THE BILLIONAIRE THEY NEVER SAW COMING

CHAPTER 4

“Where... am I?”

Javier’s voice came out rough and raw, as if every word cost him a bit of his strength.

“You’re in my mansion,” replied Valeria, seated beside him.

With a raised, delicate brow and a smile that mixed amusement with a hint of condescension, she continued, “I found you bleeding in an alley, and I couldn’t leave you there bleeding to death.”

Javier’s hand flew to his head, expecting a wound of his recent ordeal, only to find unblemished skin.

“That’s weird, I remember a strike,” he murmured, confusion flickering in eyes that usually burned with quiet resolve.

Yet there were no wounds to be seen.

“You were hit,” Valeria confirmed. “I even took you to the hospital, but they said you were fine—no serious injuries. So I brought you here to keep an eye on you until you wake up.”

Javier’s gaze shifted to her, noticing that behind her teasing tone lay a spark of curiosity.

“Then I owe you my thanks.”

“You do,” she replied, tapping a perfectly manicured finger against her chin.

“But I expect more than gratitude. I need an explanation. It’s not every day I rescue a half-dead man with no marks to show for it.”

“It was just a bruise from a misunderstanding—a trivial scuffle,” he explained, his tone betraying a strange mix of nonchalance and lingering pain.

Valeria’s eyes lingered on him, as if trying to decode a hidden message in his silence.

“Once again, thank you for saving me,” Javier added softly.

But Valeria’s silence spoke volumes. Disappointment tugged at her—Javier hadn’t recognized her as his fiancée, despite the years that had passed.

Yet she swallowed her sadness, convincing herself that his detached manner was simply the residue of a near-fatal encounter.

She needed to tell him her true identity.

Before more could be said, Javier rose from the bed.

“What are you doing?” Valeria called after him.

“I’m fine. I need to leave,” he stated, already heading for the door.

“No!” Valeria’s voice rang out in alarm. “You must rest until your condition stabilizes.” She lunged toward him, but as she reached out, a sudden, searing pain shot through her chest.

Clutching her heart, she collapsed in an instant.

“Miss!”

Javier cried out as he spun around at the crash, shock gripping him at the sight of Valeria sprawled on the gleaming marble floor.

A nearby waiter shrieked for help, adding to the chaos.

Moments later, the door burst open. A man in a crisp doctor’s coat strode in, his face etched with urgency.

“Take these, my lady,” he barked, shoving a small bottle of pills and a glass of water into her hands.

With practiced ease, despite her pallor and labored breathing, Valeria swallowed the medicine.

Javier gently laid her back on the bed, studying her with an intensity that betrayed his usually cool demeanor.

“Miss, are you alright?” he asked, noting the signs of a long-term illness etched on her pale features.

With a weak nod, she murmured, “Yes… it happens often.”

Javier frowned. “It’s angina, isn’t it? Incurable, they say.”

Catching her breath, Valeria admitted, “Even the best doctors can’t explain it. They only know to prescribe painkillers and hope for the best.”

But beneath Javier’s calm exterior, something ancient stirred—a torrent of forbidden knowledge, arcane techniques, and alchemical symbols whispering a hidden cure.

“I can cure you,” he declared in a low, steady tone.

Before Valeria could reply, the doctor scoffed. “You? A man from nowhere?” he sneered.

Valeria’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“For your safety, my lady, we checked out who he is when you take this man back,” the doctor retorted sharply. “And I found nothing impressive. This man is no doctor—he’s a fraud trying to get close to you.”

“I never claimed to be a doctor,” Javier countered evenly.

“Oh, let me guess,” the doctor mocked, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Magic? Herbs? Should I start lighting incense and summon the ancestors?”

Ignoring the doctor’s derision, Valeria leaned forward, her interest piqued. “Then tell me—what exactly is your method?”

Javier met her gaze squarely. “Something ancient and potent. A technique that works when modern medicine fails.”

After a long, charged moment of silence, a sly smile broke on Valeria’s lips. “Fine. If you can cure me, you’ll be richly rewarded.”

“My lady,” the doctor protested indignantly, clearly scandalized.

“Step aside,” Valeria ordered coolly. “I want to see what he can do.”

Javier maintained his composure under the scrutinizing eyes. “Then lie down,” he instructed softly.

Valeria did as she was told.

She knew Javier, he wasn't a con artist or someone who would do anything underhanded to gain an advantage.

So, she chose to try to trust him.

“You need to take off your shirt,” Javier instructed, rolling up his sleeves.