UNDER THE ASHES

Reginald’s Offer

"You’re late," Reginald’s voice cut through the room like a cold wind, sharp and unwelcoming. 

Ethan stood just inside the massive doors of the study, his heart pounding, though he tried to look calm. "I didn’t know this was an appointment I had to be on time for," he replied, his tone as steady as he could manage.

Reginald didn’t turn around to face him. He stood by the large window, looking out over the city below, his hands clasped behind his back. "Everything is an appointment, Ethan. Time is money."

Ethan clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "What do you want, Father?"

The word “Father” felt foreign on his tongue, like a language he’d long forgotten how to speak.

Finally, Reginald turned, his eyes cold and calculating, scanning his son from head to toe. "You’ve made quite the mess of your life," he said, walking toward his desk and sitting down. "But you’ve always been good at that."

Ethan felt a knot form in his stomach. "If this is just about you rubbing my failures in my face, I don’t have time for it." He turned as if to leave.

"Sit down," Reginald commanded, his voice like iron.

Ethan paused, debating whether to defy him, but the weight of the moment pressed him into the chair across from his father’s desk. He stared at the man who had once been a looming shadow in his life, the one he had spent years trying to escape.

Reginald leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming on the wooden surface. "You’re a Li," he said finally, his voice calm but stern. "And as much as you’ve tried to distance yourself from that fact, it doesn’t change who you are."

Ethan’s throat tightened. "I’m not part of this family anymore. You made sure of that."

"True," Reginald replied, unbothered by the accusation. "But things have changed."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You’re useful to me again."

Ethan blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness of the statement. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Reginald leaned forward, folding his hands on the desk. "I’m offering you a place back in the family business. A position that only someone like you can fill."

Ethan stared at him, searching his face for any hint of emotion. There was none. "And why would I want that?"

Reginald’s eyes narrowed. "Because you’re at the bottom. You have nothing. No wife, no home, no money. You’ve been humiliated. And we both know you’re too proud to stay down for long."

Ethan felt a surge of anger, but he swallowed it. "I don’t need your help."

"You need more than you think," Reginald said, his voice icy. "You have a choice, Ethan: come back to the family, or be erased from history."

The words hung in the air like a dark cloud. Ethan sat back in his chair, trying to process the offer. It wasn’t an invitation—it was a threat.

"Erased from history?" Ethan repeated, his voice thick with disbelief. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Reginald’s gaze didn’t waver. "It means exactly what you think it means. If you don’t accept my offer, you will disappear. No one will remember you. Not your so-called friends, not your enemies. You’ll be nothing."

Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest. He had always known his father was ruthless, but this was on a different level. "And what if I refuse? What if I walk out of here right now?"

Reginald’s lips curled into a slight smile. "Then you’ll find out how far my reach goes. But I don’t think you’ll do that, Ethan. I think you know better."

Ethan swallowed hard, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He had spent so long trying to escape his father’s control, to make a life for himself outside of the Li name. But now, that life had crumbled to pieces. Was he really ready to throw it all away for the sake of his pride?

"I don’t trust you," Ethan said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You don’t have to trust me," Reginald replied, leaning back in his chair. "You just have to do what’s necessary. The world is ruthless, Ethan. You should know that by now."

Ethan stared at the desk, his mind racing. He had always vowed never to return to his father’s world. But now, with nothing left, the temptation to take the offer gnawed at him.

"What’s the catch?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with suspicion. "You don’t offer anything for free."

Reginald’s eyes darkened. "You’ll follow my rules. You’ll do what’s asked of you. No questions. No hesitation. You will be part of this family again, but only if you’re willing to be loyal."

"Loyal?" Ethan scoffed. "You threw me out like trash when I didn’t fit your plans. Now you want loyalty?"

"You never fit my plans because you were weak," Reginald said coldly. "But now, you’ve been hardened by your failures. You’ve learned the lessons I tried to teach you. This is your chance to prove you can handle what it means to be a Li."

Ethan felt his hands trembling. "And if I refuse?"

Reginald’s eyes locked onto his, unblinking. "You disappear. Permanently."

Ethan’s throat tightened, his breath catching in his chest. The room felt smaller, as if the walls were closing in on him. His father had always been a force of nature, someone who controlled everything around him. But this? This was something else entirely.

"I need time to think," Ethan said, standing up abruptly.

Reginald didn’t move, his eyes following Ethan as he walked toward the door. "You don’t have time, Ethan. The world moves fast, and you’re running out of options."

Ethan stopped, his hand resting on the door handle. He turned slightly, looking back at the man who had once been the center of his universe. "You think you can control everything, don’t you?"

Reginald smiled faintly. "I don’t think, Ethan. I know."

The silence between them grew heavier, thicker, like a storm gathering on the horizon.

Ethan took a deep breath. "What exactly would you have me do?"

Reginald’s smile widened. "Good. Now we’re getting somewhere."

He stood up, walking slowly toward Ethan, his footsteps echoing in the grand room. "I need someone who can get close to certain... individuals. People who have power. Influence. But more importantly, people who have become a problem for the family."

Ethan’s stomach churned. "You want me to spy for you?"

"Not just spy," Reginald corrected, his voice low and smooth. "I want you to gather information. Get close to them. Use them. And when the time is right, you’ll bring them down."

Ethan felt a wave of nausea. "You’re asking me to betray people."

"I’m asking you to be smart," Reginald replied sharply. "This is the way the world works, Ethan. If you’re not using people, they’re using you."

Ethan swallowed hard, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. Was he really willing to cross that line? To become the very thing he had always despised?

"And if I do this," Ethan said slowly, "what happens when it’s over?"

Reginald’s eyes gleamed. "When it’s over, you’ll have your place back in the family. You’ll have power. Influence. Everything you’ve ever wanted."

Ethan’s heart raced, his mind swirling with doubt. Could he really trust his father? Could he really become the person Reginald wanted him to be?

"And if I fail?" Ethan asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Reginald’s smile faded, and his eyes turned cold. "You won’t fail."

Ethan stared at him, his mind racing. Was this really the only option? Could he really trust a man who had cast him aside so easily?

The door felt heavy under his hand as he stood there, caught between the life he had left behind and the dangerous path that lay ahead.

"So, Ethan," Reginald’s voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. "What’s it going to be?"

The question lingered in the air like a trap, waiting to snap shut.

What choice did he really have?