OLIVER CAGE: Return Of The Lionheart

Chapter three

Oliver was silent while the SUV drove through the streets in the rain. It was possible the guards and the sophisticated woman might have mistaken him for someone else. They’d cast him away once they realized the truth.

But could he really be the heir to a fortune? Oliver scoffed, thinking shouldn't flatter himself. He had always been an orphan, rejected by society.

Oliver looked at the woman who had introduced herself as Maria. She was dressed in a frilly black dress and draped a pricey fur coat around her shoulders. Her hair was in dreadlocks like the other men at the front of the car. She was in her early forties but was quite athletic and well-toned for her age.

And, she wore no smile on her face.

"You must have a lot of questions right now. Perhaps you are wondering why we came for you and where we are taking you to. But do not worry, young master, all of your questions will be answered soon."

She said to him and forced a smile. Her smile was even more menacing than her frown and that made Oliver kind of wish she didn't smile at all. 

Was she in the military? Oliver wondered. 

"I, um, I am just worried that perhaps you have the wrong person. You see, I am none of those things you mentioned earlier. I'm nobody." Oliver said to her.

"We'll see about that, young master. But right now, your grandfather wishes to see you." Was her solemn response. Grandfather? What grandfather?

It didn't take long before the SUV drove towards a mansion. 

"This way, young master." A butler who had been waiting said to Oliver as soon as they stepped down from the car.

Oliver followed him upstairs and Maria stayed close behind. As they climbed the staircase, Oliver saw something that made him slow down. There were several framed photographs of a man and a woman on the wall, holding a boy.

Oliver froze. The boy was none other than him when he was younger!

The family looked so happy. Were they his parents?

Oliver started to recollect some of the events he had forgotten. His heart rate increased as reality started to Dawn on him.

"Come inside." Oliver heard an old man's voice from the master chamber. As soon as he stepped into the room, he braced himself for what was to come.

"It's time to know who Oliver Lionheart actually is," Maria whispered to him.

The room he stepped into was not so large, but it was well-furnished. There was a big bed at the center of the room, and holding the bed in place was a bedpost that appeared to cost millions of dollars. 

Exquisite portraits and bouquets of flowers adorned the walls, and an ornate bay window overlooked a green estate. However, there was a faint smell of medicine oozing from a cupboard. Barely noticeable, but still, it hung in the air like some sort of omen. Someone was dying.

An elderly man sat on the bed. He had gray hair and wore glasses. Oliver recognized him instantly as Isaiah Lionheart, the billionaire of Billionaires! He had seen his face several times on TV and in the newspaper.

Isaiah Lionheart was still in his pajamas, and when he saw Oliver, he slowly removed his glasses. His emotions erupted and tears streamed down his face. He could not believe that he was actually looking at his long-lost grandson.

"Good day, sir. I...." Oliver began.

Oliver was cut off by Isaiah's hug. He was not sure how he should react. He was hugging the richest man in the city and possibly in the entire country, and there was a very big possibility that he was his grandson.

Isaiah pulled away and looked at Oliver.

"It is you. It is really you. My long lost grandson. You still look the same. I am sorry it took so long for me to bring you home, my boy. But I promise that it was for a good cause. I waited for the time when you were finally ready to become who you were meant to become all this time."

Isaiah said to Oliver, but just as Oliver was about to respond, Isaiah started coughing. He coughed profusely, and the Butler came to assist him back to the bed. He lay down and sighed as he gazed at Oliver again.

"Grandfather..." He whispered, and Isaiah nodded.

"You must have a lot of questions. Ask, and I shall give you the answers you desire."

 Isaiah said to Oliver, and proceeded to take a little sip from the glass of water that the butler brought to him.

Oliver mumbled something inaudible. He was truly a Billionaire heir. He was really rich. It was a game-changer for him. His life had been transformed overnight!

But he still had questions. Lots of them.

"Why didn't you bring me in? You were the only family I got. Why did you abandon me?" He asked. 

He wanted to know what could have made Isaiah Lionheart, the richest man in the city, abandon his own grandson.

"I wanted to be certain that it was the right time. There was no way I could have protected you efficiently back then, not even with the Shadows..." 

Isaiah said and pointed to Maria who stood there like a soldier, wearing the same expression on her face.

"You have so many enemies, my boy. So much, and they are powerful. Your mere existence threatens them. They are the same people who killed your parents, and they assumed they had killed you as well."

"What?" Oliver could not believe his ears. Who would have hated his parents enough to kill them? His parents were some of the most peaceful people in the city and they were loved by all.

"Do you know about the Table?" Isaiah asked, but Oliver shook his head in negative. 

He had indeed heard of it before when he was with Elina but he didn't know much about it, so it was best to feign ignorance.

"The table consists of twelve Billionaires from all over the country.  The major aim of the table was to Foster peace between our trades and help people. I was once the head of The Table, but then, things changed when Viktor Grey Joined the organization."

Oliver was shocked.

"Viktor Grey? Elina's dad?" 

"Yes. He was the pioneer. He sought to have my wealth. The other members of the table all did. Viktor replaced members of the table with his own and he rebelled, and together, they murdered your parents. They did this in secret so that I would not know..."

Isaiah coughed again, and Oliver wished there was something he could do to ease the old man's pain.

"It was the rule of the table to bequeath one's wealth to the closest person on the table should he be left without an heir. The table expected me to share my wealth amongst them all. They poisoned me and displaced me. I was so overjoyed when I knew you were still alive, but I had to cast you away and frame your death. It was the only way to save you. I even had your surname changed from Lionheart to Cage."

Isaiah said to Oliver who frowned upon hearing the words. His heartbeat increased, and he gritted his teeth. He could not believe that he had fallen in love with Viktor's daughter. 

No wonder Elina was evil. Her family was responsible for his suffering.

"So, Viktor Grey killed my parents?" Oliver said, his voice had suddenly changed from being timid to powerful. Maria looked at him in awe. He had suddenly gained immediate strength.

"I do not know for certain. Whoever did it covered Their tracks very well. But it is one of the members of the table. Or maybe more than one. They are all in on it. But there's something else..."

Isaiah stopped for a moment, and Oliver felt sudden tension. What was he about to say?

"Viktor Grey has a flash drive that contains carefully doctored lies that can destroy our family. It is his insurance. You have billions of dollars to your name and you are still one of the most powerful men in the country, but what is contained in that drive is powerful enough to destroy you." 

Isaiah said to Oliver.

"Damn Viktor Grey and his schemes!"

Oliver spat. 

"I am ready to take up my responsibilities. I want to make them all pay for what they have done to us. They cannot get away with what they have done. I will destroy them all!"

Oliver growled. 

"Yes. I will give you control over Lionheart Group soon. You shall begin from there. You have so much responsibility. And remember, you cannot trust anyone outside of this family. They are the only ones loyal to you.

The table has people everywhere. The police are corrupt. The law system is corrupt. Even the government is corrupt. You are surrounded by vipers who are willing to destroy you at any given opportunity. You must be extremely careful." Isaiah said to him and Oliver nodded.

"I know what to do, Grandfather. As Oliver Cage, I cannot do anything to them. But as Oliver Lionheart, they will not see me coming. I will have my revenge and I will trample them all under my feet."

Oliver said and Maria smiled.

"Spoken like a true leader, young master.  The shadow guards are with you all the time. How would you like us to proceed?" She asked him.

Oliver thought for a moment. He needed to attack his enemies in the most crafty way possible and to do that, he had to remain invisible and work from the shadows.

He looked to the side and saw a black mask hanging at the side of the room. He smiled as an idea came to him.

"I shall strike from the shadows and they will not see me coming." He scoffed at the thought.