The Billionaire Hidden in Plain Sight

Chapter Eight

Liam rode his bicycle through the familiar streets, the afternoon sun warm on his back. When he arrived home, he could hear raised voices before he even opened the door.

He parked his bicycle and walked inside.

The living room was packed with Harper family members again. Margaret sat in her usual spot at the center, her face twisted with fury. Tara stood in front of her, head bowed, tears streaming down her face.

"You INCOMPETENT FOOL!" Margaret's voice rang through the house. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"Grandmother, I didn't know—" Tara sobbed.

"You didn't know?" Margaret's laugh was harsh and cruel. "You bragged about your boyfriend! You promised us a partnership with Titans Global! And now he's been FIRED and we're left with NOTHING!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Tara wailed. "Patrick said—"

"I don't care what that useless man said!" Margaret slammed her hand on the armrest. "You ruined our chance! Our ONE chance to secure a partnership with the most powerful company in the region!"

Victoria stood near the stairs with Emma, both of them watching the scene unfold. Victoria's face was pale with worry. Emma looked exhausted, her arms crossed defensively over her chest.

Liam quietly moved to stand in the corner, trying not to draw attention.

"What are we going to do now?" one relative asked nervously.

"We're finished," another moaned. "Without Titans Global's support, the company will collapse within months."

"Maybe we can find another connection?" someone suggested weakly.

"To Titans Global?" Margaret scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. They're A-tier! Companies like that don't just partner with anyone!"

Tara's younger brother, Marco, suddenly jumped to his feet, staring at his phone. "Wait! WAIT! Everyone, look at this!"

The room fell silent.

"What is it?" Margaret demanded.

"Titans Global just posted something!" Marco's voice was shaking with excitement. "A new announcement! Just now!"

Everyone immediately pulled out their phones, fingers flying across screens.

"Oh my God," someone breathed.

"Is this real?" another voice asked.

Victoria grabbed her phone with trembling hands. Her eyes went wide as she read. "A five-star hotel project... open bidding... all construction companies can submit proposals..."

The room erupted in chaos.

"This is it!" someone shouted. "This is our chance!"

"A five-star hotel! The contract must be worth millions!"

"Titans Global is accepting bids from EVERYONE!" Marco was practically bouncing. "We can actually compete for this!"

Margaret stood up slowly, her sharp eyes gleaming with renewed calculation. "Silence!" she commanded.

The room immediately quieted.

"This changes everything," Margaret said coldly. "We have a new opportunity. A real one." Her gaze swept across the room before landing on Emma. "And whoever secures this contract will become the new company president."

Emma straightened. "Grandmother—"

"No arguments," Margaret interrupted. "This is the final test, Emma. If you want to keep your position, you'll have to win this contract yourself. No help. No advantages. Just your own abilities."

"That's not fair!" Victoria protested. "Tara had Patrick helping her! Why should Emma have to do this alone?"

"Because Tara FAILED!" Margaret snapped. "And because Emma claims she can handle everything by herself." She turned back to Emma. "Well? Can you?"

Emma's jaw tightened. "Yes. I can."

"Good." Margaret sat back down. "You have one week to prepare your proposal. The bidding presentation is next Friday."

Victoria pulled Emma aside, whispering urgently in her ear. "Daughter, you have an advantage! Ethan ! He said his family has connections with Titans Global! Use him!"

Emma's expression was conflicted. "Mother, I don't want to—"

"I don't care what you want!" Victoria hissed. "This is about survival! Call Ethan ! Tell him you'll reconsider his proposal if he helps you win this contract!"

"I'm not going to prostitute myself for a business deal," Emma said coldly.

"It's not prostitution, it's strategy!" Victoria grabbed her arm. "Please, Emma. Don't be stubborn. Think about the family!"

Before Emma could respond, Tara's cousin Mark shouted from across the room. "Hey! Everyone! There's more news!"

"What now?" Margaret asked irritably.

"It's about Titans Global's owner!" Mark's eyes were glued to his phone. "People are saying the mysterious owner is finally going to reveal his identity!"

The room went silent again. Everyone leaned forward with interest.

Liam frowned. When had he ever planned to reveal himself? He'd specifically told Nina to keep everything quiet.

"Where did you hear this?" Margaret demanded.

"Social media!" Mark turned his phone around to show the screen. "Ethan  Morgan just posted it! He says he has close ties with Titans Global's owner and that the man is going to appear publicly soon!"

Victoria gasped. "Ethan  knows the owner?!"

"That's what he's claiming," Mark confirmed.

Everyone started talking at once, their voices overlapping with excitement.

"This is incredible!"

"If Ethan  really knows the owner—"

"Emma, you have to call him!"

Liam sighed quietly. Ethan  was lying, obviously. The man was probably trying to boost his own reputation, claiming connections he didn't actually have. Someone must have fed him false information.

"Wait, wait!" another voice called out—Tara's sister, Sophia. "There's a photo! Someone took a picture outside Titans Global headquarters today!"

"Let me see!" several people crowded around her phone.

"It's blurry, but you can definitely see something," Sophia said, zooming in on the image. "That's definitely President Nina Leonardo  . And she's... bowing? To someone?"

"Who is it?" Margaret demanded, pushing her way through the crowd.

"I can't tell," Sophia squinted at the screen. "The photo quality is terrible. But you can see the outline of a man. He's standing there, and she's bowing to him like he's... I don't know, like he's royalty or something."

Everyone stared at the photo, trying to make out details in the grainy image.

"Zoom in more," someone suggested.

"I'm trying, but it gets even blurrier," Sophia complained.

"What's that next to him?" Mark pointed. "Is that... a bicycle?"

"A bicycle?" Tara laughed incredulously. "The owner of Titans Global rides a bicycle? That can't be right."

"Maybe it's not his," someone else suggested. "Maybe it just happened to be in the frame."

Victoria squinted at the photo over Sophia's shoulder. "The man's build... his height..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Nothing, it's just..." Victoria shook her head. "Never mind."

But Marco had noticed something. His eyes kept darting between the phone screen and the corner where Liam stood silently.

"Wait a second," Marco said slowly. "Look at the man's posture. The way he's standing. And his hair..."

"What are you talking about?" Tara snapped.

Marco's eyes widened. He looked at Liam, then back at the phone, then at Liam again.

"Why does that man look so much like Liam?" Marco said loudly.

The entire room went deathly silent.

Every head turned to stare at Liam.

Then the room erupted in laughter.

"Are you INSANE?" Tara cackled. "Liam? The owner of Titans Global?"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" someone else howled.

"Liam can't even afford a car! He rides a rusty bicycle!" Mark was doubled over laughing.

"The resemblance is just a coincidence," Margaret said dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous, Marco."

But Marco was still staring at Liam with a confused expression. "But the height is exactly the same. And the build. And even the way he's standing..."

"Enough!" Victoria snapped. "Stop making foolish comparisons! Liam is a nobody! A useless live-in son-in-law! He could never—"

"Actually," Liam said quietly.

Everyone stopped laughing.

Liam hadn't planned this. He'd hoped to keep his identity secret for longer. But he hadn't seen the photo, and if his face was captured on camera, there was no point in continuing the charade.

He sighed and stepped forward into the light.

"Seems there's no hiding it anymore," Liam said calmly, his eyes meeting each person in the room. "I am the mysterious owner of Titans Global Holdings."

The silence that followed was absolute.