The Secret Billionaire Heir

Chapter 7

Jake's eyes locked onto Kathy instantly. The sight nearly broke him. His little sister stood in the middle of the ballroom, half naked. She looked exhausted. Her face was pale. Her legs trembled visibly. Her makeup had been ruined by tears. Strands of hair clung to her damp forehead.

And when he looked lower, his blood ran cold. There was blood on her shoes.

His little sister had literally danced until her feet bled….for their mother.

For a second, Jake couldn't breathe. The entire room seemed to disappear. All he saw was Kathy, his little sister - the girl who had spent all night trying to save their mother.

Now, she stood bleeding in front of a crowd of wealthy strangers who treated her suffering as entertainment.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

The music had already stopped, but now even the soft background noise of conversation had disappeared completely. Every guest watched the unfolding scene with curiousity. Wealthy people loved drama, especially when it involved humiliation, and family conflict.

Jake stood near the entrance with fury burning inside him. His chest hurt. It physically hurt.

Slowly, his eyes moved toward Emily. The anger in his eyes became so cold that even several nearby guests felt uncomfortable.

"How dare you?" Jake asked quietly.

Emily raised an eyebrow.

His voice suddenly rose "How dare you sell my sister?"

Several guests exchanged awkward looks. Others leaned forward eagerly. Nobody wanted to miss what happened next.

Emily didn't look ashamed, not even slightly. Instead, a small smile appeared on her lips.

Emily crossed her arms. "Sell her? I never forced anyone to do anything."

Emily pointed toward Kathy "Your sister came here herself."

The words hit him unexpectedly. For a moment, Jake froze. Then he slowly turned toward Kathy.

He looked at her in disbelief.

"Kathy?" His voice cracked slightly.

Kathy immediately lowered her head. Fresh tears fell down her cheeks. The sight made Jake's stomach twist painfully.

When she finally looked up, her eyes were completely red.

"It's true." She whispered "I came willingly."

Jake felt his heart sink.

"Kathy..."

Kathy's voice shook as she continued "It was the only way." More tears rolled down her face "I didn't know what else to do."

Jake stared at her. Every word hurt. Every word felt like another knife twisting deeper into his chest.

Their mother had always protected them. She had worked herself exhausted to raise them after difficult years. She had sacrificed constantly without ever complaining. And now her daughter had been driven to this, because nobody would help them, because people like Emily had laughed while their family suffered.

Around them, some of the guests looked uncomfortable now. A few even appeared ashamed. Not all of them, though. Some still watched with amusement, especially Damien Stewart.

He leaned back comfortably in his chair while observing everything with a smile.

Meanwhile, Kathy continued crying.

"I thought..." she whispered. "I thought maybe if I just endured it for one night..."

She couldn't finish. The humiliation was too much.

She lowered her head completely. Then she said the words that shattered Jake's heart.

"Please leave." She said.

Jake blinked. "Kathy?"

She shook her head "I don't want you seeing me like this."

Kathy wasn't crying because of physical pain. She wasn't crying because of exhaustion. She was crying because she was ashamed - ashamed that her brother had seen what she'd been forced to do.

Jake closed his eyes briefly. The anger inside him became heavier and drker.

When he opened them again, he looked toward Damien. The executive smiled wider. To Jake's disgust, Damien actually seemed delighted.

"Wonderful." Damiel laughed.

The older man slowly applauded. The sound echoed through the room.

Several people looked shocked. Others immediately joined in awkwardly.

Damien laughed. "This is exactly what I love to see."

Jake stared at him in shock.

The man continued smiling. "Devotion."

He lifted his wine glass casually "A daughter willing to do anything for her mother." His eyes moved toward Kathy. "That kind of determination is rare these days."

Jake's fists clenched in anger. The older man wasn't praising Kathy. He was enjoying her suffering.

Unfortunately, Emily saw an opportunity too. A slow smile spread across her face. She stood gracefully from her chair.

She looked directly at Jake.

"You know," she said softly, "I always told you I'd satisfy you. I kept my promise."

She gestured toward Kathy "There she is."

Jake felt physically sick. The cruelty behind those words stunned even him.

Emily continued calmly "So now you can make your choice."

Jake narrowed his eyes "What choice?"

Emily smiled "Your sister or your mother."

The silence that followed felt loud. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.

The meaning behind her words was obvious. Emily believed Kathy was still their only hope. She believed Jake would have to choose whether to stop Kathy and lose the money or allow her humiliation to continue. The thought seemed amusing to her.

Jake stared at Emily. Then, he laughed. It was a cold laugh, a bitter laugh. It was the kind of laugh that came from complete disappointment.

Emily frowned, feeling confused. She expected him to beg.

Jake shook his head slowly as he spoke "You really aren't human."

Emily's expression stiffened.

Jake's eyes moved across the room. He looked at Emily, then Hunter, then Emily's parents, then Damien. Finally, he looked back toward Kathy.

His voice softened immediately "Kathy."

She slowly lifted her tear-filled eyes.

Jake smiled gently. It was the first genuine smile she'd seen from him all day.

"You can come home." He told her.

Kathy looked confused.

"What?" she whispered.

Jake took a step toward her "It's over."

The entire room frowned. Nobody understood. Even Damien looked puzzled.

Jake kept his eyes on his sister "You don't have to stay here."

Kathy blinked repeatedly. Fresh tears gathered in her eyes again.

"I don't understand."

Jake's voice remained calm "I already paid all the medical bills”

There was silence, complete silence. It was almost as if the entire ballroom had stopped functioning. Even the air seemed frozen.

Kathy stared at him in shock. Emily stared at him. Even Damien stared at him.

Nobody spoke.

 "What?" Kathy whispered.

Jake nodded. "The surgery has been paid for."

Emily's expression slowly changed. Shock appeared first, then confusion, then disbelief.

Emily laughed "Oh please."

Jake didn't react. Emily shook her head.

"You expect anyone to believe that?" she said cruelly.

Her voice became mocking. "Just a few hours ago, you were literally kneeling in front of me begging for money."

Several guests glanced toward Jake curiously.

Emily continued speaking "You couldn't even raise one hundred thousand dollars, and now you're claiming you've paid everything?"

She laughed again. "What happened?" Her tone dripped with sarcasm. "Did money suddenly fall from the sky?"

Hunter laughed too. Their parents joined him. Even a few guests smirked. The story sounded ridiculous.

Jake understood why. Honestly, if someone had told him the same thing yesterday, he wouldn't have believed it either.

Jake looked directly at Emily "I'm not lying."

His calmness irritated her.

Emily crossed her arms "Then prove it."

Jake shrugged "I don't need to prove anything."

That made her even angrier, because confident people didn't usually argue. Confident people didn't usually explain. They simply stated facts, and Jake looked completely confident.

Emily suddenly felt uneasy. The feeling annoyed her.

"You expect us to believe you're suddenly rich?" she snapped.

Jake didn't answer.  He looked at Damien Stewart.

The older executive was still sitting comfortably, still smiling, still treating everything like entertainment.

Jake's expression became colder. Damien noticed.

Damien raised an eyebrow "Do you have something to say to me?"

Jake nodded. "Actually, yes."

The room immediately became attentive again.

Damien laughed "Then speak."

Jake looked directly into his eyes. The confidence in his voice surprised everyone. Jake sounded absolutely certain.

"If I wanted to," Jake said calmly, "I could make you bankrupt tonight."