The Betrayed Billionaire

Chapter 2

The first thing Ray felt was pain.

A deep, burning ache spread through his chest, his ribs screaming with every shallow breath. His face throbbed, his skin stung, and his body felt heavier than stone.

For a moment, he thought he was still lying on the pavement, bleeding into the night. But then came the faint smell of antiseptic. The quiet hum of machines. A soft light overhead.

He forced his eyes open.

The ceiling above him was not a hospital’s, but smooth, expensive wood with golden lines carved across it. The bed he lay on was no stretcher, it was silk-lined, firmer than any hospital bed could ever be. A heavy blanket covered him, warm and clean.

He blinked, confused. "Where..." His voice was rough, and weak.

"You’re safe, Sir."

Ray turned his head slowly. Beside him stood a tall man in a black suit, broad shoulders filling the space like a wall. His expression was sharp, his tone steady. Behind him stood another, younger man, also in a tailored suit. Both of them radiated authority.

Ray knew their faces. He had chosen them himself years ago.

"Daniel," Ray rasped. "And Matthew."

The older man, Daniel, gave a small nod. "We got to you in time. Another few minutes and the damage could’ve been worse."

The younger man, Matthew, stepped closer, lowering his voice. "They thought you were finished, sir. They left you for dead."

Ray’s jaw tightened. He closed his eyes briefly, Lisa’s voice ringing in his ears. You’re nothing, Ray. You’ve always been nothing.

Nothing.

If only she knew.

Slowly, he sat up, ignoring the sharp stab of pain in his ribs. "Where are we?"

"In one of your safe houses," Daniel answered. "No one can reach you here. Only trusted men know of this location."

Ray nodded faintly. Of course. Every empire needed shadows to move in. And his empire... his empire was bigger than any of them could imagine.

He leaned back against the pillows, his breathing steadying. "Lisa thinks she’s won. She thinks she’s taken everything from me."

Matthew clenched his fists. "She humiliated you, Sir. In front of her family. In front of her guards. And she used your daughter against you."

The mention of Aurora was like twisting a knife in Ray’s chest. He closed his eyes, seeing her little face, her frightened eyes, her tears.

His hand shook slightly as he gripped the blanket. "Aurora... I have to get her back. She’s the only thing that matters."

Daniel placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "You will, Sir. But not yet. You’re too valuable to risk rushing in blindly."

Ray opened his eyes, fire burning within them. "Valuable." He gave a bitter laugh. "To Lisa, I was weak. Worthless. A liability."

Daniel’s expression hardened. "Lisa doesn’t know who you really are."

Ray’s lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. "No one does. And that’s how I built everything. In silence. In the shadows."

He paused, his gaze drifting toward the floor-to-ceiling window across the room. Beyond the glass, the city stretched in glowing lights, alive and restless. Every skyscraper, every company lit up in the night, most of them owed their survival to him. They just didn’t know it.

"She thinks I’m nothing," Ray whispered. "But in truth... they all depend on me."

Matthew stepped forward, lowering his voice. "Sir, we should alert the boards. One word from you and Oakfords won’t last a week."

Ray shook his head slowly. "Not yet. Revenge isn’t a knife you stab with instantly. It’s a rope. You pull it tighter, day by day, until they choke on their own arrogance."

Silence filled the room for a moment. Only the hum of the machines broke it.

Daniel cleared his throat. "What will you do first?

Ray stared out at the city, his eyes narrowing. "I’ll heal. I’ll prepare. And then, I’ll make her watch as everything she worships crumbles."

His hands trembled slightly, but not from weakness.

Matthew’s jaw tightened. "She used your daughter as a weapon. That cannot stand."

Ray turned, his voice hard. "Aurora is mine. She belongs with me. And no force on earth will keep her away forever."

Daniel exchanged a glance with Matthew before speaking carefully. "There’s something else you should know, Sir."

Ray raised a brow. "What is it?"

Daniel hesitated. "Word is already spreading that you were humiliated. Rumors are moving through the city’s business circles. Lisa has told people you signed the divorce papers willingly. That you..." He hesitated and gulped. "Begged."

Ray’s entire body went still.

Begged?

The woman who had torn his soul apart was now painting him as a weak man in front of the world.

Slowly, Ray swung his legs off the bed. His body screamed in protest, but his mind was sharper than ever. He stood, shaky but upright, his fists clenched.

"Then let them believe it," he said coldly. "For now. Let them laugh. Let them mock me. Because when I strike back, they won’t see it coming."

Daniel and Matthew both bowed their heads slightly. They had seen Ray like this before. Calm. Controlled. Dangerous.

Ray limped toward the window, every step heavy with pain, but his posture unbroken. He placed a hand against the glass, gazing at the empire beyond.

Lisa thought she had destroyed him. But what she didn’t know was that he held the strings to almost every tower of power in that city.

And soon, those strings would tighten.

The door opened quietly, and another man entered the room. He wore a black suit as well, his face stern. In his hands was a tablet.

"Sir," he said, approaching with a bow. "A report came in. The Oakford Empire is finalizing a new deal tomorrow morning. They’re celebrating. Lisa will be there."

Ray didn’t turn his gaze from the window. His reflection stared back at him, battered, bruised, but alive.

"Let them celebrate," he said softly. "Let them enjoy their last victory. Tomorrow, we begin."

The man placed the tablet down and stepped back.

Ray’s breathing steadied. His eyes burned. His jaw clenched.

In that moment, there was no trace of the broken man who had been thrown onto the pavement hours earlier.

There was only the man the world never knew, but would soon fear.

Raymond Carter. Hidden trillionaire. Silent ruler.

And now, a father with nothing left to lose.

The silence of the room grew heavy. Daniel finally broke it. "Sir, what’s the first move?"

Ray turned slowly, his bruised face carved with steel.

"The first move," he said, his voice calm and deadly, "Is to remind the world that I was never nothing. I am everything."

And with those words, the fire in his eyes promised destruction.