His Billion-Dollar Secret

Chapter 1

"You're sleeping in the storage room tonight, and I don't want to hear any complaints!"

Jayce Walker stood at the bottom of the grand staircase in the Barker family mansion, his worn shoes leaving small puddles of rainwater on the marble floor. The young woman glaring down at him, Hailey Barker, looked like she wanted to throw something at his head.

"Hailey, I just need a dry towel," Jayce said calmly, water dripping from his hair. "I got caught in the storm while making deliveries."

"Deliveries! That's all you ever talk about!" Hailey stomped down three steps, her designer dress swishing around her legs. "Do you know how embarrassing it is? My husband rides around on a rusty motorcycle delivering food to people! My friends laugh at me!"

Jayce wiped his face with his sleeve. He had known this marriage would be hard. Six months ago, Old Master Barker had called him to the hospital and made a strange request. Marry Hailey. Protect her. Keep your real identity hidden. Jayce had agreed, but he never expected Hailey to hate him so much.

"I'm sorry you feel embarrassed," Jayce said quietly.

"Sorry? SORRY?" Hailey's voice got louder. "Sorry doesn't pay bills! Sorry doesn't buy nice things! Sorry doesn't make you less of a loser!"

A door opened on the second floor. An older woman stepped out, her lips curved in a cold smile. Rose Barker, Hailey's mother, walked down the stairs like a queen.

"Still arguing with the delivery boy, darling?" Rose said, patting Hailey's shoulder. "Don't waste your energy. Tomorrow, we're meeting with that handsome lawyer, Richard Stone. He'll help us get rid of this pest."

"Divorce papers?" Jayce asked.

"Finally, something gets through that thick skull of yours," Rose laughed. "Yes, divorce papers. My father was crazy when he forced this marriage. But now he's too sick to stop us. Soon, you'll be out of our lives forever."

Hailey looked at Jayce with cold eyes. "I never wanted you. I was supposed to marry Damson Cole, the son of the Cole Diamond Company. But grandfather ruined everything by making me marry you instead!"

Jayce said nothing. He simply nodded and walked toward the back of the house where the storage room was. Behind him, he heard Rose whisper to Hailey, but he caught every word.

"Don't worry, dear. Once we get the divorce, and once your grandfather dies, we'll sell Barker Medical Group to the Henderson family. We'll be rich, and you can marry anyone you want."

Jayce's jaw tightened, but he kept walking. In the small storage room, he closed the door and pulled out his phone. Three missed calls from someone named "R.H." and two messages.

First message: "Sir, the Tokyo deal is finished. Thirty billion transferred to your account. Walker Global Technologies is now the biggest tech company in Asia."

Second message: "Emergency. The Governor's wife needs the Miracle Healer. They're offering twenty million for the surgery. Should I accept?"

Jayce typed back quickly: "Accept. I'll be at Memorial Hospital at dawn. And R.H., increase security. Something feels wrong."

He put his phone away and lay down on the small cot. The room smelled like old boxes and cleaning supplies. But Jayce had slept in worse places. During his years of medical training in the mountains with Master Chen, he had slept on cold stone floors while learning the ancient healing arts that made him the legendary Miracle Healer.

His phone buzzed again. A new message from an unknown number: "I know who you are, Jayce Walker. I know about Walker Global Technologies. I know about the Miracle Healer. Meet me at Green Park tomorrow at noon, or I'll tell everyone your secret. - A Friend"

Jayce stared at the message. Someone had found him out. But who? And how?

He heard footsteps outside his door. Then Hailey's voice, talking on her phone.

"Yes, Damson, I can meet you tomorrow. No, my fake husband won't know anything. He's too stupid to notice. We can have lunch at the Plaza Hotel, just like old times."

The footsteps walked away. Jayce closed his eyes. Hailey was meeting Damson Cole. The man she really loved. The man she wanted to marry.

His phone vibrated one more time. Another message from R.H.: "Sir, we have a problem. Someone named Stephen Winchestar just landed in the city. He's asking questions about the Walker family. He's dangerous."

Jayce sat up quickly. Stephen Winchestar. That name made his blood run cold. Stephen was the man who destroyed Jayce's family ten years ago. The man who killed Jayce's parents. The man Jayce had been hunting for years.

And now Stephen was here.