The truck’s headlights were two demonic eyes, swallowing the world as they hurtled towards them. Elena screamed, her hands flying to her face, bracing for an impact that would tear them to shreds. But Ethan didn't even flinch. His face was a mask of glacial calm, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. With a single, precise movement, he wrenched the wheel hard to the right. The luxury car responded instantly, its tires screaming as it swerved out of the path of destruction. Time seemed to crawl. The massive truck roared past, missing them by inches. It slammed head-on into the solid concrete retaining wall of the auction house. A deafening crunch of metal was followed by a colossal explosion. A fireball bloomed into the night, spewing shrapnel and black smoke. Ethan brought the car to a smooth stop. He glanced at Elena, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Are you alright?" She could only nod, trembling, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the burning wreckage. "That… that was Chad." "I know." Ethan's expression was cold, his gaze fixed on the inferno. He unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car as if he were merely arriving for a business meeting. From the twisted, burning cab of the truck, a figure clawed its way out. It was Chad, his body a mangled, bloody mess, his clothes smoldering. He collapsed onto the pavement, one leg bent at an unnatural angle. He looked up, his face a mask of insane fury and agony. "VANCE!" he shrieked, his voice a raw, broken thing. "You think you've won? This isn't over! My revenge is just beginning!" Ethan approached him slowly, his shadow falling over Chad's crippled form. "Revenge? You're a pawn, Chad. Nothing more." Chad coughed, blood flecking his lips as he laughed a gurgling, mad laugh. "A pawn? You think I could afford those assassins? This truck? You're a fool, Ethan. You destroyed Derek, but you only scratched the surface of a real dynasty's power." Ethan’s eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" Chad’s frantic energy was fading, his eyes glazing over. Before passing out, Chad revealed the truth: the power that funded his assassins and his truck was a far bigger hidden force—the Wang family.

The Price of Madness