The Firefighter Returns as a Quintillionaire King

The acrid smell of smoke filled Alex Carter's lungs as he burst through the main entrance of the Grand Plaza Hotel. 

Flames licked up the walls like hungry serpents, devouring the elegant wallpaper and expensive furnishings. 

The heat was suffocating, even through his protective gear. 

His radio crackled with urgent voices from his team scattered throughout the burning building.

"Third floor, west wing!" Captain Morrison's voice barked through the static. "Two civilians trapped. Move, Carter!"

Alex didn't hesitate. He took the stairs three at a time, his boots pounding against the concrete. 

The third-floor corridor was a hellscape of orange flames and black smoke.

 He counted the doors—307, 309, 311. There. Room 315. The door was closed, probably locked from the inside.

"Fire department!" he shouted, his voice muffled by the gas mask. "Stand back from the door!"

With a powerful kick, Alex slammed his boot against the wood near the lock. 

The door frame splintered, and the door flew open. Smoke billowed out, temporarily obscuring his vision. He stepped inside, squinting through the haze.

Two figures huddled near the window—a man slumped against the wall, his shirt torn and face covered in soot, and a woman kneeling beside him, her dark hair disheveled but her posture composed despite the chaos.

Alex's heart stopped.

The woman turned toward him, and even through the smoke and shadows, he recognized that face immediately. Those sharp cheekbones, those calculating eyes, that mouth he'd kissed a thousand times.

Lisa.

His wife.

Time seemed to freeze. Alex stood rooted to the spot, his mind refusing to process what he was seeing. What was Lisa doing here? In a hotel room? With another man?

"What are you doing?" Lisa's voice cut through the roar of the flames like ice. Her tone was sharp, impatient. "Why are you just standing there? We need help!"

She didn't recognize him. The gas mask covered his face completely. To her, he was just another anonymous firefighter—one who was apparently failing at his job.

Alex's hands clenched into fists at his sides. A thousand questions screamed through his mind, but there was no time for answers. The ceiling groaned ominously above them.

He forced himself to move, crossing the room in three long strides. The man—tall, maybe mid-thirties, wearing an expensive watch—was struggling to breathe. Alex grabbed him under the arms and hauled him to his feet.

"Can you walk?" Alex's voice came out harsh, mechanical.

The man coughed violently but nodded weakly. Lisa immediately moved to his other side, her face etched with concern.

"Ben, are you okay?" She touched the man's face with a tenderness that made Alex's stomach turn. "Just hold on. We're getting out of here."

Ben. So that was his name.

"He needs oxygen," Lisa said, looking directly at Alex. Her eyes were cold, analytical. "Take off your mask and give it to him. Now."

Alex stared at her. Even now, even in mortal danger, she was giving orders. Always in control.

"Ma'am, I need this to—"

"I don't care what you need!" Lisa's voice rose, sharp and cutting. "Look at him! He can barely breathe! If anything happens to him, I will personally file a complaint with the fire department. I will make sure you never work another day in this city. Do you understand me?"

The threat hung in the air between them.

 Alex felt something inside him crack. 

His fingers trembled as he reached up and unfastened the straps of his gas mask.

The smoke hit him immediately, burning his throat and lungs. He pulled the mask off and held it out silently.

Lisa's eyes widened. The color drained from her face.

"Alex?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again. She looked between him and Ben, her composed facade crumbling.

"I... I didn't know it was you. Alex, I can explain—"

"Save it." Alex's voice was flat, dead. He shoved the mask toward Ben, who took it with shaking hands. "Put it on. We're leaving."

"Alex, please, this isn't what you think—"

"I said save it!" He turned away from her, unable to look at her face any longer. "The most important thing right now is getting out of this building alive. We can deal with everything else later."

If there was a later. Part of him wasn't sure he cared anymore.

Lisa bit her lip, that guilty expression still plastered across her features. 

But she didn't argue further. She helped Ben to his feet, supporting most of his weight.

"Stay close," Alex commanded, moving toward the door. "The stairs should still be clear."

They made it into the hallway. 

The heat was even more intense now, the flames spreading rapidly.

 Alex led them toward the stairwell, his lungs screaming for clean air. Every breath was agony.

They were halfway to the stairs when it happened.

A section of the ceiling collapsed without warning. Alex heard the crack, tried to dodge, but wasn't fast enough. A heavy wooden beam struck his leg, and he went down hard. White-hot pain shot through his calf.

"Alex!" Lisa's voice held genuine panic.

He gritted his teeth, trying to push himself up. His leg wouldn't support his weight. He looked down and saw blood seeping through his pants.

"I'm fine," he gasped. "Keep moving. I'll follow—"

"Oh God!" Ben's voice was muffled through the mask, but his panic was clear. "I'm bleeding! My arm!"

Alex looked up. A piece of falling debris had sliced through Ben's sleeve. 

Blood dripped from a gash on his forearm—superficial, maybe needing stitches, but nothing life-threatening.

Lisa's head whipped between Alex and Ben, her face torn with indecision.

"Lisa," Alex reached out his hand toward her. "Help me up. Please."

She looked at him, and for a moment, he thought he saw something in her eyes—regret, maybe even love. 

But then she looked back at Ben, who was staring at his bleeding arm with wide, terrified eyes.

"Ben is a civilian," Lisa said, her voice suddenly firm again, businesslike. "He has no experience surviving fires. He doesn't know what to do."

"Lisa—"

"You're a firefighter, Alex. You're trained for this. You know how to save yourself." She took Ben's uninjured arm and pulled him toward the stairs. "Once we get outside, I'll send someone back for you. I promise."

Alex watched, frozen in disbelief, as his wife helped another man toward safety while he lay injured on the floor.

"Lisa!" His voice cracked. "Don't do this! Lisa!"

But she didn't look back. She and Ben disappeared into the stairwell, leaving Alex alone in the burning hallway with the flames closing in.