Ruined To Ruthless: Rise Of The Broken Heir

Chapter 7: Social Collapse

The city skyline glittered under the evening sky, but inside the grand ballroom of Clarissa Davenport’s charity gala, the atmosphere was thick with elegance, laughter, and false smiles. 

Women in sparkling gowns twirled gracefully, men in tailored suits raised glasses and exchanged compliments, and the air smelled of perfume and expensive wine.

Brian stepped into the room quietly. His black suit was sharp, his posture perfect, and his calm gaze swept over the crowd. 

Guests paused mid-conversation, sensing a presence they did not expect. “Mr. Ashton?” whispered a socialite named Vanessa Drake, turning pale. “I, I didn’t know you’d attend.”

Brian smiled faintly. “I didn’t, but some invitations cannot be ignored.”

Across the room, Clarissa noticed him. Her smile froze. For the first time, she felt the tension in the air, the sharp edges of fear and uncertainty that Brian now carried naturally.

“Brian,” she said softly.

“Yes, Clarissa,” Brian replied calmly. “Good evening.”

“You… you shouldn’t be here,” she said, trying to maintain control. Her perfectly manicured hands trembled slightly.

Brian ignored her for a moment. He turned toward a small group of socialites who had openly mocked him years ago. 

They laughed at his expense at events, parties, and meetings. Names and faces flashed in his mind.

Vanessa, Richard’s old business partner Keith Halloway, and a few others who had secretly rejoiced at his failures. “You remember me, don’t you?” Brian said quietly, stepping closer to Vanessa.

Vanessa froze. “I, I, yes, I do,” she stammered.

“Do you remember the nights you laughed at me?” Brian asked, his voice calm but cold. “Do you remember how you mocked my face, my ideas, my dreams?”

Vanessa swallowed hard. “I, I didn’t mean.”

Brian smiled faintly. “It doesn’t matter what you meant. It only matters what you did.”

He raised his hand subtly, and Mr. Gray activated a device. The large screens at the front of the ballroom flickered on. 

Images and videos appeared: Vanessa and her friends gossiping about Brian, laughing at him, sharing secrets meant to humiliate him. The room fell silent. Gasps echoed.

Vanessa’s face turned red. Her hand flew to her mouth. “No, this, this isn’t real!”

“It is very real,” Brian said, voice calm and controlled. “And now, everyone knows the truth. You thought I was nothing. You thought I would remain weak. You were wrong.”

The socialites’ laughter had vanished. Some tried to avert their eyes. Some whispered nervously to each other. 

The room that had once seemed so confident now trembled under Brian’s quiet power. Clarissa moved closer, her voice low. “Brian, stop. You don’t have to do this here.”

Brian looked at her, cold and steady. “I do, Clarissa. They all need to see it. They all need to know what it means to betray me, to mock me, to underestimate me. And tonight, the lesson begins.”

Vanessa turned to the crowd, her face burning with shame. Keith Halloway muttered something under his breath, trying to salvage dignity. 

But it was gone. Brian had struck. And the impact was public, permanent, and humiliating.

“Remember this moment,” Brian said softly, letting his words linger in the air. “Remember the man you laughed at. Remember who you treated like nothing. Because from now on, nothing will be the same.”

He turned, walking past the crowd. Each step measured. Each movement calm, deliberate, and powerful. The whispers and shocked glances followed him like shadows.

Outside the ballroom, Brian exhaled slowly. The night air was cool against his face. One by one, his enemies had felt the first taste of what he could do. 

And the tension he had built, the fear he had planted, would grow stronger each day.

“Mr. Gray,” Brian said, voice quiet but intense, “we are getting closer. Every face I expose, every secret revealed, it is a step toward the final reckoning. Clarissa and her father, they will learn. And the world will see what happens when they betray Brian.”

Mr. Gray nodded silently. “And they will, young master. One by one, until the game is complete.”

Brian looked back at the glowing city, lights shimmering like tiny beacons of opportunity. He clenched his fists. 

The world had tried to destroy him. Now, the world would watch him rise, and no one would ever forget his name.

The social circle had collapsed tonight. And the next move would shake the very foundation of their power.