Wheels of vengeance

Chapter One: An Ultimatum in Silk and Steel “Daddy, you need to stop.” Ethan Kingsley’s voice cut through the heavy silence of the office. “And who told you I can’t handle the company if I don’t get married?” He stood in the center of the room, tall and immaculately dressed, yet visibly tense. The Kingsley office was a monument to power walls lined with framed awards, shelves stacked with leather-bound books, and a wide glass window overlooking the heart of London’s financial district. This was the empire Ethan had grown up watching his father build brick by brick. An empire that was supposed to become his. Behind the massive mahogany desk sat Mr. Richard Kingsley, one of the most respected CEOs in the country. His expression was calm, but his eyes were firm, unyielding. “You’re missing the point, Ethan,” his father replied evenly. “This isn’t about whether you’re capable. It’s about perception. Stability. Legacy.” Ethan let out a sharp laugh, running a hand through his hair. “So now marriage is a business strategy?” Mr. Kingsley rose slowly from his chair, adjusting his cufflinks with deliberate care. “Marriage is responsibility. And responsibility is what makes a man fit to lead.” “That’s outdated thinking,” Ethan snapped. “This isn’t the nineteenth century. I don’t need a wife to prove I can run a company.” His father’s jaw tightened. “You are the first son. The heir. People watch you, Ethan. Investors, partners, the board they expect a certain image.” “And what about what I expect?” Ethan fired back. “What about my life?” Mr. Kingsley walked closer, his voice lowering but growing more dangerous. “Your life has always been tied to this family. And if you want this company—my company—you will do things my way.” The words hit harder than Ethan expected. “And if I don’t?” he asked quietly. His father didn’t hesitate. “Then I won’t hand over the company to you.” The room went still. Ethan stared at him, disbelief flashing across his face. “You’re threatening me.” “I’m giving you a choice,” Mr. Kingsley corrected. “Get married within six months, or the inheritance won’t be yours “Mark my words son”, Mr Kingsley said with a Hashley toned voice Something inside Ethan snapped. See how serious his father was Ethan knew that his inheritance was at stake “So all of this,” he gestured around the room, “everything I’ve worked for, everything you promised me , it means nothing if I don’t let you focus me into a destruction “This conversation is over,” his father said firmly. “Think carefully, Ethan.” But Ethan was already turning away. The door slammed behind him with a force that echoed through the house, carrying his anger with it. That night, London welcomed him with noise and neon lights. The club was crowded, loud, and alive,everything Ethan felt he wasn’t allowed to be. Whiskey burned down his throat as he drank glass after glass, trying to drown the fury raging inside. His phone buzzed endlessly in his pocket. He ignored it. “You okay, man?” someone shouted over the music. “I’m perfect,” Ethan replied, raising his glass. He wasn’t. Hours later, the world tilted beneath his feet as he staggered out into the cold night air. His head spun, his thoughts blurred, but his anger remained sharp and focused. He should have called a driver. He didn’t. The engine of his car roared to life as he sped through the streets, the city lights streaking past like broken stars. His phone buzzed again on the passenger seat,his father’s name glowing on the screen. Ethan laughed bitterly and pushed the accelerator harder. Then A figure appeared in the road. A woman. She was on her phone, stepping forward without looking. “Damn it!” Ethan shouted, swerving violently. The tires screeched. The car spun out Glass shattered. Pain exploded through his body as the car slammed into the wall with a force that stole the air from his lungs. Everything went black. Sirens screamed in the distance when Ethan regained consciousness. Voices hovered over him, frantic and urgent. “Sir, can you hear me? Ethan tried to open his eyes, but his body refused to respond. Everything felt heavy, numb, distant,as though he were sinking underwater. “Pulse is weak!” “Get him out,now!” Pain flared briefly, then vanished again. Darkness returned. When Ethan finally woke up, white light blinded him. The smell of antiseptic burned his nose. Machines surrounded him, their steady beeping filling the room with an eerie rhythm. His head throbbed. His throat felt dry. “Where… am I?” he croaked. A doctor stepped into view. “You’re in the hospital, Mr. Kingsley. You’ve been unconscious for two days.” Two days. Ethan swallowed. “My car…?” “It was completely wrecked,” the doctor said gently. “You’re lucky to be alive.” Lucky. Ethan tried to sit up,and froze. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He tried again, willing his body to move. Nothing happened. Panic surged through him. “Why can’t I move?” The doctor’s expression changed. That was when Ethan knew. “Doctor,” Ethan said, his voice trembling now, “why can’t I feel my legs?” Silence. The kind that crushes hope. “You suffered severe spinal injuries during the accident,” the doctor finally said. “The damage is extensive.” Ethan stared at him, his heart pounding violently. “What does that mean?” The doctor took a slow breath. “It means,” he said carefully, “that you may never walk again.” The room began to spin. “No,” Ethan whispered. “That’s not possible. I was fine yesterday. I was “ He tried once more to move his legs. Still nothing. A broken sound escaped his throat, half scream, half sob. “No… no… no…” Tears burned his eyes as reality crashed down on him with brutal force. In one night, everything had been taken from him His freedom, his pride,his future. The heir to an empire lay helpless in a hospital bed,broken, powerless, and trapped in a body that no longer obeyed him. As the machines continued to beep steadily beside him, Ethan Kingsley stared at the ceiling, rage and despair twisting inside his chest. And deep within him, something dark was born. Something bitter, something vengeful “Get out,” he growled, tears burning behind his eyes. “Get out!”