The car glided to a stop before a tower that seemed to pierce the heavens themselves. It was a masterpiece of glass and light, each panel catching and fracturing the sunlight into prismatic displays that made the entire structure look like it was crafted from diamonds. The glass wasn't just transparent – it held a subtle iridescence that shifted colors as Lily tilted her head, creating an ethereal effect that left her breathless.
As the elevator whisked them to the top, Lily's stomach fluttered with both altitude and anticipation. When the doors finally opened, she gasped.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of Nyrosia that stole what little breath she had left. From this height, the city was a kaleidoscope of color and light. Buildings in shades of opal, amethyst, and sapphire created a harmonious palette that shouldn't have worked but somehow did. The port in the distance bustled with activity, massive ships unlike anything Lily had ever seen docked alongside gleaming piers. Some vessels seemed to hover above the water, defying physics itself.
"This is Great Nyrosia," Chris said, his voice tinged with pride as he gestured to the vista before them. "A place known only to a select few elites. But do you know what makes this independent nation truly unique? There's zero poverty here. Everyone – and I mean everyone – is rich."
Lily let out a startled laugh. "That's impossible. You can't have a functioning society where everyone is rich. Stop kidding."
Chris's smile was enigmatic as he guided her closer to the window. "Look down at the streets, Lily. Really look."
She did. And her jaw dropped. Every person below moved with the confidence of old money, dressed in outfits that would make Hollywood stylists weep with envy. The cars... calling them cars seemed almost insulting. They were works of art in motion, each one more advanced than anything she'd seen in New York's most exclusive showrooms.
"This is a civilization built on art, beauty, wealth, and grandeur," Chris continued, his hand warm on the small of her back. "The poorest person here lives better than most millionaires in our world. Every building is a masterpiece, every street a gallery. They don't just survive here – they thrive."
Lily's mind struggled to comprehend the scale of wealth she was witnessing. The emerald parks dotted throughout the city, the floating platforms that seemed to serve as additional living space, the holographic advertisements that danced in the air – it was like stepping into the most optimistic science fiction movie ever made.
"But how?" she whispered, pressing her hand against the glass. "How is this possible?"
Chris's reflection smiled back at her in the window.
Lily's brow furrowed as she watched the bustling port below. "But how does this place even function? What's their trade secret?" She squinted at the tiny figures near the water. "Are those people fishing? What, are the fish here made of gold or something?"
Chris chuckled, and Lily's eyes suddenly went wide as a thought struck her. "Oh my God, wait." She whirled to face him, pointing an accusatory finger. "This is a giant drug operation, isn't it? Your father, Liam Eaton, he's the kingpin running this whole cocaine paradise, right?"
To her surprise, Chris threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, sweetheart. My father may be a drug lord who makes obscene amounts of money, but even he can't compete with what these people earn." He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Trust me, selling drugs is like running a lemonade stand compared to what they do here."
Lily stared at him, mouth agape. When the world's biggest drug lord was considered small potatoes, what the hell could these people possibly be doing?
"I... what... how..." She gestured helplessly at the opulent city around them.
Chris's eyes sparkled with amusement as he took her hand. "You know what? This is one of those 'show, don't tell' moments. Come on, I think it's time you saw exactly what makes Nyrosia tick."
As he led her back to the elevator, Lily couldn't help but wonder – what could possibly be more profitable than drug dealing? It was the most profitable black market business!
The elevator descended into what looked like an ordinary underground passage, but as they walked, lights flickered to life automatically, casting an ethereal glow on the polished walls. Lily felt like she was entering some high-tech secret facility from a spy movie.
Two burly men blocked their path at a heavily fortified door, but one glimpse at whatever ID Chris flashed, and they stepped aside with respectful nods.
Nothing could have prepared Lily for what lay beyond.
The brightness hit her first – an overwhelming radiance that made her eyes water and her head spin. As her vision adjusted, her jaw dropped. The room... no, calling it a room was like calling the ocean a puddle. This was a vast chamber that seemed to stretch endlessly, filled with... gold.
Everywhere she looked, gold gleamed under fluorescent lights. Some were stacked in neat bars, some formed into intricate shapes she couldn't even name. Workers moved about with the casual air of people handling office supplies, not literal fortunes.
"Is this... real?" Lily managed to squeak out, her voice barely a whisper.
A worker walked past them, pushing a cart loaded with gold bars as casually as if he was restocking shelves at a grocery store. Another was carefully cataloging oddly shaped golden objects on a holographic display.
"This is impossible," Lily breathed, reaching out to steady herself against the wall. The cool metal under her palm helped ground her, reminding her this wasn't some bizarre dream.
Chris's smile was knowing as he watched her process the scene before them. "Oh, sweetheart. Now do you understand how people here are this much rich?! This island is filled with all gold only underground, that can be mined and extracted underground for the next ten thousand years but they will never run out."
As Chris's words sank in, the room seemed to tilt. "Ten... thousand... years?" Lily felt her knees buckle, and suddenly Chris's arms were around her, catching her before she hit the ground.
….
When Lily came to her consciousness, she was lying on a plush sofa in what looked like a luxury penthouse suite. For a moment, she was sure she'd dreamed it all – the endless room of gold, the impossible wealth.
"Not a dream," Chris said softly, as if reading her thoughts. "We're in the governor's private guest house now. You needed somewhere quiet to process."
Lily sat up slowly, her head still spinning. "So... gold is the reason these people thrive? And no one outside knows about it?"
Chris nodded, settling beside her. "Think about it economically. Gold has been the universal currency for millennia. Dollars, pounds, euros – they're all just paper, subject to inflation and market fluctuations. But gold?" He picked up a decorative paperweight from the coffee table – solid gold, of course. "Gold is constant. It's tangible wealth that every nation recognizes."
"And they have an endless supply," Lily whispered, finally understanding. "That can last for ten thousand years."
"Exactly. When you have a land that never runs out of gold, poverty becomes impossible. That's why Nyrosia has remained hidden. Can you imagine what would happen if the world knew? Every capitalist empire would try to claim it, and exploit it. Wars would be fought over it."
Lily nodded slowly, her analytical mind finally catching up. It made sense – horrifying, incredible sense. An entire nation, living in secrecy to protect their miraculous resource—
But then a thought struck her. "I understand all that, but..." she turned to Chris, searching his face. "What does any of this have to do with me? Why show me this? And why would my own parents keep this place a secret from me?!"
Chris's expression turned serious. "That," he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "is a very good question."
His touch lingered, sending a shiver down her spine despite everything. As she waited for him to continue, Lily couldn't shake the feeling that whatever came next would change her life forever – even more than the revelation of a secret gold-rich nation had.
Chris took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Lily's face. "Okay, let me be straight. This place... it matters for you and Avery equally."
Lily blinked, not understanding.
"Because," Chris continued, his voice gentle but firm, "You and Avery are the only existing heirs of the main gold mine here."
The words hit Lily like a physical blow. She felt the air leave her lungs as the room seemed to spin again.
Heir? Her? To a gold mine in a secret nation?