Uncle Ben smirks and leaves him on his knees.
Chapter 2Four days ago, in this very room, Uncle Ben knelt before Mr. Charles, Ethan's father, asking to borrow money for an investment that Ethan was unaware of.Now, in this same room, he finds himself kneeling before Uncle Ben, desperate for him not to send him away.The day transitions from morning to night and back to morning.Ethan's knees are bruised from constant kneeling.Uncle Ben enters the room, yawning, and is surprised to see Ethan still there. "You're still here?" he asks."Please, Uncle, I'll do anything," Ethan pleads, his voice strained."I have no intention of saving you, so stop wasting your time," Uncle Ben dismisses. At this moment, Ethan knows that begging is futile.(Mr.Desmond's house).Ethan knocks on the door, waiting impatiently for it to open. He's holding two suitcases. He knocks again, but no one answers.He's certain they're inside because he can hear their voices. Finally, Ariana opens the door.He calls out to her, but she ignores him and walks away,
Ethan's legs tremble as he blames himself for believing something unreal.The storeowner stares at him, but then his phone dings.He quickly checks it and sees a debit alert.It's real! The storeowner's eyes pop wide open, disbelief evident on his face."I... I am sorry," he mumbles, but Ethan cuts him off."Give me three," he orders."Yes, sir," the storeowner replies, immediately packaging the items and handing them over."We would love to have you as our regular customer," the storeowner says, but Ethan ignores him and turns to the elderly woman."Take these," he hands her the three items. She initially hesitates, but then nods reluctantly."It's okay," he reassures her, placing the items in her hands."Thank you so much! My grandson will be delighted. I can't wait to give these to him.""Yes, please be quick," Ethan urges."Thanks!" the woman expresses her gratitude again and bids him farewell.He leaves the store feeling accomplished.{mission accomplished, dashboard had been top
Chapter 4 After two weeks The news and social media are abuzz with talk of the mighty-E, an unknown trillionaire who has built the most expensive house and company in just five days. With a lot of labor and workmanship, he pays his workers generously, becoming the first man in history to pay high wages for his workers. The mighty-E, the only trillionaire in the country, is in ragged clothes that are beyond imagination - dirty and rough. He stares at the sign in front of the gate: "Driver Needed." His quest for revenge commences; catching them off guard is the initial step. **** Mr. Desmond scoffs, while the others laugh. "You want to become my driver?" Mr. Desmond seeks confirmation. With determination, Ethan responds, "Yes, sir, please. I need to survive." "Get your face out of here!" Mrs. Desmond snaps at him. Mr. Desmond raises his hand. "Alright... I admire your mindset." "Dad, are you really hiring him?" Ariana questions. "He deserves a chance at life," Mr. Desmond ass
As Ethan drives Mr. Desmond home, his mind is consumed by thoughts about the man, pondering the grudge he seems to hold against him. Lost in his thoughts, he momentarily loses focus and nearly collides with the car ahead. His reflexes kick in, and he slams on the brakes, causing Mr. Desmond to lurch forward in his seat. "Are you crazy? Do you want to kill me? Is that your plan as my driver?" Mr. Desmond exclaims in frustration. Ethan quickly apologizes, his voice filled with genuine remorse. "I'm so sorry, sir. It was not intentional. Please forgive me." Despite Ethan's plea, Mr. Desmond remains silent until they reach home. "Give me the key," Mr. Desmond demands, his tone cutting through the air. "I apologize, sir. It truly wasn't my intention," Ethan bows, regret evident in his voice. Ariana, dressed to leave the house, enters the room just in time to witness the tense scene. She rolls her eyes and hisses at Ethan before storming off and slamming the door behind her. "
"Hey kid, please tell me what makes you happy. Even if money can't, I'll find another way," Ethan says, growing frustrated. "Home," the boy utters. "Home will make you happy?" Ethan asks, puzzled. The boy nods. "Okay, let's go home," Ethan agrees, following the boy's lead. After a few minutes of walking, they arrive at a shabby hut. "Is this your house?" Ethan inquires. The boy nods. Just then, a woman rushes out from the house. "John!" she exclaims, embracing him. "Where have you been all this time?" Ethan surveys the house and realizes that this is likely the source of the boy's unhappiness. "So, you're not happy living in this kind of house. I'll build you a new home," Ethan declares. "Who are you?" the boy's mother asks skeptically. "Um... I'm your child's friend, and I'm trying to make him happy," Ethan claims, gesturing to the bags in his hand. The mother notices the bags and examines them closely, nearly exclaiming in surprise. "He bought me these," the boy informs
Chapter 7Ariana wakes up to a delightful aroma, instantly recognizing Ethan's cooking skills from their dating days.She joins the others at the table, where Ethan serves breakfast."He's the cook now," Ariana comments as she takes her seat."That's his role here, do the chores," Mr. Desmond adds.Nick takes a spoonful of the delicious meal Ethan has prepared and compliments him, "You're an amazing cook, destined for success.""Thank you for your kind words, enjoy your breakfast," Ethan replies, about to leave but halted by Mr. Desmond's request to stay."Water," Max orders, though it's right in front of him; Ethan hands it to him."I'm meeting the mighty-E today," Mr. Desmond announces, stunning everyone.Ethan smirks confidently."How can you be so sure? No one's ever seen him," Ariana questions."I'm going to the company and offer him something he can't refuse," Mr. Desmond states."That's my dad," Nick proudly chimes in."What can you offer someone who seemingly has it all?" Aria
Ariana and Max leave the room, leaving the others behind. Ethan remains beside Mr. Desmond."I was wondering, who is this guy?" Sandra asks, referring to Ethan."He is something insignificant, a once-upon-a-time rich, spoiled brat who thinks money is everything," Nick comments."Oh, what a dynamic life," she laments."Dynamic indeed, you don't have to feel pity for him, as he is not meant to be pitied," Mr. Desmond says."How did he end up working for you?""Don't let talk about him spoil the gracious moment," Mrs. Desmond intervenes.She nods, then points at something on the ground. "What's that?"They all turn to look, and it's the shining ring. The ring holds a lot of memories for Ethan. He quickly picks it up."I will give this to her."He makes his way upstairs and is about to open the door but hesitates, pressing his ear against the door."I said no, Max, a total no!" Ariana exclaims as she and Max argue."What is no? You don't have a choice, you must," Max retorts."You shamele
Chapter 9"Ethan!" Mr. Desmond's voice jolts Ethan awake, prompting him to groan as he rises from his bed and hurries to meet him in the still-dark hours."Sir, here I am," Ethan mutters sleepily."Do you know how many times I've been calling you? Sleeping like a pig!" Mr. Desmond scolds."Sorry, sir," Ethan replies."You have to drive me somewhere now, in the dead of night, and mark my words, don't snoop around. Stay in the car, got it?" Mr. Desmond warns sternly."Okay, sir," Ethan acquiesces as Mr. Desmond tosses the car keys to him.The world outside is still asleep as they board the car, Mr. Desmond guiding Ethan along an unfamiliar path that takes twenty minutes to traverse.Eventually, they arrive at their destination. A grand black gate stands proudly before a two-story building, an imposing structure that captures Ethan's attention. The automatic doors swing open, allowing them entry into the spacious compound, though not as expansive as the Mighty-E compound."Stay here and
The room seemed to shrink as tension filled every corner. Sean's eyes bore into Ethan's, each step e. Before either could make a move, Ariana stepped forward, her voice cutting through the heavy air."Enough, both of you!" she exclaimed, standing between the two men. "We've seen enough bloodshed. There has to be a way to end this without more violence."Ethan, his determination unwavering, nodded in agreement. "She's right, Sean. We need to find a resolution, not perpetuate this cycle of revenge."Sean's gaze shifted between Ariana and Ethan, a battle of emotions playing out on his face. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly lowered his weapon. "Fine, let's talk," he conceded, though his tone carried a note of reluctance.Ariana left the room leaving the both of them to talk, as she walked out, she saw tony smiling and weaving at her.she hissed and went on her way, she rushed towards her."why ignoring me", he asked."it seemed you are enjoying this situation, smiling and dancing
"Don't do it," Ethan glares at the gang leader, as if he could swallow him up. The leader laughs, "What can you do? You will just watch your family die in front of you before I kill you." Ethan glares back, blood in his eyes, "Don't do it, please," he pleads.The leader smirks, his hand hovering over the trigger, "Say bye to them," he says. "Nooo!" Ethan shouts, then a strange sensation surges inside him, and his eyeballs turn white before returning to normal.The leader hesitates, wondering what's wrong with him. Suddenly, a message appears: {System Reactivated… Host Found… 25%, 35%, 45%, 100%}. Ethan thinks he's dreaming, unable to believe his eyes and the sounds he's hearing. The system is back.{You summoned the system, would you like to sign in? Note that if you sign in now, it will be for eternity}. Ethan exhales loudly, finding it hard to understand how he summoned the system a second time. "Yes, I will sign."{Signing: 35%, 45%, 55%, 75%, 100%, completed. All skills, stage,
Ethan approaches Mr. Desmond, who gazes at him, trembling and shaking."I told you, this will be your only chance," he says."So, what are you going to do with me?" Mr. Desmond stammers."What do you think? I will kill you, of course," Ethan smirks, bringing out his gun."You know that will be stupid. Think about your freezer asset; I can let them free it," he said."Really, but I don't need it," Ethan replies.Mr. Desmond laughs, "You know you can't kill me. Think of your kid. How could you be a father for him in prison?""You think this is funny? I just figured out my mistake. I keep sparing you people, nevertheless, you keep coming back as a problem.""This will be my last problem of yours," Mr. Desmond smirks, but it's clear he isn't telling the truth."Are you enjoying this?" Ethan asks."Maybe yes, Ethan... You brought this upon yourself. And you know what, there is still the organization. Nick is forming it back, so there is no way you can end that," he said."I will kill you,
"I told you I know nothing about it; I am here to save her," Ethan tells the detective in the hospital. The detective presses on, "Why didn't you call the police when the abductor called you?""They warned me not to call, unless they will kill her," he said. "You should have at least told the police, and we would have looked for what to do," the detective said. Ethan exhales loudly, "The victim has told you herself that I am innocent."The detective then slams the table, "What is your business with the abductor, and why did he want you so badly that he would even kidnap someone to threaten you?". "I am not answering any more questions," Ethan says. He knows Mr. Desmond was at work.Just then, an officer enters the room and whispers something to the officer. The detective gazes at Ethan, then says, "You can go." Ethan smirks, wondering why they let him go so easily. He leaves the officer, only to find Mr. Desmond waiting for him outside. He ignores him and keeps walking."You sho
Mr. Desmond calls Ethan back, saying, "You have to meet him.""She is with your daughter, and you don’t even care, asking me to meet him?" Ethan questions."He wants you and won’t release her no matter what I do. If you don’t meet with him, he will kill her. If you don’t want to see her dead, meet him," Mr. Desmond says, ending the call.Ethan scoffs, wondering how a parent could do such a thing."So, what do we do now?" Sandra asks."I have to meet him in the location," Ethan responds.Sandra interrupts, "That will be very dangerous. You know he will kill you.""Yes, but if I don’t go, he will kill Ariana," Ethan says."So, we have to plan. We have to involve the police," Sandra suggests."Yes… call Derek and others," Ethan instructs.After Tony calls Ethan, he still feels uneasy and believes involving the police is necessary. He heads to the police station and reports the situation. The police put themselves to work, and instead of Tony going home, he lurks around, waiting for updat
Earthlord looked dumbfounded, “What do you think you are doing?”“Mind what you say, you are online,” Ethan smiles wickedly. Just then, one of the guards moves closer to Earthlord and whispers to him.“I will kill you,” he says as he walks away, leaving Ethan in the room. After a few minutes, the police arrive, but Earthlord and the others have escaped. The police take Ethan in for questioning, and he tells them everything.After Ethan leaves the police station, he heads to the hideout where the others are gathered.“You did good work,” Derek says.Ethan exhales, “But he escaped. He would do anything to come back for me.”“We have to be very careful; you should always walk in pairs,” Mr. Davis says.Sandra says, “Now that he has confessed, they should free you now and unfreeze all your access.”Ethan nods, “But we can’t be sure. Earthlord might have more influence than we think.”“What about Mr. Desmond and Nick? We should do something about them, maybe kill them,” Feifei suggests.Et
"Are you saying Mr. Desmond will provide organs for him?" Ethan asks, unbelievably."If he's the one backing them up, then that's what he is sure to do," the man said.Ethan nods, "Okay, you can go."The man left."They are always evil, and they will continue to behave so. We have to stop them," Ethan mutters."You have to concentrate on yourself first. You are losing everything. You have to clear your name and regain everything back," Sandra says.He sits down gently, "I will have to meet him.""For what? No, you can't do that. He will kill you. You heard what he said; he's a devil," Sandra says."I have to meet him and know what he is. I will be okay," he said.******Ariana walks out of the new apartment she is now living in, dressed in a full grey coat, looking sophisticated.As she is about to open her car, a hand pushes the door back to close and points a gun at her, discreetly."Follow me gently," the voice says."What do you want?" Ariana inquires, shaking."Don't ask me that,
Ethan travels back to the country with his innocent son, determined to put an end to this once and for all.When they arrive at the airport, Mr. Davis and Feifei are already waiting for him."Boss, you look haggard," Mr. Davis remarked.Ethan nods, instead smiling. "I have prepared a hideout. there, we can make our plan and stay for the meantime.""Okay, thanks," Ethan says.After some minutes, they arrive at the hideout. It's a tiny, cold space, more like a container, with a flicker of light."Dad, I can't live here," Noah complains.Sandra hugs him. "It's gonna be okay."Feifei whispers, "That's the reason I'm telling him I'm not ready to give birth."They all scoff."So, what's our next plan?" Mr. Davis proposes."If we could step outside for a moment," Feifei says, looking at Noah. She doesn't want him to hear all they're about to discuss as he's just a kid.Sandra nods in understanding and stays with him as the others walk out."We know there is someone behind this, and we couldn
"We have to go back," Ethan says, scanning the room, while Noah sits down, wondering what happened."No, we're not going back. Let's run away from here, go to another country," Sandra suggests."You heard it yourself. They'll always find us, no matter how much we run. He sees us, and he will find us," Ethan retorts. While Sandra brushes her hair with her fingers, the phone rings again, and they almost jump in surprise. He looks at Sandra, who nods, giving him the go-ahead to answer the call."Hello, who is that?" his voice trembles."Hello, it's me... Alex," Alex mumbles. His voice already indicates that something is wrong."What's wrong?" he asks."The company, it's going bankrupt," Alex announces."What? How did that happen? How..." Ethan trails off."I don't know. All the companies you put under me, the shareholders are withdrawing, the people we partnered with are terminating the contracts with all possibilities," he says."Alex, what did you do wrong to make them do this?" Ethan