The rise of the forgotten son-in-law

Chapter 4

Well, damn, that is certainly one way to make a grand entrance. 

I hopped into the sleek passenger seat of the Porsche, shut the door firmly, and braced myself as the driver zoomed off into the distance.

“Good morning, boss. Where would you like to go first?” the driver asked respectfully.

I exhaled sharply, leaning my head back against the leather headrest. The truth was, I had nowhere to go. 

The Williams family home was definitely a place I would never set foot in again after the way they had treated me. 

What hurt the most was the fact that I had left with absolutely nothing, despite everything I had done for them.

“Give me a second to think,” I said to the man.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I carefully typed in my PIN to open my banking app, hoping to confirm a nagging suspicion I had. 

When the screen showed a red error message, I felt my heart knot. The code was wrong. Ada had already logged me out of our shared accounts and changed the credentials. 

I was officially broke, the little bit of loose change in my pocket wouldn’t even buy me a decent meal, let alone a place to stay.

But I still had a couple of billion dollars sitting in bank accounts under my real name, but I had frozen them years ago when I chose to disappear into a quiet life. 

Retrieving that kind of wealth wouldn't be a difficult task for someone with my skills, but I had a more pressing matter to attend to first. I needed to visit an old friend and thank him for sending this ride.

“Take me to Gibbs Avenue,” I commanded. “There is a very important person I need to see immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” the driver responded instantly. He checked his side mirrors to ensure the road was clear, then skillfully spun the car around in a cloud of smoke and a perfect drift. 

He floored the accelerator, launching the car forward like a rocket.

In just a few minutes, we arrived at Gibbs Avenue. 

The driver must have known exactly who I was looking for, because he pulled up directly in front of the Marcus residence.

 The perimeter fence was incredibly high, blocking any view of the grounds, and the top was reinforced with jagged spikes and glowing electric wires.

The massive iron gates swung open, allowing us to drive into the sprawling estate.

 In the center of the yard stood a magnificent marble water fountain, surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn laid out in smooth square grass tiles. 

The mansion was off to the side, looking even more imposing and grand than I remembered from my younger days.

The car came to a smooth halt and we both stepped out into the morning air. The driver led the way toward the back of the property, and I followed closely behind.

 I noticed there weren't many guards stationed around the front, which was strange.

 It was unlike Marcus, he used to love having an excessive amount of security following him everywhere he went.

We walked along the side of the mansion, and I followed my gut feeling that Marcus would be in the backyard. 

When we arrived at the corner, I saw I was right. He was lounging in the massive infinity pool with two women in tiny bikinis who were busy massaging his bald head. It was a classic scene totally typical of Marcus.

I cleared my throat loudly to get his attention. He turned around, and a massive, genuine smile spread across his lips the moment he recognized me.

“Boy oh boy, look who decided to crawl out of his shell!” he shouted with a laugh. “It has been ages since I’ve seen that hairline. I'm surprised it hasn't started to fade off yet!”

“Come on, man,” I joked back, stepping toward the edge of the pool. “You’re just pissed because I still look much younger and better looking than you do.”

“Nah, I’m a grown up now. You can stay a kid as long as you want,” he countered playfully. “So, what’s the word? You finally decided to come back to the real world?”

“Well, it’s not like I had much of a choice. You knew this day was coming eventually,” I said, my tone turning a bit more serious.

“You’re right about that,” he said, his expression softening. “It’s truly good to have an old friend back in the game.”

He turned toward the ladies and gave a sharp nod to the side, signaling for them to leave. He did the same to the driver. The women climbed out of the pool and wrapped themselves in towels before disappearing into the house, while the driver took a respectful bow and retreated.

“So, are you still messing around with these girls? And do you ever plan on getting married?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood again.

“Hahahaha!” he roared with laughter. “And how exactly did your marriage turn out for you?”

“Well, I don't really want to talk about that right now,” I scoffed, feeling the sting of the betrayal again.

“Alright, alright. Come over here, we have a lot of serious things to discuss.” We walked from the poolside to a shaded lounge area. 

He grabbed a bottle of expensive cognac, popped the cork, and poured a generous glass for both of us.

“So, tell me, brother. What brings you here today?” he asked, his voice now low and serious. 

Now that we were alone, we were finally free to discuss the dangerous reality of my return.

“Look, you know what is happening in the underworld right now,” I began. “As you guessed, they must have thought I was dead. 

That’s why they tried to take me out the very moment they heard rumors that I was still breathing.”

He took a slow sip of his drink and exhaled sharply. “You’re right. It’s a mess out there. So, what is your plan?”

“I need a place to stay and the access to get back in,” I said.

Marcus nodded. “That’s not what I expected to hear, but I can certainly help you find a place to hide out for a while.”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” I interrupted. “I’m not just asking for a way back into the organization. I know they’ll take me back.”

‘I mean I need the access to get back everything I had sealed away. I want my factories, my hidden funds, and my people. I need full control again, Marcus.”

His eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively glanced from left to right to make sure no one was eavesdropping. 

“You realize what you’re about to do is incredibly dangerous, right? Unlike last time, you have way more rivals who want your head on a platter. I mean, you haven't finished your…”

I didn’t let him finish the sentence. “Yeah, I am fully aware of the consequences. They can try hunting me all they want, but they won't get a single piece of me.”

“I know you still have that massive ego,” Marcus said, looking me up and down, “but you aren't in peak shape. You've lost a lot of muscle mass. You look smaller and weaker.”

I didn't argue because he was right. Living a quiet life had made me soft. “And so are you,” I added with a smirk. “You’ve never been in shape a day in your life, by the way.”

“Yeah, well, that’s because I’m always sitting behind a desk while you guys go out and have all the fun,” he joked. I raised an eyebrow at him, and we both smiled.

“Alright, let’s not waste any more time,” 

Marcus said, getting down to business. “I have a house down on Brooks Street.” 

“It’s mostly isolated and very private. I haven’t visited in a while, but I keep a full staff there to maintain it, so it’s in great condition. Go check it out. If you like the place, it’s yours.”

“Thanks, bro. I appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing,” he smiled. We walked through the side of the mansion toward his massive underground garage. 

He reached into a cabinet and pulled out two sets of keys, holding them up for me to see.

“Which would you prefer for your first day back? The Lamborghini or the McLaren?”

“You already know the answer to that. It’s the McLaren any day of the week,” I said with a grin. He tossed me the keys to a sleek black McLaren.

I drove out of the mansion, and the car sped down the open road like a silver bullet. 

However, the peace didn't last long. 

Suddenly, the road ahead was blocked by two massive black SUVs. I was certain they weren't the police because the local cops didn't drive armored Escalades.

I slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a halt. 

The SUV doors swung open simultaneously, and several men dressed in black tactical gear stepped out. 

They were all masked and carrying heavy assault rifles. On their chests, they wore a large symbol, a red skull encased within a hexagon star.

I knew exactly who they were from that symbol, and I knew they were coming specifically for me. 

There were twelve men in total, and they began to spread out in a wide arc, their guns hanging ready at their sides.

One man stepped forward from the group and walked toward my side of the car. 

I could have easily put the car in reverse and tried to make a run for it, but I had already calculated the odds. 

This car wasn't bulletproof. The rounds from those rifles would shred the bodywork and kill me before I could turn around. 

Even if I made it past them, those luxury SUVs were fast and heavily armored.

The man reached the door and knocked on the driver’s side window. I complied and slowly rolled down the tinted glass to face my destiny.