Chapter 14: The Path of No Return

The city lights of Velmont flickered like dying stars as Liam and Tielen stepped out of Dorne's office. The weight of the diamond card in Liam's pocket felt heavier than anything he had carried before. This wasn't just a tool—it was a key to a world he never imagined stepping into.

Tielen glanced at him, his usual smirk replaced with something more serious. "You sure about this?"

Liam's jaw clenched. "I don't have a choice."

Tielen sighed. "There's always a choice, man. But if you're doing this, then we go all the way."

Liam didn't respond. He knew that once he swiped that card, there was no going back. He would no longer be the boy everyone mocked, the one who was abandoned and left to fend for himself. He would step into power, but power came with enemies.

As they reached the underground parking lot, a sleek black Rolls-Royce was already waiting. The driver, a man dressed in a clean black suit, stepped out and opened the door for them.

Tielen whistled. "Looks like Dorne's not playing games."

Liam got in, his mind racing with thoughts of what was ahead.

---

The car pulled up to a private banking facility deep in the heart of the city. It wasn't just any bank—it was the kind of place that didn't ask questions, the kind where the world's richest hid their darkest secrets.

Inside, a woman with ice-blue eyes and a crisp white suit greeted them. "Mr. Liam, we've been expecting you."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "You know who I am?"

She offered a small smile. "The moment you touched that card, you were in our system. Follow me."

Liam exchanged a glance with Tielen before following her down a long corridor lined with biometric security scanners. At the end of the hallway, a massive steel vault door stood before them.

The woman turned to Liam. "Place the card here."

Liam hesitated for just a second before sliding the diamond card into the slot. A series of beeps echoed through the room before the vault slowly unlocked.

Inside was something Liam had never seen before.

Stacks of documents, bonds, and bearer shares worth billions. Gold bars stacked neatly in rows. Digital screens displaying off-shore accounts in numbers so large they seemed unreal.

And at the center of it all—his name.

Liam Montgomery.

This wasn't just money. This was an empire waiting to be claimed.

Tielen let out a low whistle. "Damn. This is insane."

Liam stepped forward, his fingers grazing the documents. "So this is what my father left behind…"

The woman nodded. "Not just your father. Your mother as well."

Liam's breath hitched. "My mother?"

She gestured toward an envelope resting on top of a stack of files. "Before she died, she left you a letter."

Liam's hands trembled as he reached for it. He carefully unfolded the paper, his mother's delicate handwriting staring back at him.

"My dearest Liam,

If you're reading this, it means the truth has found you. Your father and I never wanted this life for you, but fate is cruel. We tried to escape, but some chains are impossible to break. You are stronger than you know, my son. But power is a curse if wielded without wisdom. Trust no one blindly. And remember—there is more to this than just revenge.

Live. Survive. And become who you were meant to be."

Tielen placed a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Hey, man… you okay?"

Liam folded the letter carefully, slipping it into his jacket pocket. His heart pounded, but his resolve had never been clearer.

"I know what I have to do," Liam whispered.

He wasn't just inheriting wealth.

He was inheriting war.

And he was ready for it.

Liam stood in the vault, his mother's letter burning in his hand like a ghost from the past. Every word she had written carried the weight of secrets he had yet to uncover.

Tielen ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "This… this is unreal. Your father and mother had this much power, and yet they were still taken down?"

Liam clenched his fists. "That just proves how dangerous the people behind their deaths are." He turned to the woman in white. "Who else has access to this vault?"

She tilted her head slightly. "Only you."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Then why did Dorne have the card?"

She smiled faintly. "Because he was holding it for you. But now that you've accessed the vault, the accounts and assets belong to you alone."

Liam exhaled. This wasn't just about inheriting an empire. This was about reclaiming something that was stolen from him.

He scanned the vault again, his eyes landing on something unexpected—a row of locked steel cases with symbols engraved on them. One in particular caught his eye. It bore his mother's initials.

Liam pointed at it. "What's inside?"

The woman remained silent for a moment before stepping forward. She placed her palm over a biometric scanner, and with a soft click, the case unlocked.

Liam stepped closer, lifting the lid carefully.

Inside was something he never expected—an old, well-preserved leather book. The title, written in faded gold lettering, sent a chill down his spine.

The Order of Serpents.

Tielen muttered under his breath. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Liam carefully picked up the book, flipping through its pages. It was filled with handwritten notes, maps, and names—names of powerful figures, dates of secret meetings, and classified information that could shake the world if exposed.

"This…" Liam whispered. "This is a death sentence."

The woman nodded solemnly. "Your mother was gathering proof against the Order. She wanted to expose them before she died."

Liam's grip tightened. His mother had been fighting against them. She hadn't just run away—she had been planning to take them down.

A deep, slow-burning anger ignited in his chest.

"They killed her before she could."

Tielen exhaled. "And now they'll come for you if they find out you have this."

Liam closed the book, tucking it under his arm. "Then I won't let them find out."

He turned to the woman. "I need a list of every asset my parents left behind. Everything, from properties to hidden accounts."

She nodded. "It will be arranged."

Tielen grinned, shaking his head. "Man, you went from broke and abandoned to a secret empire owner overnight. This is crazy."

Liam smirked faintly. "It's only the beginning."

As they left the vault, Liam knew one thing for sure—this was no longer just about revenge.

This was about finishing what his mother started.

And he would make sure the world remembered the name Liam Montgomery.