The Firefighter Returns as a Quintillionaire King

Chapter 2

Alex lay on the scorching floor, his injured leg throbbing with each heartbeat. 

The pain was nothing compared to the agony tearing through his chest. 

He watched the stairwell door swing shut, the image of Lisa's retreating figure burned into his mind.

She left him. His wife actually left him to die.

The flames crept closer, consuming everything in their path. The heat was unbearable now without his mask. Each breath felt like inhaling shards of glass. 

Alex closed his eyes, feeling the fight drain out of him. What was the point? 

The woman he'd loved, the woman he'd built his life around, had just chosen another man over him without a second thought.

Maybe it would be easier to just... stop trying.

Then he heard it. Faint, barely audible over the roar of the fire—a weak cry for help.

"Please... somebody..."

Alex's eyes snapped open. His training kicked in automatically, overriding the despair trying to drag him down. He was a firefighter. People were depending on him. Whatever personal hell he was going through didn't matter right now.

"I'm coming!" he shouted, his voice hoarse.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, putting all his weight on his good leg. 

The injured one screamed in protest, but he ignored it. He hobbled down the hallway, following the sound of the voice.

Room 319. The door was closed.

Alex raised his leg and kicked. Once. Twice. On the third try, the lock gave way and the door crashed open.

The room was thick with smoke. On the bed, barely conscious, was a woman in her late twenties.

 Her blonde hair was disheveled, and she reeked of alcohol. Empty wine bottles littered the nightstand.

"Come on!" Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her upright. "We need to move now!"

The woman's eyes were unfocused, her movements sluggish. "Wha... what's happening?"

"The building's on fire. Can you walk?"

She nodded groggily, but her legs buckled immediately. Alex caught her, slinging her arm over his shoulder. 

Every step on his injured leg was torture, but he pushed forward. The exit. He just needed to reach the exit.

They staggered into the hallway. The flames had spread even further, blocking the path to the main stairwell. Alex's mind raced. The service stairs. East side of the building.

"Stay with me," he commanded, half-dragging, half-carrying the woman.

She mumbled something incoherent, her head lolling against his shoulder. The smoke was getting thicker.

 Alex's vision blurred, his lungs burning. He could feel himself weakening with each step.

Just a little further. Just a little more.

The service stairwell door appeared through the haze like a beacon. Alex shoved it open and practically fell through, pulling the woman with him. The air was clearer here. He sucked in desperate breaths as they descended, his leg nearly giving out multiple times.

Finally—finally—they burst through the ground floor exit into the cool night air.

Alex stumbled forward a few more steps before his leg completely gave out. He and the woman collapsed onto the pavement.

 Paramedics and firefighters swarmed around them immediately, but Alex barely registered their presence. His vision darkened at the edges, exhaustion and pain overwhelming him.

"Carter! Carter, can you hear me?" Captain Morrison's weathered face appeared above him, etched with concern. "Medic! We need a medic over here now!"

"Captain..." Alex's voice was barely a whisper. "There was a man and woman... did they make it out?"

Morrison nodded. "Yeah, they're fine. Got out about ten minutes before you." His expression darkened. "The woman's been making a scene though. Demanding—"

"Sir!" One of the younger firefighters, Jenkins, ran up, his face flushed with frustration. "We have a problem. The woman who came out earlier—she's the CEO of BaiShui Group. She's commandeered every available paramedic and medical team to treat the man she was with."

"She what?" Morrison's voice rose in disbelief.

"The guy's injury is minor—just a cut on his arm. But she's threatening lawsuits, using her company's influence. She said her... companion needs the best care immediately. All the ambulances are tied up with him right now."

Alex closed his eyes. Of course. Of course Lisa would do that.

 She'd said she would send help for him, but the moment she got out, she'd forgotten he even existed.

The bitter irony wasn't lost on him. He'd saved her life, and she'd left him to die.

 And now she was using her position as CEO to make sure her boyfriend got treated while Alex—her husband—lay bleeding on the pavement.

"That's insane!" Morrison exploded. "I've got an injured firefighter here! He needs medical attention now!"

"I know, sir, but she's—"

"I don't care who she is! Get me a medic, or I'll—"

"Captain," Alex interrupted weakly, "it's okay. I can wait."

"Like hell you can! You're bleeding and suffering from smoke inhalation. You—"

But Alex was already fading. The pain, the exhaustion, the emotional devastation—it all crashed over him at once. 

The last thing he heard before darkness claimed him was Morrison shouting orders and Jenkins cursing the "entitled CEO witch."

When Alex's eyes fluttered open, harsh fluorescent lights assaulted his vision. White ceiling tiles. The steady beep of monitors. The antiseptic smell of a hospital.

He was in a standard room—small, with beige walls and minimal equipment. His leg was bandaged and elevated, an IV drip connected to his arm. The clock on the wall read 3:47 AM.

He was alone.

No flowers. No cards. No wife sitting by his bedside, worried and apologetic.

Nothing.

Alex stared at the ceiling, feeling hollow. He wasn't sure what he'd expected. That Lisa would be here? That she'd have some explanation that made sense? That she'd care?

The door opened slightly, and he heard voices in the hallway. Two nurses walked past, their conversation drifting into his room.

"Did you hear about the VIP floor?" one of them said, her voice tinged with awe. "Some woman booked the entire top floor. Every single room. Just for one patient."

"Are you serious?" the other nurse responded. "That must have cost a fortune!"

"I know, right? Apparently, her boyfriend was in some kind of accident. She demanded the best surgeons, private nurses around the clock, the works. Can you imagine having someone love you that much?"

"God, that's so romantic. He's so lucky to have a girlfriend who cares that deeply."

Their voices faded as they moved down the corridor.

Alex's hands clenched the thin hospital sheets. His chest felt tight, like someone was crushing it in a vise.

 The woman they were talking about—the one who'd spared no expense, who'd shown such devoted care—was his wife.

And the man receiving all that attention, all that love, all that concern?

That was Ben.

Alex turned his head to look out the window. The sky was starting to lighten with the first hints of dawn.

 Somewhere above him, on the top floor of this same hospital, Lisa was probably sitting by Ben's bedside, holding his hand, making sure he had everything he needed.

While Alex lay alone in a standard room, with nothing but the beeping of machines to keep him company.

He'd saved her life tonight. He'd risked everything, ignored his own injuries, made sure she got out safely.

And she'd left him behind without a second thought.

A single tear rolled down Alex's cheek, but he didn't bother wiping it away. 

What was the point? The marriage he thought he had, the woman he thought he knew—it had all been a lie.

The worst part wasn't the betrayal, though that cut deep enough.

 The worst part was knowing that Lisa didn't even care enough to check if he'd survived.