His Billion-Dollar Secret

Chapter 9

"Are you sure about this plan, boss?"

Leonard stood in the mansion's security room, looking at the monitors showing every corner of the property. Jayce's plan was risky, maybe too risky, but Leonard knew better than to argue when Jayce had that determined look in his eyes.

"I'm sure," Jayce said, checking the weapons Leonard had prepared. "Stephen thinks he's walking into a helpless situation. He thinks with Rose arrested, the family will be weak and scared. He doesn't know we're ready for him."

"What about Hailey? She should leave with the FBI."

"She won't go. I already tried." Jayce smiled a little. "She says married people face danger together."

"She's braver than I thought."

"She's stronger than anyone thought. Including herself."

In the living room, Hailey was talking to her grandfather. Old Master Barker had woken up and demanded to know what was happening. When Hailey told him everything about Rose's arrest and Stephen's plan, the old man's face showed no surprise.

"I knew your mother was trouble from the day your father brought her home," the old man said sadly. "But I never thought she would go this far. I'm sorry, child. You deserved a better mother."

"I'm sorry too, Grandfather. Sorry I didn't listen to you about Jayce. You were right about everything."

"No, I was right about one thing. Jayce is a good man. But you discovered that on your own. I'm proud of you for changing your mind when you learned the truth. Many people are too stubborn to admit when they're wrong."

A servant brought Old Master Barker his medicine, but he pushed it away. "No more medicine. I need to be clear-headed today. Stephen Winchestar is coming, and I want to see his face when he realizes he's lost."

"Grandfather, you should rest—"

"Rest? I've been resting for months! Today, I fight!" The old man's eyes had fire in them again. "That monster killed my son. He tried to destroy my family. And he thinks I'm too weak to stop him. Well, he's about to learn that a Barker never gives up!"

Upstairs, Leonard's team was getting into position. There were twelve of them total, all highly trained in combat and security. They wore normal clothes so Stephen wouldn't know they were there. Some pretended to be servants. Others pretended to be gardeners. One even pretended to be a food delivery person, which made Jayce laugh.

"Ironic," Jayce said. "I spent six months pretending to deliver food. Now we're using it as a disguise to catch Stephen."

"Life has a sense of humor," Leonard agreed.

Agent Jason Cross and his FBI team were hidden in the houses across the street. They would watch through cameras and move in only if things went wrong. Jason didn't like this plan, but he agreed it was the best way to catch Stephen with solid evidence of attempted kidnapping.

At eleven thirty, a black van pulled up to the street corner. Leonard's team spotted it immediately.

"Boss, we have movement. One van, can't see inside because of tinted windows."

"That's just the scout team," Jayce said. "Stephen will send people to check if it's safe before he comes himself."

Sure enough, three men got out of the van and walked toward the mansion. They looked like normal visitors, but Leonard's trained eyes noticed the bulges under their jackets. Guns.

The three men rang the doorbell. A servant answered, one of Leonard's team members disguised as the butler.

"Can I help you gentlemen?"

"We're here to see Rose Barker. We have an appointment."

"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Barker is not available today. She had to go out on urgent business."

The three men looked at each other. "What kind of business?"

"I'm not at liberty to say, sir. Would you like to leave a message?"

"No. We'll wait."

The fake butler looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure that's appropriate, sir. Perhaps you could come back another day?"

"We'll wait," the man repeated, his voice harder now. He and his friends pushed past the butler and walked into the house.

Leonard watched from the security room. "They're in. Three hostiles in the main hall."

"Let them look around," Jayce said. "They'll report back to Stephen that everything seems normal."

The three men walked through the house, pretending to admire the paintings and furniture. But they were really looking for security cameras and guards. They found the cameras easily, but they didn't find any guards because Leonard's team was too well hidden.

After ten minutes, the men left. They got back in the van and drove away.

"They're leaving," Leonard reported. "Wait, I'm getting a phone signal intercept. One of them is calling someone."

Through their equipment, they heard one side of the conversation:

"Yeah, boss. The house looks clear. Just servants and the old man. No sign of extra security... The mother is gone, they said some kind of business... I don't know, seems normal... Okay, we'll meet you at the location."

The call ended. Leonard looked at Jayce. "Stephen's coming."

"How long do we have?"

"Fifteen minutes, maybe twenty."

Jayce went to find Hailey. She was sitting in her father's old study, looking at family photos. Photos of happier times, before her mother's betrayal, before she knew the truth about everything.

"It's almost time," Jayce said softly from the doorway.

"I know." Hailey put down the photo she was holding. It showed her as a little girl, sitting on her father's shoulders while he smiled at the camera. "Jayce, if something goes wrong today—"

"Nothing will go wrong."

"But if it does, I want you to know something." Hailey stood up and walked to him. "I was wrong about you. About everything. You're not a gold digger or a loser or any of the mean things I called you. You're brave and kind and... and I think I'm starting to have feelings for you. Real feelings."

Jayce looked surprised. "Hailey—"

"I know it's probably too late. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness after how I treated you. But I needed to tell you before..." She didn't finish the sentence.

"Before nothing," Jayce said firmly. "We're both going to be fine. And after today, after we stop Stephen, maybe we can start over. Do this marriage right, like we should have from the beginning."

"You'd want that? Even after everything?"

"I married you to protect you, yes. But somewhere along the way, I started to care about you. The real you, not the spoiled girl who yelled at me. The woman who cries at sad movies and feeds stray cats and paints beautiful pictures." Jayce smiled. "So yes, I'd want that."

Hailey hugged him tightly. "Please be careful today."

"I will. I promise."

Leonard's voice came through Jayce's earpiece. "Boss, they're here. Five cars. Looks like Stephen brought an army."

Jayce and Hailey went to the window. Outside, five black cars had pulled up to the mansion. Men in suits got out, at least twenty of them. And walking in the middle of them all was Stephen Winchestar, smiling like he'd already won.

"Show time," Jayce said.

The doorbell rang. This time, Jayce answered it himself. He opened the door and looked Stephen right in the eyes.

"Hello, Stephen. Right on time."

"Hello, Jayce. Are you ready to pay what you owe?"