The Secret Billionaire Heir

Chapter 3

THIRD PERSON’S POV

Jake stared down at the opened pendant in his hand.

There was a tiny family photograph under the note. It showed a much younger Jake standing between his parents on a sunny afternoon at a beach. His mother had her arms wrapped around both him and his father while Jake grinned widely at the camera.

His chest went tight. The photo alone almost broke him.

His fingers shook as he picked up the note. He immediately recognized the handwriting before he even unfolded it. It belonged to his mother.

The note read:

“Happy Birthday, Jake.

You were so excited about cryptocurrency this year that you wouldn’t stop talking about it for months. I honestly didn’t understand half the things you said, but I loved seeing how passionate you were. So I bought some for you as a surprise. Your father laughed at me because I kept asking the young man at the store too many questions, but I wanted to get it right.

I hid the password here because I thought it would be fun if you discovered it one day.

No matter what happens in life, never forget that your father and I love you more than anything.

”

Jake’s breathing became uneven. He read the note again, then again.

The words blurred as tears filled his eyes.

He remembered that phase of his life clearly. He/d been obsessed with anything concerning crypto back then. He’d talked endlessly about digital currencies. His mother had barely understood it yet she had still listened to him with complete attention every single time.

And somehow… she had secretly bought cryptocurrency for him.

Jake stared at the letters and numbers written beneath the note. It looked like some sort of password.

His heart started pounding harder.

“What if…” he whispered to himself.

He shoved the pendant into his pocket, then he pulled out his phone. He quickly searched for the cryptocurrency platform written in the note.

The website loaded slowly.

Jake’s pulse kept racing in his chest while he entered the password exactly as his mother had written it. For a second, he thought it would fail. He was already preparing himself for disappointment when the page suddenly refreshed.

To his surprise, an account appeared on the screen.

Jake frowned in confusion at first, then his entire body froze.

The balance displayed on the screen looked impossible.

He blinked repeatedly.

“No…” he whispered.

The numbers remained there.

His eyes widened as realization slowly hit him. The cryptocurrency his mother had purchased years ago had exploded in value.

Jake stared at the amount with total shock. The amount was hundreds of billions of dollars.

The phone nearly slipped from his hand. His mind couldn’t process what he was looking at.

It felt fake. It felt like one of those internet scams designed to trick desperate people.

“What the hell…” he breathed shakily.

His head spun.

Only hours ago, he had been kneeling on the floor begging Emily for one hundred thousand dollars. He had humiliated himself in front of an entire room full of strangers just to save his mother’s life. And now this?

This couldn’t real. There was absolutely no way this was real.

His hands shook as he converted a small portion of the holdings into cash. The transaction completed almost instantly. Then another balance appeared beneath it.

He still had billions left.

Jake covered his mouth. His entire life had changed in less than ten minutes.

But even then, he was still suspicious. Maybe the website was fake. Maybe none of this money actually existed outside the screen.

He needed confirmation immediately.

With that thought, Jake hurried out of the hospital.

-

Jake got to Golden Crest International Bank.

The building glowed outside. There were a bunch of luxury cars at the entrance while security guards stood outside in dark suits. This was a bank for the elite.

Jake looked completely out of place. His shirt was still stained with dried blood. His hands were cut and bruised.

One of the guards frowned immediately when Jake approached.

“Sir, the bank is closing,” the guard said.

“I need someone to verify an account balance,” Jake replied.

The guard looked doubtful. His eyes moved over Jake’s appearance again before he finally sighed.

“Fine. Go inside.” He muttered.

Jake entered the building.

The inside looked even more luxurious than the exterior. The floors were marble and the ceiling was filled with crystal chandeliers. Employees in expensive suits moved around.

Several people looked at Jake. Some looked confused. Others looked uncomfortable.

Jake ignored them all and walked straight toward the reception desk.

A young woman behind the counter forced a polite smile. “Good evening, sir. How may we help you today?”

“I need to verify funds in an account,” Jake said.

She nodded “Do you have identification?”

Jake handed it over. The woman typed for several seconds before her expression changed slightly.

She froze completely and her fingers stopped moving. Jake noticed the color drain from her face.

“Sir…” she said slowly, “please wait one moment.”

She stood up so quickly her chair nearly tipped backward.

Jake watched her hurry toward a nearby office.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man came out. His name tag identified him as “Daniel Reeves, Branch Manager”.

He had an irritated expression at first but that look disappeared the instant he reviewed the account information on the tablet in his hands.

The man went pale…..actually pale.

“Sir…” Daniel said “Could you please come with me?”

Jake followed him into a private office upstairs.

The room was huge. It had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline. Daniel shut the door behind them.

“I need to verify something personally,” Daniel said.

The manager entered several passwords into his computer system. Then suddenly Daniel stopped moving.

He slowly looked up at Jake with an expression somewhere between shock and fear.

“The funds are legitimate,” he whispered.

Jake stared at him.

Daniel swallowed hard. “Sir… do you understand that you are currently one of the wealthiest individuals on earth?”

Jake felt dizzy again. His heart was racing harder now.

“I… I need to make a call,” Daniel said hurriedly.

Before Jake could respond, the man picked up his phone and called someone. The conversation was quick.

Then Daniel straightened his tie nervously and turned back toward Jake.

“Sir, our global CEO is on her way personally.”

Jake blinked in shock “The CEO?”

“Yes, sir.”

Less than twenty minutes later, the atmosphere inside the bank completely changed.

Employees stood straighter. Security increased around the building. The entire staff suddenly looked tense. Then, the elevator doors opened.

Jake looked up.

A woman stepped out surrounded by several assistants and security. She looked to be in her early thirties. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and elegant. Her black suit fit perfectly, and every movement she made carried a powerful aura.

Daniel bowed his head respectfully. “President Carter.”

The woman’s eyes landed on Jake. To his shock, she smiled.

“Mr. Jake Harper,” she said smoothly. “I’m Victoria Carter, global CEO of Golden Crest International Bank.”

Jake stood awkwardly. He didn’t know what to say.

His bloodstained clothes suddenly felt even more embarrassing in front of someone this polished.

But Victoria showed absolutely no disgust toward him. Instead, she extended her hand.

“It’s an honor to meet you.” She said.

Jake shook her hand slowly, still stunned.

Victoria guided him into the private office personally. Once seated, she spoke to him.

“I reviewed your account before arriving,” she said calmly. “Your assets are extraordinary.”

Jake chuckled. “I still feel like I’m dreaming.”

“That reaction is understandable,”

One of her assistants stepped forward carrying a black velvet case. Victoria opened it.

There was a sleek black and gold card in the case. It was unlike anything Jake had ever seen.

“This is the Golden Sovereign Card,” Victoria explained “Only nine individuals in the world currently possess one. You are now the tenth.”

Jake stared speechlessly at the card. He couldn’t believe this was happening. His entire life truly had changed.

Victoria slid the card toward him “Welcome to a very different world, Mr. Harper.”

Jake picked up the card slowly. For a moment, he thought about Emily again, about her laughter, about her telling him he was worthless. The memory no longer hurt the same way. Now it felt cold, very cold.

Then suddenly his mother’s face came to his mind.

Jake got up and gasped “The hospital.”

Victoria blinked in confusion.

“My mother needs surgery,” Jake said urgently. “Right now.”

Victoria nodded. “We’ll prepare immediate transfers if needed.”

But Jake was already moving. He shoved the card into his pocket and rushed out of the office.

The entire bank staff watched him leave in stunned silence but Jake barely noticed any of them.

His heart pounded violently while he took a cab straight to the hospital.

His whole body was pumping with adrenaline. He was relieved at the same time.

His mother was going to live. Everything was finally going to be okay.

When Jake to her hospital floor, he froze.

He heard a furious voice echoing through the corridor.

“Who authorized this?!” the person shouted.

Several nurses stood nearby looking frightened while a man in a gray suit screamed at a doctor near his mother’s room.

The doctor looked exhausted and angry.

“She’s in critical condition,” the doctor argued firmly. “Removing life support now could kill her.”

“And who’s paying for it?” the supervisor snapped “You? That family is broke, completely broke.”

Jake’s chest tightened. He was stunned.

The doctor clenched his jaw. “I became a doctor to save lives.”

The supervisor laughed cruelly.

“Save lives?” he mocked. “This is a business, not a charity.”

Then suddenly, the man slapped the doctor. The sound echoed through the hallway.

Jake’s eyes widened. Several nurses gasped in horror.

“You don’t make decisions here,” the supervisor snapped. “I do.”

The doctor’s cheek turned red instantly, but he still stood his ground.

The supervisor turned toward several security men behind him.

“Drag the patient out,” he ordered coldly. “Remove all support equipment immediately.”