The Tyrant's Return : From Beggar to Sovereign

Chapter 2: The Royal Fleet Arrives

Inside the grand ballroom, the silence did not last long. Julian lay on the cold floor, groaning in pain as dark blood stained his expensive shirt. Two hotel workers rushed forward with white towels, trying to stop the bleeding from his broken nose.

Beatrice Miller looked at her daughter’s ruined birthday dress, then at the blood on the floor. Her face turned purple with rage. She stomped her feet, screaming so loudly that her voice became hoarse.

“That dirty rat,” Beatrice roared, her chest heaving up and down. “How dare he strike Young Master Julian? He is just a penniless driver. A nobody. We gave him a roof over his head for three years, and this is how he pays us.”

Chloe sat on the edge of the sofa, her hands shaking violently. She looked at the door where Ethan had just walked out. She was shocked. For three years, Ethan had been a quiet ghost in her house. He never raised his voice, even when her mother threw shoes at him. He always washed her cars, cleaned the kitchen, and cooked her meals without a single complaint.

But tonight, his eyes looked completely different. They looked deep, dark, and dangerous. For a brief second, Chloe felt a cold shiver run down her spine. But then, she looked at Julian crying on the floor, and her fear turned into pure anger.

“Mother, call the police right now,” Chloe said, her voice trembling but sharp. “Ethan has gone completely mad. He needs to go to jail for the rest of his life. He thinks he can just walk away after ruining my life and my birthday? I will make sure he regrets the day he was born.”

“Jail is too soft for him,” Beatrice snarled, pulling out her phone with shaking fingers. “I will call the Vance family guards. They have big, strong men who can handle street trash. I will pay them to hunt Ethan down, drag him into an alley, and break both of his legs. We will see if he can still act tough when he is a permanent cripple.”

Julian spat a tooth onto the floor, his eyes filled with absolute hatred. “Tell them to bring iron pipes,” he mumbled through his broken jaw, his voice thick with blood. “I want to watch him crawl on the ground like a worm. I want him dead.”

While the Miller family raged inside the warm hotel, Ethan was already walking away. The cold rain poured down heavily, soaking his hair and his cheap delivery uniform. The water ran down his face, washing away the sweat from his hard work. He did not care about the cold. His body felt lighter than it had in three long years.

He walked down the long, empty driveway of the hotel and stepped onto the edge of the main road. The streetlights flickered in the dark storm. Ethan stood under a large tree, holding his rusty burner phone tightly in his hand. He had just spoken to Thomas, the man who had served his real family for decades.

Suddenly, the deep roar of powerful engines broke through the sound of the falling rain.

Down the street, bright headlights cut through the dark night. One by one, large vehicles turned onto the main road. They were not ordinary cars. They were massive, pitch-black luxury sedans, shining beautifully even under the heavy rain. The engines sounded like sleeping beasts waking up.

Ten black luxury sedans drove in a perfect, straight line. They moved with absolute precision, like a royal army entering a battlefield. The lead car drove right up to the curb where Ethan stood and came to a smooth stop. The other nine cars lined up perfectly behind it, completely blocking the entire street. No other car could pass. The grand entrance of the Imperial Crest Hotel was entirely cut off.

The doors of all ten cars opened at the exact same time.

From the vehicles, a dozen large, formidable men stepped out into the pouring rain. They wore identical black suits, black ties, and dark sunglasses despite the night storm. They were built like brick walls, with broad shoulders and fierce faces. These were elite bodyguards, men who feared absolutely nothing.

They did not care about the rain ruining their expensive suits. They lined up in two perfect rows, creating a pathway from the lead car straight to Ethan.

Then, every single one of them bent their backs. They bowed deeply, ninety degrees, keeping their heads down in absolute respect. Their voices boomed together, cutting through the sound of the thunder.

“Welcome back, Young Master Vance!”

Ethan stood still, his eyes calm and cold. He looked at the rows of powerful men bowing to him. For three years, he had been kicked, slapped, and called a dog by a third-tier family. Now, the most powerful men in the city were bowing to him in the dirt.

The rear door of the lead black sedan opened slowly. An old man with neat gray hair stepped out, holding a large black umbrella. He wore a clean, classic butler suit. His face was filled with deep emotion, and his eyes were slightly red as he looked at Ethan. This was Thomas.

Thomas walked quickly through the rain, holding the umbrella high to cover Ethan from the storm. He did not look at Ethan’s dirty delivery uniform with disgust. Instead, he looked at Ethan like he was looking at a king.

“Young Master,” Thomas said, his voice shaking with respect. “You have suffered so much during these three years. Your late grandfather wanted to test your heart, but it broke my soul to see you live like a beggar. The vow is finally over. The Vance family assets are back in your hands.”

“How is my sister, Lily?” Ethan asked, his voice flat and devoid of any warmth.

“She is safe in the hospital, Sir,” Thomas replied quickly. “We have already cleared out the regular staff and placed our best security guards around her room. Nobody can touch her now.”

Ethan nodded slowly. He looked back at the glowing lights of the hotel ballroom on the top floor. He could almost hear the angry screams of Chloe and Beatrice from up there. They thought he was a dog they could chase away. They had no idea that the world they lived in belonged to him.

Thomas reached inside his inner coat pocket and pulled out a small, heavy object. He held it with both hands, presenting it to Ethan like a sacred treasure.

It was a thick, solid gold card. It had no numbers on it, only a beautiful engraving of a roaring lion, the symbol of the Vance Global Empire. This card held unlimited wealth. With a single swipe, Ethan could buy the entire hotel, the entire street, or the entire city.

Thomas looked at Ethan, his eyes burning with dark excitement.

“Young Master, who do we destroy first?”