All Chapters of The Billionaire Hidden in Plain Sight: Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
56 chapters
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Ethan Blake sat in his office long after everyone had gone home. His fingers drummed once on the desk, the sound sharp in the silence.He had replayed the Titan Global statement a dozen times already, but it wasn’t just the words that bothered him, it was the tone.It was cold, calculated and far too confident for a company that was supposedly doing “damage control.”No one denied him this cleanly before and no one ignored him like he didn’t exist.He leaned forward, opening a secure folder on his laptop. Dozens of files popped up, there were surveillance captures, internal memos, and leaked employee rosters. He’d pulled every resource he had left in the last 48 hours. The deeper he dug, the stranger it got.Titan Global’s board had nothing on record about the Harper deal. There were no meeting minutes, no official signatures and the authorization came through a locked executive channel accessible only to one person, the president himself.And that man, that shadowy figure from the ph
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Sunday mornings in the Harper mansion were usually loud. Margaret preferred it that way, noise meant life, control, and presence.By nine, the long dining table was full. Victoria was recounting last night’s charity gala as though she’d been the main attraction, Tara chimed in with exaggerated laughter, and even Margaret was in good spirits, commenting about publicity and business.Only Liam seemed out of place.He sat quietly, dressed simply as always, no flashy watch, and no designer suit. He poured himself a cup of tea, his movements neat and deliberate, but no one paid him much attention.That was until Victoria decided to.“So, Liam,” she said, cutting her pancakes with a smirk, “I heard one of the car tires went flat yesterday. Tell me, did you fix it yourself or did you finally call for help?”Tara chuckled immediately. “Oh, please, Victoria. You think he even knows where the spare tire is?”Emma looked up from her plate, irritation flickering behind her calm face.Liam, howeve
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
The Harper mansion was always about who could pretend the most. Tonight, though, it was pure chaos.Margaret’s voice echoed down the hall, sharp and flustered. “What do you mean the chef canceled? He can’t just cancel! They’re already on their way!”The staff ran around like headless chickens, phones in hand, whispering into their earpieces as if an army invasion was happening in the kitchen. Emma, standing near the doorway, pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d told her mother this dinner was a bad idea, a last-minute “thank-you event” for business associates that Harper Construction barely even liked.“It’s fine, Grandmother,” Emma said, trying to stay calm. “We can just order in and—”“Order in?” Margaret snapped. “Are you out of your mind? These people are our clients, Emma. You think I’ll serve takeout to investors? We’ll look like peasants!”Peasants.Emma’s jaw tightened. A few feet away, Liam was setting down a tray of drinks, quiet, and almost invisible as usual but his calm
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
The house was finally asleep.Margaret’s angry footsteps had faded upstairs, Victoria’s muttering had trailed off, and the sound of clinking dishes had died into silence.Emma lingered in the kitchen doorway. The lights were dim, but she could still see Liam moving inside, sleeves rolled to his elbows, quietly rinsing the last of the dinner plates. Steam curled from the sink, soft against the hum of the refrigerator.“You don’t have to do that. You can leave it for the servants,” she said softly.He didn’t turn. “It’s just dishes.”“You already cooked, cleaned, and got humiliated for it. I think you’ve done enough for one night.”At that, he finally looked over his shoulder, eyes calm and unreadable. “You stood up for me. That’s more than enough.”She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. “Don’t make that sound like I did you a favor. They were out of line.”A small smile tugged at his mouth. “They usually are.”She huffed, half-exasperated, and half-admiring. “You make it so
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Ethan Blake adjusted his cufflinks as he stood in front of Titan Global’s tall building. He took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and strode toward the revolving doors with a confidence that hid the feeling of unease in his chest. Today, he intended to find answers. And if he had to press, intimidate, or charm his way through, he would.Inside, the lobby was elegant, with shiny tiles, classy decors and quiet conversations. Several executives in tailored suits moved around quickly but quietly, each step calculated, and precise. Ethan’s eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any hint, or any thread, that could lead him to the person who had orchestrated the Harper Construction contract.He approached the front desk, flashing a smile that was meant to charm his way through. “Ethan Blake,” he said smoothly. “I have an urgent matter regarding the Titan Global partnership. I need to speak to the person in charge.”The receptionist raised a perfectly carved eyebrow. “Mr. Blake,” she s
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Ethan slammed the door to his office behind him, the sound echoing like thunder. He looked out of his office window but the view didn’t feel like his tonight. Instead, it felt like it was laughing at him.He paced around his office with his fists clenched, muttering under his breath. “How… how did Harper Construction get Titan Global’s contract? How is this even possible?”It wasn’t luck. He knew that. He knew someone had moved behind the scenes, someone clever, and definitely someone influential. And yet, no matter how many calls he made, no amount of pressure or bribes could reveal the culprit. Every trail led him to a dead end, ending abruptly. He felt stuck. His assistant knocked tentatively. “Mr. Blake…?”“Go away!” Ethan barked without looking. “I don’t want interruptions tonight.”The assistant hesitated a moment before quietly turning around to leave. Ethan stopped in the middle of the room and stared at the tall shelves of awards and company files. All of this… and yet they
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
“Emma, this just came in.” Mia stood at the door holding a thick white envelope stamped with a gold seal. Emma looked up from her laptop, frowning slightly.“What is it?”“An invitation,” Mia said. “From the Aurelius Foundation. It says it’s a private gala next week. Titan Global is listed as one of the sponsors.”Emma took the envelope and opened it carefully. The card inside was sleek, black and gold, with her name printed in elegant letters.Emma Harper, Harper Construction.She blinked. “It’s addressed to me,” she said, sounding surprised even to herself.Mia nodded. “Yes, ma’am. It looks very exclusive. Only a handful of local CEOs got one.”Emma stared at the card for a few seconds longer, trying to read between the lines. Titan Global, again. Everything in her life seemed to circle back to that name lately.“Thank you, Mia. You can go.”When the door closed, she leaned back in her chair, tapping the edge of the card against her desk.A gala. A public, high-profile, and media-c
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Applause still echoed as Emma left the stage. Her palms were slightly damp, and her pulse was still racing. She hadn’t expected any of it, the speech, the praise, and the cameras but somehow, she had handled it.She found Liam near the edge of the crowd, standing beside the bar. He didn’t say a word, but the quiet look in his eyes said everything she needed to know.“Did you know about this?” she said under her breath.He took a slow sip of his drink. “Know about what?”“Don’t play dumb,” she whispered. “The speech and the award. You knew.”He smiled faintly. “Maybe. You deserved it.”Before she could respond, Ethan appeared again, his smile thin and forced. “Well,” he said lightly, “that was quite the surprise, wasn’t it?”“Surprise is one word for it,” Emma replied, keeping her tone calm.“Titan Global seems to like you more than I thought,” he said. “Strange, considering they don’t usually hand out compliments unless someone’s paying for them.”Liam glanced at him, calm as ever. “M
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Emma made her way toward them, but before she reached them, Nina gave a polite nod and walked off quickly, disappearing into the crowd.Liam turned just as Emma approached.“What was that?” she asked quietly, though curiosity ate at her.“Nothing important,” he said casually, waving her off.“Liam.”He looked at her then, and for a brief second, something flickered in his eyes, something like regret, then he added. “She just wanted to say congratulations.”Emma frowned. “It didn’t look like that.”He didn’t reply. Instead, he glanced toward the exit. “We should go soon. You’ve had enough of the cameras for one night.”She wanted to push, to demand an explanation, but something in his tone stopped her.“Fine,” she said finally.They left the ballroom together, the noise and chaos fading behind them. The hallway was quiet, only the sound of heels against the floor and the distant sound of conversation from the other rooms.As they reached the car, Emma finally spoke again. “You keep say
CHAPTER THIRTY
Emma sat at her desk, staring at the documents in front of her, but she wasn’t reading it. Her mind replayed the argument in the car with Liam, over and over. Every word he said, every pause, and everything, it all lingered in her head.He had been so defensive, so careful to dodge every question she asked. He had smiled faintly at the end, the same calm, and unreadable expression he always had on his face, and yet, it had somehow made her blood boil. She didn’t like the way he could stay so composed while she was left twisting inside, trying to figure out what he was thinking.She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. Why does he do that? Why can’t he just answer me?Her thoughts went further. The way he had brushed off Nina Chen, and the way he had waved off her questions about the gala, there was something there, something he wasn’t saying. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but the nagging feeling that he was hiding something wouldn’t leave her alone.A soft knock on the