The Billionaire Heir's Revenge

Chapter 5: The Woman Who Knew His Secret

The ballroom remained in complete silence.

No one dared speak.

No one dared laugh.

The atmosphere had completely changed.

Only minutes ago, many people had viewed Ethan Blackwell as an unknown outsider.

Now they looked at him as if he were a king.

Lucas Vaughn stood frozen.

His face was pale.

Sweat dripped down his forehead.

His phone rang again.

And again.

And again.

Each call delivered worse news.

Major shareholders were selling.

Banks were suspending credit lines.

Investors were abandoning the company.

Within minutes, the Vaughn Group's stock price had begun collapsing.

Lucas could barely breathe.

"This..."

"This isn't possible..."

Ethan calmly set down his wine glass.

"Business can be cruel."

Lucas clenched his fists.

"You did this."

Ethan smiled.

"Do you have proof?"

Lucas opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because he had none.

Absolutely none.

Yet everyone knew.

The moment Lucas challenged Ethan, disaster had struck.

The coincidence was simply too perfect.

Finally, Lucas lowered his head.

His arrogance had completely vanished.

For the first time in his life...

He tasted fear.

Meanwhile, whispers spread across the ballroom.

"Blackwell Global is terrifying."

"They destroyed Vaughn Group in minutes."

"This new chairman is ruthless."

"I heard he was hiding his identity for years."

"Who would dare offend him?"

The crowd began looking at Ethan differently.

Not merely with respect.

But with caution.

The kind reserved for dangerous people.

Across the ballroom.

Sophia stood motionless.

Her eyes remained fixed on Ethan.

The memories came flooding back.

She remembered the rainy nights when he waited outside her office with an umbrella.

She remembered the countless meals he prepared.

She remembered every birthday he celebrated.

Every anniversary.

Every small act of kindness.

Back then, she had taken everything for granted.

She believed Ethan would always remain by her side.

No matter how she treated him.

No matter how cold she became.

Now...

He didn't even look at her.

The realization hurt more than she expected.

"Regretting it already?"

A cold voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Damien.

Sophia frowned.

"Don't start."

Damien laughed bitterly.

"You're staring at him."

"No, I'm not."

"You are."

Damien's eyes darkened.

"Don't forget."

"You're marrying me."

Sophia remained silent.

And that silence infuriated him.

At that moment—

The ballroom doors opened once more.

A hush spread through the crowd.

Everyone turned.

Then froze.

A breathtaking woman entered.

She wore a silver evening gown that shimmered under the crystal lights.

Her long black hair flowed elegantly over her shoulders.

Her beauty was enough to silence an entire room.

Even the women couldn't help staring.

The newcomer walked gracefully through the crowd.

Several young heirs immediately tried to approach.

She ignored all of them.

One billionaire's son stepped forward confidently.

"Miss, may I have the honor—"

She walked past him.

Without even glancing his way.

Another tried.

Same result.

Then she stopped.

Directly in front of Ethan.

The entire ballroom watched.

The beautiful woman smiled.

A genuine smile.

One that instantly brightened her stunning face.

Then she said something that shocked everyone.

"I finally found you."

Ethan frowned slightly.

"Do I know you?"

The woman laughed softly.

"Not yet."

Then she extended her hand.

"My name is Isabella Kingsley."

The room exploded.

Everyone knew that name.

The Kingsley Family.

One of the wealthiest families in the world.

A family powerful enough to rival nations.

Yet their precious princess was standing before Ethan.

And smiling.

Sophia's face immediately changed.

For some reason, seeing Isabella smile at Ethan made her chest tighten.

Damien's expression became ugly.

Very ugly.

Meanwhile, Ethan shook Isabella's hand.

"Nice to meet you."

Isabella's eyes sparkled.

"Is that all?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"What else should I say?"

She laughed.

The sound was pleasant and refreshing.

"I like you already."

The crowd nearly fainted.

Countless young heirs looked heartbroken.

The ice-cold princess of the Kingsley Family had just openly expressed interest in a man.

And that man was Ethan.

Sophia unconsciously clenched her fists.

Without realizing it.

Inside a private lounge upstairs.

Several powerful figures watched the ballroom through hidden cameras.

One of them was Leonard Pierce.

Another was Sebastian Cole.

The others were directors of Blackwell Global.

A gray-haired director suddenly spoke.

"Young Master is adapting quickly."

Leonard nodded.

"He has natural leadership."

Another director frowned.

"The business world isn't his biggest problem."

"What do you mean?"

The director pointed at Isabella's image on the screen.

"Her arrival isn't a coincidence."

Sebastian's expression changed.

"You know something?"

The director hesitated.

Then nodded.

"The Kingsley Family rarely acts without reason."

"And Isabella never attends events like this."

Silence filled the room.

Finally, Leonard asked:

"What are you suggesting?"

The director took a deep breath.

"Perhaps..."

"The late chairman arranged something before his death."

Everyone exchanged serious glances.

Back downstairs.

The banquet continued.

Ethan and Isabella were speaking casually.

Sophia could no longer focus on anything else.

The sight bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

Then her phone suddenly vibrated.

A message appeared.

It was from her company's finance department.

Sophia opened it.

Her face instantly turned white.

"What happened?"

Damien asked.

Sophia looked up slowly.

"The bank rejected our emergency loan."

"What?"

Damien grabbed the phone.

His expression changed immediately.

"This can't be right."

The loan was crucial.

Without it, Hart Group would face a serious cash-flow crisis.

Damien quickly made a call.

No answer.

Another call.

No answer.

A third call.

Still nothing.

Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Then he finally understood.

Someone had intervened.

Someone powerful.

Someone capable of influencing multiple banks.

His eyes slowly moved toward Ethan.

At that moment, Ethan happened to glance in his direction.

Their eyes met.

Ethan smiled.

A calm smile.

A harmless smile.

Yet Damien felt a chill run down his spine.

For the first time...

He began to realize the terrifying gap between them.

And somewhere far away, in a hidden office inside Blackwell Global Headquarters—

A confidential file was placed on a table.

On the cover were two words:

PROJECT PHOENIX

Beneath it was a photograph.

A photograph of Ethan as a child.

And written in red ink were the words:

"The Heir Has Returned."

The game that had begun years ago was finally moving into its next stage.