Chapter 2: No More Retreats!

Ethan left the conference room and headed straight for the elevator, clutching the pearl ring in his sweating, chilled fingertips.

Despite leaving Victoria with a cold back, his heart was anything but calm. He still remembered the moment three years ago today when he slipped the ring on her finger, how her stubborn yet beautiful eyes had filled with tears when she learned it was his mother's heirloom. "Thank you, Ethan. I will cherish this ring," she had said at the time.

During their three years of marriage, there had been moments of sweet harmony.

She was ambitious, determined to carve out her own space in the treacherous business world. So, he fully supported her, cooking for her, taking care of their home. He took care of her when she was sick, and silently supported her when she was down.

But at some point, she began to distance herself from him. He could ignore other people's gossip and disdain, but when the cracks in a solid relationship began to show, it often signaled the end.

Although he had anticipated it, ending the marriage still wasn't easy for him. He had thought happiness was simple—three meals a day, a plain life, happiness enough.

Now, he realized that even ordinariness could be a sin.

Today should have been their third wedding anniversary. Everything had started today, so it might as well end today too. After three years lost in a gentle illusion, it was time to wake up.

"Ding!" The elevator doors opened, and Ethan snapped back to reality, stepping out—only to be met with a slap across the face.

"Ethan, you bastard!" The burning sensation on the right side of his face forced him slowly to look up. There stood his former mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Victoria's mother Eva Conrad and her brother Nathen Conrad. Just ten minutes ago, they were still family, but now they looked at him as if he were an enemy.

Before he could speak, a sharp pain shot through his right leg. Looking down, he saw a furious young boy stabbing at his thigh with a toy arrow. The sharp wooden arrowhead tore through the thin fabric of his trousers, leaving a light red mark on his skin.

Ah, how could he forget this little demon, Nathen's son Ian!

"Loser, bitch! Give me back my money! Bitch axx sxxt!" Ian cursed venomously, unimaginably from a child of only seven.

"I'm already divorced from Victoria, as you wanted. Please don't make it ugly," Ethan said, frowning at Eva and Nathen while gently pushing the still cursing Ian away with his knee.

Nathen raised an eyebrow, looking down on Ethan despite being shorter. "You're naturally leaving, but not with the money. You can't take the ten million dollars Victoria gave you."

Ethan frowned slightly. He had warned Victoria long ago that her family was not only ignorant and arrogant but also saw her as nothing more than a cash cow. They had always tried to control her and her wealth! And clearly, in their eyes, everything Victoria owned belonged to them.

"I haven't taken a dime, I have to go," Ethan said, not wanting to elaborate, but Nathen blocked his way.

"Who told you could leave?" Nathen glared at Ethan, waiting for him to back down and apologize as he had in the past.

But he didn't realize that the Ethan he knew was gone.

Instead of retreating, Ethan stepped forward, leaning in close, his expression unchanged but radiating a powerful aura. Nathen felt a chill down his spine, his knees weakening almost to the point of kneeling. This was... the ruthless presence of a superior!

No... no! How could this ordinary man, who had been at their beck and call, possibly be a superior? No matter how much Nathen tried to muster courage, he couldn't find the will to stop Ethan from leaving. Ethan didn't even need to say a word; his mere gaze was chilling.

Perhaps it was Nathen's weakness that made him reluctant to strike, but shameless Eva Conrad was not willing to let ten million dollars slip away. She pushed her grandson forward, and Ian, having spotted the pearl ring in Ethan's hand, leaped up and stabbed the back of Ethan's hand hard with the wooden arrowhead. Ethan winced and let go, the ring falling into Ian's hands.

Ethan was truly furious now. Did this family really think he wouldn't do anything to them?

"Give it back, Ian. I'll only ask once," Ethan's eyes were cold, his tone ominous.

Ian felt his uncle had never looked more like a demon, but he also knew, as his grandmother and father had told him, this man is nothing but a pushover. If that was the case, then he would beat him, torment him!

He raised the arrow and scraped it across the smooth, white pearl, over and over, marking it with grey scratches!

At that moment, Ethan felt his blood rush to his head, his mind going blank. That ring was the only keepsake from his mother, the thing he cherished most! Almost instantaneously, he was by Ian's side, snatching the ring back with such speed that the boy was knocked to the ground by the force.

Seeing this, Nathen's eyes turned vicious. "You dare hurt my son, I'm gonna—"

But before he could finish his threat, Ethan, who was initially a few steps away, suddenly appeared right in front of him and struck him hard across the face.

Nathen was knocked to the ground, and Eva gasped in shock, but it wasn't over yet.

Ethan grabbed Nathen by the hair, yanking him up forcefully. He then slapped him repeatedly, the sound of each slap echoing loudly. Soon, Nathen's face was bruised and swollen, his mouth bloody.

"Bitch! I'm going to kill you!" Ian's face twisted with rage as he raised the arrowhead and charged at Ethan, only to suddenly feel a tight grip around his neck, lifting him off the ground by his collar.

A young woman, surrounded by bodyguards, approached them.

She gave Ethan a slight smile.

"How annoying. Mr. Gray, may I take care of them for you?"