ETHAN’S ULTIMATE RISE TO POWER

Assurance

The sound of the helicopter was so loud it felt like it was shaking Ethan’s whole body, matching the fast, hard beating of his heart. He was strapped into his seat, still holding Helena’s hand tightly. Her wedding dress was wrinkled and covered in dust. Around his neck, the golden eagle pendant felt heavy; a constant reminder of how fast everything in his life had changed. Through the window, the night sky stretched on forever, dark and silent, with only the tiny lights of the city glowing far below them.

Eleanor sat across from them. Even after everything they had just been through, she sat straight and calm, like a queen. Her black-and-gold gown sparkled softly in the low cabin light. Her eyes were sharp and impossible to read as she stared at Ethan, making him feel nervous. Two of her guards sat beside her. Their white suits were spotless, even though they had just come through gunfire. Their faces showed no emotion, and their hands stayed close to their weapons, ready for anything.

Helena’s voice broke the silence, trembling but defiant. “Where are you taking us?” she asked, her gaze fixed on Eleanor. “And why should we trust you?”

Eleanor’s lips curved into a faint smile, not unkind but tinged with something guarded. “You’re alive, aren’t you?” she said. “That’s reason enough for now.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “That’s not an answer,” he said, his voice rough from exhaustion and pain. The graze on his arm stung, blood seeping through the torn sleeve of Lucas’s jacket. “You show up, call me ‘Young Master,’ and now we’re running from people trying to kill us. I deserve to know what’s going on.”

Eleanor’s eyes softened, but only slightly. “You do,” she admitted. “But explanations require time, and time is a luxury we don’t have right now. Those men back there; they weren’t random thugs. They were sent for you, Ethan. And they won’t stop.”

“Who sent them?” Ethan pressed, leaning forward despite the pain in his ribs. “And why me? I’m nobody. I’ve got no money, no power, nothing anyone would want.”

Eleanor’s gaze flicked to the pendant around his neck. “You’re wrong about that,” she said quietly. “You have everything. You just don’t know it yet.”

Helena’s grip on Ethan’s hand tightened, her nails digging into his palm. “Stop talking in riddles,” she snapped. “If Ethan’s in danger, I need to know why. I’ve already lost too much because of secrets.”

Eleanor’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes lingered on Helena, as if weighing her worth. “Very well,” she said at last. “But know this, Ms. Rodriguez: the truth comes with a price. Once you hear it, there’s no going back.”

“I’m already past that point,” Helena said, her voice steady now. She glanced at Ethan, her eyes fierce with determination. “I’m with him. Whatever this is, I’m in.”

Ethan’s heart ached at her words. He wanted to protect her, to tell her to run far from this madness, but the way she looked at him; like he was her anchor in this storm, made it impossible to push her away. He nodded slightly, a silent promise to face whatever came next together.

Eleanor leaned back, her hands folded in her lap. “Then listen carefully,” she said. “The Lancaster family is not just a name. We are a legacy—a force that has shaped the world for centuries. Our wealth isn’t measured in dollars or gold; it’s measured in influence, in secrets, in power no government or corporation can touch. Ethan, you are the last direct heir to that legacy.”

Ethan shook his head, disbelief warring with the weight of her words. “That’s insane. I grew up in foster homes. I’ve been on my own since I was a kid. If I’m some kind of heir, why was I left with nothing?”

Eleanor’s face darkened, a shadow passing over her features. “You were hidden,” she said. “For your safety. Twenty years ago, your parents; our family’s patriarch and matriarch, were betrayed. Someone within our circle sold them out. They were killed, and you, barely a year old, were taken. We thought you were dead, Ethan. Until six months ago, when we found a trace of you.”

Ethan’s breath caught. Q“You’re saying I was… stolen?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Not stolen,” Eleanor corrected. “Hidden. By someone who knew the danger you were in. We don’t know who, not yet. But we’ve been searching for you ever since. When we learned you were alive, we had to act. That’s why we came tonight.”

Helena’s eyes widened. “The wedding,” she said. “You knew Ethan would be there.”

Eleanor nodded. “We had intelligence that you’d try to stop it, Ethan. Your love for Ms. Rodriguez made you predictable. And vulnerable.”

Ethan’s stomach twisted. “So those men… they knew I’d be there too?”

“I don't know about that,” Eleanor said grimly. “I don't know how they found out that you were there. Someone present during the wedding must be working with them, and they might have exposed your location.“

Helena’s face went pale. “My family,” she whispered. “They forced me to marry Martin. They said it was to protect me, to secure our future. And they also threatened to kill Ethan if I didn't agree to the wedding. But… were they part of this?”

Eleanor’s silence was answer enough. Her eyes flicked to one of her guards, who gave a subtle nod, as if confirming something unspoken. “The Rodriguez family has ties to our enemies,” she said at last. “Whether they knew the full extent of their role, I can’t say. But they were complicit.”

Helena’s hand slipped from Ethan’s, her body trembling. “No,” she whispered. “They wouldn’t… they couldn’t…”

Ethan reached for her, but she pulled away, her eyes glistening with tears. “Helena,” he said softly, “we’ll figure this out. Together.”

She shook her head, her voice breaking. “They sold me out. My own parents. For what? Money? Power?”

“They sold you out for both money and power,” Eleanor said bluntly. “And also survival. Our enemies don’t negotiate. They eliminate.”

Before Ethan could respond, the helicopter lurched violently. A sharp alarm blared from the cockpit, and the guards snapped to attention. Eleanor’s calm facade cracked, her eyes darting to the window. “What’s happening?” she demanded.

The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Missile lock, ma’am. Two bogeys on our tail.”

Ethan’s heart stopped. “Missiles?” he said, his voice rising. “Who the hell has missiles?”

Eleanor’s face hardened. “The same people who want you dead.” She turned to the guards. “Engage countermeasures. Get us to the safehouse.”

The guards moved swiftly, one rushing to the cockpit while another opened a panel in the cabin, revealing a sleek control console. Lights blinked red, and the helicopter banked sharply, throwing Ethan and Helena against their seats.

Helena grabbed Ethan’s arm, her eyes wide with panic. “Ethan, what do we do?”

“Hold on,” he said, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at him. He didn’t know how to fight missiles or navigate a world of secret families and assassins, but he’d survived worse. He’d survived for her.

A deafening boom shook the helicopter, and the cabin lights flickered. Ethan’s ears rang as he shielded Helena, his body braced for impact. But the chopper stabilized, and the pilot’s voice came through again. “Countermeasures deployed. One bogey down. Second still on us.”

Eleanor’s voice was ice. “Lose them.”

The helicopter dove, the sudden drop making Ethan’s stomach lurch. Outside, the night sky spun, stars blurring into streaks. Another explosion lit up the darkness, closer this time, and the chopper shuddered.

“We can’t outrun them,” the pilot shouted. “They’re too fast!”

Eleanor’s eyes narrowed. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood, steady despite the chaos. “Then we fight.” She turned to Ethan, her gaze piercing. “Young Master, you need to trust me. Can you do that?”

Ethan stared at her, the weight of the pendant burning against his chest. He didn’t know her, didn’t understand the world she was pulling him into. But the men chasing them were real. And they weren’t stopping.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “I trust you.”

Eleanor nodded, then turned to the guard at the console. “Activate the pulse.”

The guard hesitated. “Ma’am, the pulse isn’t fully tested. It could—”

“Do it,” she snapped.

The guard punched a series of commands into the console. A low hum filled the cabin, growing louder until it vibrated in Ethan’s bones. The lights dimmed, and a strange pressure built in the air, like the moment before a thunderstorm.

Then, with a soundless flash, the world outside the windows went white.

The helicopter steadied, the alarms falling silent. Ethan blinked, his vision swimming. “What was that?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

Eleanor sat back down, her composure restored. “An electromagnetic pulse,” she said. “Prototype. It disables anything electronic within a mile. Their missiles, their tracking systems—gone.”

Helena’s voice was faint. “And their helicopter?”

“Crashed,” Eleanor said flatly. “They won’t follow us now.”

Ethan stared at her, the reality of her power sinking in. This wasn’t just wealth or influence. This was technology, control, a level of authority he couldn’t comprehend. “Who are you people?” he whispered.

Eleanor met his gaze. “We’re your family, Ethan. And we’re at war.”

The helicopter leveled out, the hum of the engines steady now. The pilot’s voice crackled again. “Safehouse in twenty minutes, ma’am.”

Eleanor nodded, then turned to Ethan and Helena. “Rest while you can,” she said. “You’ll need your strength.”

Helena leaned against Ethan, her body trembling. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered. “This… this is too much.”

Ethan wrapped his arm around her, ignoring the pain in his ribs. “You don’t have to do it alone,” he said. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”