The Formidable System: Alex Cole Secret Heir

Chapter 2

The night was merciless. Cold wind swept across the empty street, tugging at Ethan’s suit jacket as he staggered into the darkness. The glitter of the banquet hall still clung to his memory like a cruel ghost, but here, under the flickering streetlamps, there was nothing but shadows and silence.

His shoes scraped against the pavement. His tie hung loose around his neck. The laughter from the hall echoed in his head, a chorus of ridicule that refused to fade. Every step he took seemed heavier, as though the humiliation had fused itself to his bones. Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets, fighting to breathe. Why? The question spun endlessly in his mind. Why did she do it like that? In front of everyone?

He remembered Lily’s words, sharp and merciless: “You’re nothing but dead weight.”

They struck harder than any fist could. For years, he had believed love was enough. He had believed that with time, with patience, he could build a future worthy of her. But tonight proved him wrong. Love was not enough. Dreams were not enough. He was not enough.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, saw the glowing screen, and instantly wished he hadn’t. Notifications flooded his device: messages from old classmates, friends, strangers — all laced with the same cruel humor.

“Bro, you’re trending!”

“You should’ve known she’d pick money over you.”

Ethan’s chest tightened. He threw the phone back into his pocket and pressed both palms against his face. Hot tears stung his eyes, but he swallowed them down. He wouldn’t cry. Not out here. Not where the world could still see.

He stopped under a streetlamp, leaning against the cold metal pole for support. The night stretched endlessly ahead of him, but he had nowhere to go. Home? The thought was bitter. His tiny flat felt emptier than ever. Work? He had none. Tomorrow promised nothing but more whispers, more laughter, more proof that he was a fool. For a moment, he wondered if disappearing completely would make it easier. If the world forgot Ethan Cole, maybe the pain would fade.

Head bowed, he stepped off the curb, ready to wander without direction. That was when the low hum of an engine reached his ears.

A sleek black sedan rolled to a stop in front of him, its tinted windows gleaming under the pale streetlight. The vehicle didn’t belong on this quiet, forgotten road. It was too polished, too deliberate, like a predator crouched in the dark.

Ethan froze, his heart lurching. The rear window slid down with a soft hiss, revealing the shadowed outline of an older man. His hair was silver, his suit impeccably tailored, and his eyes gleamed with something Ethan couldn’t name.

“Mr. Ethan Cole?” the man asked. His voice was low, steady, and unnervingly calm.

Ethan blinked. “Who… who are you?”

The man didn’t answer immediately. He studied Ethan the way a jeweler might study a rough, uncut stone. Finally, he said, “Get in. We have much to discuss.”

Ethan let out a short, bitter laugh. “Discuss? I don’t even know you. And unless you’ve got a way to erase the last two hours of my life, I’m not interested.”

The man’s lips curved faintly. “What if I told you the last two hours are meaningless compared to what lies ahead? What if I told you that tonight’s humiliation is only the beginning …and that you were meant for far more?”

Ethan’s stomach twisted. “Far more? Look at me.” He spread his arms, his voice breaking with the weight of despair. “I’m a joke. I’ve lost everything that mattered. Do you see a man destined for more?”

The man leaned forward, his gaze sharp. “Yes. More than you can imagine.”

Something in his tone made Ethan falter. It wasn’t pity. It wasn’t mockery. It was conviction … dangerous, unwavering conviction.

“I think you’ve got the wrong person,” Ethan muttered. “I don’t have anything left to give.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “On the contrary. You have everything. You just don’t know it yet.”

The door clicked open. The invitation hung in the air like a trap, or perhaps a lifeline. Ethan’s breath quickened. Every instinct screamed at him to walk away, to keep moving, to avoid the kind of mystery that ended in headlines and missing-person posters.

But then he thought of Lily’s laugh. The whispers. The flashing cameras.

And he wondered if maybe, just maybe, stepping into the unknown couldn’t hurt more than staying where he was.

For a long moment, Ethan stood in the cold, staring at the open door. His pulse pounded in his ears. His world was already broken. What more could he lose?

Finally, with a shaky breath, he slid into the car. The door shut behind him, sealing him into silence.

The interior smelled faintly of leather and steel. The older man sat across from him, hands clasped neatly in his lap, his gaze never leaving Ethan’s face.

“My name is Jonathan Hale,” he said. “I was your grandfather’s most trusted aide.”

Ethan frowned. “My grandfather? You’ve made a mistake. Both of mine are dead.”

Jonathan shook his head slowly. “Not the one who matters. There are truths you’ve never been told, Ethan. And it’s time you learned them.”

Before Ethan could protest, the car began to move, gliding into the night.

For the first time since his world crumbled, Ethan felt something stir inside him. Not hope. not yet. But curiosity.

And beneath that, a flicker of fear.

Because deep down, he knew this night wasn’t over. It was only the beginning.