Chapter 3 – The Weight of Wealth

Outside Ethan's Apartment – 9:00 AM

Ethan stepped out of his tiny apartment, expecting James to lead him to some fancy car. What he didn't expect was an entire fleet of luxury vehicles lined up outside.

Five Rolls-Royces gleamed under the morning sun, their deep-black exteriors polished to perfection. A few Range Rovers idled behind them, their tinted windows hiding the identities of the people inside.

Ethan blinked.

"…What the hell?"

James Windsor stood beside him, hands clasped behind his back. "Your security detail and personal fleet, sir."

Ethan turned to him, mouth slightly open. "Are you serious?"

James merely adjusted his sleeve cuffs. "You are now one of the wealthiest individuals in existence. Certain precautions must be taken."

Ethan glanced back at the luxury cars, feeling the weight of those words. Just yesterday, he had been struggling to make rent. Now? He had an entire fleet of vehicles waiting for his command.

"…I'm still taking the subway sometimes," he muttered.

James gave a slight, amused nod. "Shall we proceed?"

Ethan took a deep breath. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."

One of the Rolls-Royce doors swung open. Ethan slid inside, sinking into the buttery leather seats as James followed. The moment the doors shut, the convoy of cars smoothly pulled away from the curb, merging into the morning traffic.

And just like that, Ethan Cross was no longer just an ordinary college student.

---

Sky Bank – 10:15 AM

The convoy arrived at Sky Bank, a towering skyscraper made entirely of reinforced glass and steel. Ethan stepped out of the Rolls-Royce, staring up at the massive structure.

He had never stepped foot inside this place before. Hell, he had barely even walked near it. This was where old money did their banking—the kind of people whose wealth spanned generations.

James led him inside.

The moment Ethan crossed the threshold, the entire atmosphere changed. Guards in black suits stiffened as they noticed James. One of the bank's high-ranking executives—a middle-aged man in an expensive three-piece suit—rushed over immediately.

"Mr. Windsor," the man greeted, eyes darting to Ethan. "And… Mr. Cross. We've been expecting you."

Ethan glanced at James, who merely gave a small nod.

They already know who I am.

James gestured for the executive to proceed. "Begin the transfer process."

The man nodded, leading them deeper into the bank.

Ethan remained quiet as they entered a private conference room, where stacks of documents were neatly arranged on a long marble table.

James sat beside Ethan as the executive began explaining.

"Mr. Cross, per Lord Langford's will, all assets have now been legally transferred to your name."

Ethan's fingers tapped against the table. "What exactly does that include?"

The executive's lips twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile.

"Sir, to put it simply… everything."

He pulled out a detailed ledger and slid it across the table.

Ethan hesitated before opening it.

Inside, neatly listed, were hundreds of properties, companies, offshore accounts, and private assets.

Sky Towers (100% ownership)

Langford Global Enterprises (Controlling Stake: 78%)

Multiple Private Jets

Vaults in Multiple International Banks

Luxury Properties Across 12 Countries

Private Islands

Rare Art Collections

And that was just one of the pages.

Ethan swallowed hard. "This is… a lot."

James remained calm. "You are now the master of the Langford fortune, sir."

The executive cleared his throat. "There is also the matter of your personal vaults. If you'd like, we can visit them now."

Ethan exhaled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yeah… let's do that."

---

Sky Bank – Private Vault Section

Ethan followed James and the executive through a highly restricted section of the bank. Armed guards stood at every turn, and multiple biometric scans were required just to proceed.

Eventually, they arrived at a massive steel door embedded into the floor. The executive placed his palm on a scanner, and after a brief pause, the door hissed open, revealing an elevator leading deep underground.

Ethan stepped inside, the doors shutting behind him.

As the elevator descended, James spoke. "The Langford family maintained five private vaults here, each serving a specific purpose."

When the doors opened, Ethan stepped into a high-security underground facility—one that looked more like a military base than a bank vault.

The executive gestured toward the massive vault doors, each labeled with gold plaques.

"Your personal vaults, sir."

Ethan walked forward, scanning the names.

Vault 1 – Cash Reserves

Vault 2 – Cash Reserves

Vault 3 – Cash Reserves

Vault 4 – Valuables & Rare Artifacts

Vault 5 – Jewelry & High-Value Collectibles

Ethan let out a low whistle. "Three entire vaults just for cash?"

James nodded. "Lord Langford preferred liquidity."

The executive stepped forward. "Would you like to inspect them?"

Ethan hesitated.

A part of him was still processing all of this. He hadn't even fully accepted that he was filthy rich now, and yet, here he was, about to walk into a vault filled with more money than he could ever count.

"…Yeah. Let's see it."

The executive punched in a code. With a loud hiss, the first vault door slowly began to open.

Ethan stepped forward…

And his breath caught in his throat.

Inside, neatly stacked in massive steel containers, were billions of dollars in cash.

The sheer amount of money didn't even look real. It was the kind of thing you saw in movies—except this wasn't fiction. This was his now.

James observed him quietly. "A lot to take in, isn't it?"

Ethan let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah… yeah, you could say that."

The executive stepped aside. "Shall we proceed to the other vaults?"

Ethan nodded, still feeling like he was in a dream.

One by one, he inspected each vault—each more absurd than the last.

By the time he stood in front of the jewelry vault, his mind was spinning.

"Let me guess," Ethan said. "Enough diamonds to make rappers cry?"

James smirked. "Something like that."

The door opened… revealing a vault filled with nothing but the rarest, most valuable jewelry on Earth.

Ethan ran a hand down his face. "Jesus Christ."

---

After finalizing the transfer, Ethan and James exited Sky Bank, the convoy of luxury cars waiting for them outside.

Ethan took a deep breath.

Yesterday, he was just some broke college kid.

Now?

He was a billionaire with an empire to his name.

As he slid into the Rolls-Royce, he turned to James.

"For day-to-day stuff, I'll use PayPal or Payoneer."

James arched an eyebrow. "Sir, you now own private banks. You don't need—"

"I don't care," Ethan interrupted. "I'm not walking around with a Black Card that screams 'rob me.' I'll keep things normal… for now."

James smiled approvingly. "Very well, sir."

As the convoy pulled away, Ethan leaned back, staring out the window.

Everything had changed.

And for the first time…

He was ready for it.

---

To Be Continued...