The Hidden Billionaire

CHAPTER 12

This was his father's favorite piece of calligraphy, but he never expected his dad would take it out and give it away so casually. Usually, his father would only admire it for a few minutes when he was alone. Andrew looked at Thomas with a mix of emotions. To his surprise, Thomas made a jaw-dropping move. He nodded calmly, accepted the artwork, rolled it up, and tucked it into his jacket as he was about to leave. Andrew couldn't believe that something so valuable was being treated so lightly.

He couldn't help but glance at Thomas with a puzzled expression. This guy did things his way. But then again, Well, rich people are weird sometimes.

As Thomas was about to leave the private room, Mr. Keira stopped him again.

This is a small token of appreciation premium membership card to our hotel. Please accept it," he said hurriedly, and pulling a card from his pocket to hand to Thomas. Thomas casually nodded and accepted the gesture. Seeing this, David’s eyes lit up with excitement. Ever since Mr. Keira arranged this meeting, he has been keeping an eye on the project. As he thought about this. Thomas wasn't too concerned about the situation; he wanted to wrap up this meeting quickly. He accepted whatever was offered to him without hesitation. Mr. Keira, noticing the expression on Thomas's face, felt a surge of excitement. He never expected this young man to possess such determination. He thought to himself

That he needed to get to know someone like him.

"If you ever come to our hotel for a meal, make sure to bring this VIP card..."

Seeing Mr. Keira ramble on endlessly, Thomas grew impatient. He nodded and interrupted him.

"Alright, I get it."

Mr. Keira quickly nodded in agreement. Although he was a middle-aged man much older than Thomas, he showed great respect in front of him. Thomas was dressed simply, looking like a busy worker from the streets, while Mr. Keira wore an expensive suit, yet he appeared humble in Thomas's presence. If anyone happened to pass by at that moment, they would surely be surprised and even more curious about Thomas's true identity.

Thomas frowned slightly and said to Mr. Keira, "I don't want anybody to know of my true identity.

Do you understand?"

Mr. Keira nodded vigorously, earnestly assuring Thomas, "Don't worry. Our hotel has excellent confidentiality measures, and I guarantee that I won't reveal any of your private information."

Mr. Keira was taken aback but quickly realized that Thomas's mysterious nature and the fact that the outside world had not discovered him over the years likely aligned with his low-key approach to business. He nodded eagerly and said, "You can count on me, I'll keep my mouth shut." Seeing that Mr. Keira finally understood, Thomas felt relieved and turned to leave.

David couldn't help but say as he followed closely behind, "Young Master, you handled this matter exceptionally well. I can see you're becoming more and more decisive. You could head home anytime to inherit the family fortune." Thomas listened to David's incessant chatter and couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose. This guy seemed to be hoping for him to return and claim his inheritance at every moment.

"Alright, I've got some things to take care of, so I won't be going with you," Thomas said, casually making up an excuse. He was sure that if he went back with David, the old man would try to fill his head with more nonsense about going to the company to resume his position.

After saying this, Thomas quickened his pace and headed straight for the hotel entrance. However, just as he reached the door, he unexpectedly bumped into his wife, Ava. Thomas was taken aback, and at that moment, Ava and her colleagues spotted him too.

"What are you doing here?" Ava asked, frowning as she looked him up and down. Her husband still looked as shabby as ever. Before Thomas could respond, a greasy, overweight man squeezed in, looking at Thomas with a disdainful smile.

"Mrs. Bailey, what's your husband doing here? He isn't working here, is he?"

Thomas calmly glanced at him. He recognized this guy as the manager of Ava’s company, who often crossed the line with her. Thomas had secretly taught him a lesson before, and since then, the man had held a grudge against him. Today was a perfect opportunity for him to humiliate Thomas, and he wasn't going to let it slip by.

Thomas replied nonchalantly, "I'm just here to meet one of my student parents." At this, Ava’s colleagues burst into laughter, looking at Thomas with contempt.

"I told you a poor guy like him couldn't afford such a fancy hotel," they scoffed, shaking their heads in disdain as they looked at Thomas. "Oh, I see! I thought you had flown up the branches and turned into a phoenix, suddenly becoming someone completely different. Now, Mrs. Bailey can finally enjoy some comfort," Luis Kofflick said with a smirk.

At his words, the expressions on the faces of those around shifted, their eyes glinting with mischief as they sized up Thomas and began to chuckle.

"Mrs. Bailey, I heard that your husband doesn't even earn as much as you do. Isn't it true that you're the one supporting the family?" one of them asked, a teasing tone in their voice.

"Of course it's true! I heard he teaches at some fancy academy, but his salary isn't even enough to cover a meal out," another chimed in.

"Oh my goodness, he sounds like a

'stay-at-home husband.' If it were me, I would have kicked him to the curb long ago. What's the point of keeping someone like that around?"

Ava’s face turned a deep shade of anger as she listened to the gossip swirling around her. She had been in a good mood until this guy had ruined it all. Her eyes shot daggers at Thomas, and she couldn't help but snap, "What are you still doing here? Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Hey, don't go! Today is a big day since your wife is treating everyone to dinner. You're practically the assistant host too, so you can't leave now! Come on, we've already met, let's all go eat together," Luis said, stepping forward and feigning friendliness as he grabbed Thomas's arm, his intentions far from innocent. He was eager to see how Thomas would handle this situation. Ava frowned, her face clouded with frustration. This useless coward had embarrassed her yet again. When they finally reached the bar to get seated, a smiling waitress turned them away. "I'm sorry, but we're fully booked today."

At that moment, a stunning woman stepped out from the crowd, her voice dripping with disbelief. "How can you be fully booked? This is such a large hotel, you can't possibly have no space for us to eat!"

Zia Dante might not have been as beautiful as Ava, but she certainly knew how to draw attention with her bold demeanor. Zia felt much younger and more promising than Ava, but she never expected that the Director position would be snatched away by Ava. From that moment on, she secretly harbored a grudge against her and vowed to compete with her.

Today, with such an opportunity to take Ava down a peg, how could she let it slip away?

With a sly smile, she turned her gaze and approached Luis, pressing her soft body against his arm. She began to sweetly plead, "Manager, I don't care. I just want to eat here today.

Can't you think of something? Besides, Mrs. Bailey is treating us out of goodwill. We can't let her down by not having a table!"

Luis furrowed his brow, feeling a bit troubled by Zia's words. Although he wanted to impress the beautiful woman in front of him, this five-star hotel was just like some upscale clubs-only the truly affluent could afford to dine here. Just getting a membership card requires spending over a hundred thousand dollars. As the general manager of the company, he was, after all, just an employee. Seeing Luis troubled expression, Thomas realized he was at a loss. Suddenly, he remembered the membership card that Mr. Keira had given him earlier. He recalled him saying something about using it when dining out.

Thomas spoke up, "I have a membership card. I'm not sure if it'll help, but maybe you can use it."

His words were met with laughter from the group.

"What! Do you have a membership card?

Do you even know that getting one costs at least a million? Do you think a worker like you could get a membership card?"

"Mrs. Bailey, I didn't know you were secretly a wealthy lady! Why do you work so hard then?"

"If he has a membership card, then I'll treat everyone today. I wouldn't mind at all." Ava furrowed her brow as she listened to the chatter around her. She shot a cold glare at the man in front of her. While others might not know how much he was worth, his wife, certainly did. How could she not be aware of when Thomas had gotten a membership card?

Could it be that he was trying to show off here on purpose?

With that thought, Ava felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead as she nervously watched Thomas. She shot him another fierce look, hoping he would tone it down a bit. To her surprise, Thomas pulled a membership card out of his pocket.