From Prison To Billion-Dollar Empire

Chapter Nine The Vault and The Buy

 

Harold stood before the sleek, matte-black terminal mounted on the wall. 

He didn't just press a code; he waited for the thin line of a red laser to sweep across his retina. 

A soft chime echoed in the silent corridor, followed by the heavy thud of internal bolts retracting. Then, the steel door, twelve inches of solid reinforced titanium, slid open with a hiss of pressurized air.

“Please come in, sir.”

Harold bowed respectfully, stepping forward first. 

Liam followed closely behind him, his footsteps echoing faintly against the polished floor as the door sealed shut behind them with a quiet, final thud.

The room was effective with air conditioning, so much so that the temperature dropped instantly upon entry. 

"We keep the vault at exactly 45°F (7°C) to preserve the integrity of the vintage currency and the specialized security electronics, sir."

The cold wrapped around Liam’s skin, sharp and clean, as though he had stepped straight into winter. It felt unnaturally cold, like a winter season in New York, the kind that bit through clothing and settled deep into the bones.

At the front of the room stood a round, heavy grey vault, enormous and imposing. It stared at them silently, dominating the space like a guardian that had stood there for decades, protecting secrets too valuable to be spoken aloud.

“Sir, as the president of this excellent Bank and as the person with the highest bank account, we preserve your wealth in a different vault,” Harold began, his voice steady and professional. 

“This means that only you have the room to your vault, and it is my duty to make sure it remains safe with my life.”

Liam listened carefully, his gaze fixed on the vault. Each word sank deeper into his chest, heavier than the cold air surrounding him.

“With your permission, I will now open this vault and let you see everything that is in it.”

Harold walked to the vault with deliberate steps. 

He placed both hands on the thick vault wheel, gripping it firmly. With controlled effort, he rolled it. The metal groaned under the pressure, the sound deep and mechanical, echoing through the room as the lock finally loosened.

“Sir, here is the paperwork of the transfer of everything in this vault in your name. It is already signed before the passing of the grandmaster.”

Edward stretched out a folder from his inner suit pocket, holding it carefully, almost reverently, as though it carried more weight than paper alone.

Liam laid his eyes on the document.

“900 Billion dollars in cash, one trillion dollars worth of gold and diamonds, 50 billion dollars worth of bronze and 85 billion dollars worth of pearls, all transferred to Liam Ryder upon my passing. No law or regulation should stop it as this is my absolute will.”

Liam’s eyes widened slowly as he read. His breath hitched. The figures blurred for a moment, not because he couldn’t read them, but because his mind struggled to accept them.

This was too much, far too much, to be given to him by someone who hardly knew him, yet trusted him completely based only on the words of a friend.

Instantly, his eyes filled with water. A tight pressure formed in his chest, threatening to spill over. But he shook his head slightly, forcing the emotion back, unwilling to break down here.

If he had ever been told that something like this would happen to him, he would have laughed it off. He would never have believed it. Yet here he was, standing before it all, as if reality itself had turned into a dream.

“Behold, your wealth in your first property view,” Harold said, bowing deeply as he finally opened the vault.

The door swung open slowly.

Just as it was written on the paper, Liam saw everything inside the vault, neatly arranged stacks of cash, secured bars of gold, sealed cases of diamonds and pearls. Everything sat perfectly in place, pristine and untouched, as though it had been waiting patiently for his arrival.

Liam nodded, then smiled briefly. The smile was small, restrained, but genuine.

“You may close it now,” he instructed. Then he turned to Edward. “Are there any more?”

“Of course, sir. There are many more to show you. Please come.”

Edward bowed and stepped out of the room.

What followed felt unreal.

They drove around the city, passing towering buildings and exclusive districts. They flew out of the city and then out of the country. In this adventure, Liam was shown everything, piece by piece, empire by empire.

The yacht docked along private shores. The fashion stores lined prestigious streets. The night clubs pulsed with life. The multipurpose event centers stood vast and powerful. Everything that made up the Kingsley Estate, and even more, was now his.

“In a single day, sir,” Edward explained calmly, “with all your businesses, you are able to make nothing less than 500 million dollars. That is 3.5 billion in a week, 15 billion in a month, and 182.5 billion in a year.”

Edward paused briefly, letting the numbers settle before continuing.

“You are easily the richest man in the whole wide world. No one comes close, sir.”

***

They finally drove back into the city, stopping at the front of the Kingsley Mansion, an enormous structure standing proudly against the skyline. It no longer belonged to history. It belonged to him.

Liam breathed deeply.

Though he had already risen to power and wealth, he never imagined the wealth was this much. The realization pressed down on him, heavy and overwhelming.

He needed time, time to process, time to think, time to understand how to handle such immense wealth and power without disappointing those who had placed their trust in him.

“I just need some time to breathe,” he said quietly as he stepped down from the car.

He walked toward a bridge not far from the mansion. Standing there, he stared at the calmness of the blue waters below. Golden fishes crept beneath the surface, gliding effortlessly, unaware of the storm of thoughts raging within him.

He breathed slowly and deeply, his thoughts transitioning into a vision.

He remembered it.

Thirteen years ago, a few years before he met Berry, he had fantasized about this very moment.

He had looked at high-rising buildings and imagined himself wearing a suit, staring at the city through wall glass, hands tucked into his pockets like a boss.

But even then, he had dismissed the thought.

There was no way someone like him, an orphan with no one to help him, could become someone who wore suits and owned an office.

Yet here he was.

Tears streamed down his eyes. He wiped them away quickly and smiled, a smile that came straight from his heart.

“Master,” Edward called gently from behind him.

Edward had left the car and walked toward Liam at the bridge. He had learned something, something urgent, that could not wait.

“What is it, Edward?” Liam asked calmly.

“It’s the Kingstons.”

“They've released a statement to the Greenfield Daily News,"” Edward said, bowing.

“The statement is about you sir. And it’s trending on social media” 

***

Liam turned slowly to face him. Edward was still bowing.

“A statement?”

“What are they saying?”

“Have a look, sir.”

Edward pulled out his iPad from his inner pocket and respectfully handed it to Liam.

“Liam Ryder, our son-in-law is a chronic liar and a thief whom we regret marrying our daughter to. In the strength of this, we are having second thoughts and will be making our decision soon — Michael Kingston.”

Liam smirked as he read it.

Just as he was about to pass the iPad back to Edward, his phone rang.

Pulling it out, he muttered, “Michael Kingston,” upon seeing the name flash across the screen.

“Yes?”

He answered the call, passing the iPad to Edward simultaneously.

“Family villa. Come here if you care for your miserable life,” Kingston hissed before dropping the call.

Liam smirked.