The Secret Billionaire Heir

Chapter 8

THIRD PERSON'S POV

For a moment, the entire place was silent.

Then the room exploded with laughter. The sound came from every direction at once.

Some of the wealthy guests laughed openly. Others shook their heads in disbelief. Even people who had remained neutral until now looked amused by Jake's declaration. To them, it sounded ridiculous.

A man who had shown up wearing bloodstained clothes and looked like he had barely survived the worst day of his life was claiming he could destroy a powerful banking executive.

Damien leaned back comfortably in his chair. His confidence returned immediately.

"You?" Damien asked with a chuckle. "Bankrupt me?"

Several guests laughed even harder.

Jake didn't react. His calmness only made the laughter continue longer.

One of Emily's relatives shook his head

"This is unbelievable."

Another guest smirked "I don't think he understands who he's talking to."

Hunter burst out laughing "You've completely lost your mind."

Jake looked at him "Have I?"

Hunter rolled his eyes dramatically "Do you even know who Mr. Stewart is?"

Jake shrugged "Does it matter?"

The answer immediately triggered another round of laughter. Several people nearly choked on their drinks.

Emily's father stared at Jake as if he were looking at a crazy person.

"Does it matter?" he repeated "Of course it matters."

Emily's mother folded her arms smugly "You really have no idea what kind of person you're dealing with."

Jake remained silent.

Emily stepped forward. Since the divorce, she had seen Jake desperate, heartbroken, humiliated, and defeated. She had never seen him like this, and that bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

Still, she forced herself to laugh.

"Fine." She pointed toward Damien. "Since you apparently don't know, let me educate you."

The room went quiet a little.

Emily smiled. "Mr. Damien Stewart is a senior executive at Golden Crest International Bank."

The words carried weight. Several guests nodded immediately.

Golden Crest was one of the most respected financial institutions in the world. Just being associated with it commanded respect. Holding a senior executive position there placed Damien among the city's most influential figures. He was filthy rich.

Emily folded her arms proudly "Now do you understand?"

Jake looked at Damien, then he looked back at Emily.

Still, his expression didn't change, not even a bit.

"Not really." He said casually.

The room froze briefly, then more laughter erupted.

Hunter slapped the table "This guy is unbelievable."

Emily's father shook his head "He's suicidal."

Damien smiled. The confidence in Jake's eyes should have annoyed him. Instead, it entertained him.

People rarely spoke to him this way. Most people were intimidated before he even opened his mouth but Jake wasn't. That made him interesting.

Emily stared at Jake carefully. Something felt wrong. She knew Jake. The Jake she knew would never openly challenge someone like Damien. He certainly wouldn't do it while completely outnumbered, yet here he was, calm and confident.

The whole thing made her uncomfortable.

Emily pushed the feeling away.

"No." She shook her head firmly. "This has gone far enough."

Everyone looked toward her. Emily pulled out her phone.

"I honestly never imagined you'd become this reckless." She said  "Arguing with me is one thing. Picking a fight with Mr. Stewart is another."

Jake didn't respond. Emily continued.

"You're openly provoking one of the most powerful people in this country. I think it's time security removed you."

Emily dialed on her phone. Kathy immediately tensed. Fear crossed her face. She didn't want Jake getting hurt again, not after everything that had already happened.

"Jake..." she whispered anxiously.

But before Emily could complete the call, Damien raised a hand.

The room fell silent.

Emily paused "Mr. Stewart?"

Damien smiled "Put the phone away."

Emily frowned "But-"

"I said put it away." His voice remained calm.

Emily immediately obeyed. Nobody wanted to argue with Damien Stewart.

The executive turned toward Jake and smiled wider

"You know what?" He leaned forward. "I'm actually curious."

Jake raised an eyebrow.

Damien chuckled "I want to see how far you're willing to take this."

The room became attentive again. The wealthy guests looked interested The situation had transformed into entertainment.

Jake stared at Damien for several seconds.

Then he nodded "Fine."

Without another word, he turned around. Everyone blinked in confusion. Even Kathy looked surprised.

"Jake?" she called.

Jake glanced back briefly and said "I'll be right back."

Then he walked out, closing the door behind him.

The moment he disappeared, people started murmuring.

"What is he doing?"

"Has he finally come to his senses?"

"Maybe he's leaving."

"No chance."

Meanwhile, Jake walked through the luxurious hallways of the Grand Meridian Hotel.

The image of Kathy’s bleeding feet wouldn't leave him alone.

When he finally reached the hotel lobby, he found a quiet corner and made a call.

The line connected after only two rings.

"Jake?"

Victoria Carter's voice came through clearly.

He sighed in relief. "Victoria."

She noticed something was wrong.

"What happened?" she asked.

Jake took a slow breath "My sister has been sold as a sex slave"

For a second, Victoria didn't respond.

"What?" she shrieked.

"She was desperate to raise money for our mother's surgery and someone arranged for her to be handed over to a wealthy executive."

Victoria sounded genuinely shocked "Are you serious?"

"Very."

"Who bought her?"

Jake didn't hesitate "Damien Stewart. He’s an executive at your bank"

The silence that followed was different. This time, it wasn't shock. It was recognition. Victoria knew exactly who Damien Stewart was. After all, he worked for her bank.

"Stay on the line," she said "I'm running a check now"

The sound of typing came through the phone. Several seconds passed, then minutes.

"Looks like you're not the first person with complaints about Damien Stewart."

Jake frowned "What does that mean?"

More typing followed. Then Victoria spoke again.

"An internal investigation was already underway."

Jake's eyes widened "What?"

Victoria sounded disgusted "He’s been doing a lot of awful things - financial misconduct, abuse of authority, even multiple ethics violations."

Victoria continued reading "Apparently several complaints were submitted over the last few months."

"Then why was he still working?"

"The investigation needed evidence. It looks like they found enough."

Victoria typed again then said.

"Damien Stewart has already been terminated."

Jake froze "What?"

Even he hadn't expected that.

 "That fast?" Jake asked.

Jake was surprised because things like this don’t happen too quickly. Dismissals take time.

“The investigation is already finished." She said “It concluded tonight. He isn't just fired, Jake. He’s being held personally liable for damages resulting from his misconduct."

Jake exhaled slowly. For the first time since entering the hotel, some of the anger inside him eased.

That was good, very good. People who hurt others shouldn't simply walk away.

"Where are you right now?" Victoria asked.

"The Grand Meridian."

"With Damien?"

"Yes."

Victoria laughed "Then I suggest you go back to him. Because if he just received the notification I think he received..."

She paused.

"...you're about to witness a very interesting reaction."

Jake couldn't help the smile on his face. After everything that had happened today, that sounded almost satisfying.

"Thank you." He said.

"Anytime."

The call ended.

Jake slipped the phone into his pocket. Then he headed back toward the elevators.

A few minutes later, Jake reached the private suite again. The hallway outside remained crowded with security personnel and hotel staff.

The moment he entered, he sensed something was different. The atmosphere had changed completely. The laughter was gone. The confidence was gone. The smug energy that had filled the room earlier had vanished.

The suite was silent, dead silent. Everyone stood frozen. Nobody was drinking. Nobody was laughing. Nobody was talking.

Damien Stewart still sat in his chair. The man's face had gone completely pale.

His hands trembled. His held his phone tightly. A thin layer of sweat covered his forehead. His breathing was heavy.

The confident executive from twenty minutes earlier had disappeared entirely.

Jake immediately knew that the notification had arrived.

Around him, the guests looked stunned. Hunter looked confused. Emily's father looked worried. Emily's mother appeared frightened.

And Emily herself…..Emily looked like she couldn't understand what she was seeing. The man she had spent the entire evening trying to impress looked terrified.

The ballroom doors clicked shut behind Jake. The sound drew everyone's attention. Every head turned toward him.

Damien slowly lifted his eyes. The fear in them was obvious.

Her voice sounded shaky "Jake..."

Emily swallowed hard. Then she asked the question everyone was thinking.

"How?"

Everyone stared at him.

And as Jake stood there calmly while Damien trembled in his chair, every person in that luxury suite realized the same thing.

They had badly underestimated him.