Ruined To Ruthless: Rise Of The Broken Heir

Chapter 3: The First Strike

The city lights flickered as Brian stepped out of the car. The streets were crowded, cars honked, and people moved quickly without noticing him. 

But he noticed them. Every glance, every whisper, every passerby was part of the world he was about to conquer.

“Mr. Ashton,” Mr. Gray said softly, standing beside him. “Everything is ready. Your accounts, your companies, all secure. Now, we watch and wait.”

Brian nodded. His heart beat faster, not with fear, but with something sharp and bright. “I want to start small,” he said quietly. “Someone I can show what I am now. Someone who laughed at me before. Someone who deserves a lesson.”

Mr. Gray nodded. “Face-slapping?” he asked.

“Yes,” Brian said. His voice was calm but cold. “It is time they see that the man they treated like nothing is stronger than them all.”

The gala was filled with lights, laughter, and music. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, sparkling like stars frozen in time. 

Men in suits talked loudly, women moved gracefully in flowing dresses. The air smelled of perfume, alcohol, and wealth. It smelled of power. And it smelled of weakness for those who thought they ruled it.

Brian moved quietly among them. His black suit fit perfectly, the kind of suit that made people notice him without realizing why. 

He scanned the room and spotted Nathan Cole. Nathan had mocked him endlessly at the office. He had whispered jokes, leaked mistakes, and made Brian the center of ridicule.

Nathan saw him last. His smile froze. His eyes widened. “Brian?” Nathan said, disbelief in his voice. “Is that you?”

“Yes,” Brian said, stepping closer. “It is me.”

Nathan’s lips trembled. “I, I didn’t think.”

“You didn’t think?” Brian interrupted, his voice sharp. “You didn’t think I could rise? You didn’t think I could come back stronger than before?”

Nathan’s friends moved uneasily. Whispers spread across the room. Brian could feel the tension building.

Brian took a slow step forward. “Do you remember all the times you laughed at me? All the times you made me feel small? All the people who watched and did nothing?”

Nathan swallowed hard. “I…I.”

“You will remember them now,” Brian said. “And you will feel what I felt. Humiliation. Embarrassment. Powerlessness.”

Brian raised his hand slightly, and Mr. Gray pressed a small button. Suddenly, a large screen in the room flickered to life. 

Pictures and messages appeared: Nathan laughing at Brian, emails mocking him, private jokes shared in secret.

Gasps echoed. People whispered. Socialites turned to stare. Nathan froze. He tried to cover his face. “This, this isn’t.”

Brian’s voice cut through the room, calm and steady. “It is. You thought I was nothing. You thought I could be broken forever. You were wrong.”

Nathan looked around, panic rising. The people who had once admired him now stared at him with shock and curiosity. 

His friends avoided eye contact. Brian’s presence filled the room, quiet but stronger than the music, louder than the laughter.

Brian moved closer. “I am not here to hurt you physically. That would be too easy. I am here to show you your place. You mocked me, laughed at me, and humiliated me. Now, everyone knows the truth.”

Nathan’s face turned pale. His hands trembled. “Brian, please, I didn’t.”

“You did,” Brian said simply. “And now, you will learn what it feels like to be powerless.”

The room was silent. Even Clarissa’s laughter had stopped. She stared at him, eyes wide, lips parted. She had not expected this. She had thought he would remain weak, a shadow of a man.

Brian turned his eyes to her. “Clarissa,” he said quietly, almost a whisper, “this is just the beginning.”

He left Nathan frozen, the crowd murmuring, whispers spreading like wildfire. Nathan’s public humiliation was complete. 

Brian had not raised his voice, had not touched him, had not yelled. Yet Nathan had been crushed.

Outside, the cold night air greeted Brian. He took a deep breath. The first strike was complete.

The first lesson was delivered, and the spark of fear he had planted in Nathan’s mind would grow with each day.

“Good,” Mr. Gray said. “You have begun. But remember, the Davenports are still unaware. Clarissa will test you. She will come to you, maybe to tempt you, maybe to warn you. Be ready.”

Brian smiled, cold and calm. “Let her come. Let all of them come. I am ready. Every one of them. They will all pay.”

He held the envelope from his father close. It was heavy, full of power and promise. He looked back at the city skyline. 

The lights reflected in his eyes. The world had tried to break him, but now, the world would bow to him. Brian’s game had truly begun.