THE CONSORTIUM HEIR'S RECKONING

CHAPTER 3

As those words echoed in Nicolas’ ears, he could only come to two conclusions.

A prank. A mistake.

“Young master? Are you there?" 

Nicolas felt a surge of headache. He let out a soft groan.”Can you stop with the joke?” He hissed, staggering to his feet.

“What joke?" The person on the other end of the line quipped, confused.

Nicolas leaned against a tree to steady himself, but he realized that… he didn't have to do that!

He pushed away from the tree and stared at his hands. His body hummed with an overwhelming strength. He felt the itch to burst into a race, the urge to outsource this insane energy he felt.

“Young master. Are you alright? We-”

"Who are you?” Pissed, Nicolas asked. 

He was about to end the call, when he glanced around one more time. 

“Look, I'm not sure where I am-" 

"That's okay, young master. We've locked into your location through the energy fluctuations of your heirloom necklace." 

"My heirloom-” Nicolas stopped when his hands automatically went to his necklace.

The necklace that had somehow always been his. He had always felt ridiculously attached to the piece of jewelry.

“You were able to locate me through my necklace?" 

“Yes, young master." 

What's with the title? “Okay."

“We will arrive in a few minutes.” There was a pause. Then Nicholas heard the whirr of something.

"We just took off, young master.”

“Okay.”

When the call ended, Nicolas glanced around. They said they'd be there in minutes. There wasn't even any visible road. How would they get to him? And in minutes? 

It felt surreal, that conversation. What if they didn't come? What if it had all been in his head?

He decided to not sit still.

Since they could detect his location, he'd try to find his way. If they were real, they'd eventually find him. 

Suddenly, he heard a loud sound, followed by, “Young master! Someone will get down to get you now." 

Nicolas looked up and spotted two helicopters. Then, a ladder was thrown from the helicopter. Some people began to climb down.

Help had really come. He closed his palm around his necklace and muttered a thank you.

When they reached down, the only woman among them stepped forward. She grinned as she bowed. “Young master, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." 

Nicolas starred, dumbfounded.

The woman raised her head. “I’m a servant of the Belford family. I was sent to escort you home.”

“The Belford family?" He asked as he eyed all of them.

"Every single thing you want to know will be explained to you, young master, but first, we need to get you out of here. It's unbefitting for your status." The woman gestured to the ladder. “Please, go first." 

Nicolas began to climb the ladder. The woman and the others followed behind him. 

Once they were all onboard, they all bowed before Nicolas.

“Welcome back, young master.”

“Thank you," Nicolas answered, grateful for their help.

They showed him to a seat that had been prepared for him. 

“What family is the Belford family?" He inquired. 

The woman smiled. "The Belford family possesses the greatest wealth and power in the world. And you belong to it.”

Nicolas nodded as he contemplated if he should ask her about the surge of power he had felt.

He glanced up at her and began, “Back there in the forest, I felt…” he tried to find the right words. "I felt some sort of strength. I felt energized…”

The woman’s smile was easy. "It's your power, young master. It comes from the bloodline inheritance of the Belford family. Soon, we will arrange for someone to teach you how to harness your strength.”

Nicolas nodded slowly. "What's your name?" 

She smiled, “My name is Nora." 

“Nora, you said I belong to the Belford family. How is that possible? I'm an orphan, no relatives. I think you might have gotten the wrong person.”

Nora's gaze fell on the necklace on Nicolas' neck. "You are the one, young master. That necklace can never belong to anyone else.”

Nora continued. "You were very young when you went missing. Since then, the Belford family has searched for you. Fortunately, your bloodline awakened recently and we were finally able to locate you.”

“So I went missing when I was young. I don't remember any of that." 

"You'll get a more detailed explanation, either from your father or-”

Nicolas' ears perked up. "I have a father?”

Nora nodded. “He’s the head of the Belford family.”

Nicolas just stared at Nora for what felt like eons. He swallowed and finally asked, “Where is he?" 

"He is currently engaged in a classified mission. You won't be able to meet him now.”

Nicolas sat by the window. As the helicopter descended, he was awestruck by the grand architectural complex outside. It was already dark, but every part of the complex was bathed in bright lights.

He turned to face Nora. “Is that where we're headed?" 

Nora nodded with a smile. "That's the Belford family's estate." 

Nicolas could only stare. 

“The headquarters is ten times larger than this,” Nora chipped in as they stepped down from the helicopter.

How wealthy was this family? 

Nicolas couldn't stop gaping at the building and the endless security team roaming about.

They led him to the exquisite living room and Nicolas admired the interior designs.

“Now that you've returned to the family,” Nora said, standing beside Nicolas', "you have the right 

to inherit everything.”

Nicolas was shocked. “I can own all of these?"

"Yes, young master.”

“Goodness," Nicolas muttered. Now, the title made perfect sense. How had he gone from ‘Sarah's husband’ to ‘young master’ in a matter of hours?

“Tomorrow,” Nora continued, "we will officially announce your identity at Silvercrest Tower. It's one of the Belford family’s properties in the city.”

Nicolas stopped dead in his tracks.

“Silvercrest Tower?” He echoed. Wasn’t that the very place where his wife worked?