The undercover billionaire

Chapter five

“Mr. Price… the payment is gone.”

Arthur opened his eyes. “What?”

“The three million you paid was transferred out to another account.”

He shot up. “What are you talking about?!”

“We checked. The registered emergency contact on the patient’s file is still Mrs. Racheal Harris. Her mother withdrew the funds remotely using hospital authority rights.”

Arthur was devastated.

Immediately his phone beeped again. This time it was a voice message.

Mrs. Linda’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“You really thought you could hide money from us, Arthur? After everything we did for you? How selfish! Our daughter suffered with you for three years while you lived off us like a parasite. And now you suddenly steal our money without offering to compensate us? You’ll learn, Arthur. That’s your punishment. If you were smart, you would have stayed on your knees.”

Arthur froze. It was always the same. No matter what he did, no matter how low he bent, they wanted him lower still.

Dr. Christina stepped forward, her brows furrowed. “What’s happening, sir?”

Arthur’s voice cracked. “They took the money. Again.”

The doctor looked shocked. “They… transferred it from the hospital?”

Arthur nodded weakly. “She’s still listed as an emergency contact. So, I suppose they used it.”

Dr. Christina’s face darkened. “I’ll file a complaint,” she said. “But that won’t change anything now. You need to pay again. Immediately.”

“How long does she have?”

“Not more than twenty hours. Her condition is deteriorating. If she doesn’t get proper care soon… she won’t last long.”

Arthur thanked her and left the hospital, numb.

His hands were shaking again— not from fear this time, but from rage.

Arthur’s fingers trembled around his phone as he dialed a number. The call connected.

“Hello?” The harsh, familiar voice of Mrs. Linda came through.

“Why did you do it?” he asked calmly, his tone low and tense. “Why did you take the money I paid to the hospital?”

There was a pause. Then a scoff.

“Oh, so now you have the guts to speak to me?” she sneered. “You’ve been stealing our money and you think we wouldn’t find out? You’ve been hiding money from us while our daughter suffered three years of public shame because of you?”

Arthur’s jaw tightened. He remembered the day Madam Aiyun had begged the Harris family to honor the marriage contract. Back then, he had thought Mrs. Linda might grow to respect him if he endured quietly. Instead, she grew to despise him more with every passing day.

“I didn’t steal anything. The money is mine. I just received it a few hours ago. I used it to pay the hospital to save my mother’s life.”

“That woman?” Mrs. Linda spat. “That old woman isn’t even your real mother! And you’re throwing millions away on her? Are you out of your mind?”

The venom in her voice wasn’t new. Mrs. Linda had always spoken as though money gave her the right to judge human worth. In her eyes, Arthur was nothing more than a stray dog taken in by her late father-in-law’s will.

“She raised me. She’s more of a family than your entire family has ever been to me.”

“You’re a disgrace,” she snapped. “Be a man, Arthur. Solve your problems by yourself. Don’t come crying to us anymore.”

Her words carried the bitterness of years spent regretting her father-In-law’s contract. It was not Arthur himself she hated, it was the reminder that her family’s pride had once bowed to an outsider.

Before she could say another word, Arthur ended the call with a trembling thumb. He stared at the screen for a moment, then he turned and walked away from the hospital gates.

This time, his pace was steady, silent, and focused. He wasn’t going to call anyone. He wasn’t going to beg anymore. Instead, he was going back to the bank.

The GoldSpring Bank was still busy when Arthur arrived, but he no longer felt small walking through the glass doors.

A few staff members recognized him. The young woman at the front desk who had once mocked him quickly looked away. Guilt flushed her cheeks, not because she pitied him, but because she feared she had offended a man whose wealth she had underestimated.

He went straight to the private counter.

The same bank manager, Mr. Wilson, was speaking with a couple in suits. When he noticed Arthur, he immediately stepped away and approached.

“Mr. Price,” he said, bowing slightly. “Welcome again.”

Arthur remembered how, just the previous night, he had been treated like dirt in the Harris villa. Now even bank managers lowered their heads for him. The contrast cut him deeply, reminding him that in this city, respect was sold for wealth, not earned by kindness.

“I want to make a cash withdrawal,” Arthur said quietly.

“Of course. Please, come this way.”

They led him to the private room with dark leather chairs and polished glass tables.

Inside, Arthur sat down. “I want the money in cash.” He said.

Mr. Wilson blinked. “That’s… quite a bit. May I ask how much?”

“$5,000,000,” Arthur said.

“Right away, sir. Please give us a moment to prepare.”

Mr. Wilson hurried out, his forehead damp. Years of managing the bank had taught him to recognize one thing clearly: wealth was power. If he handled this man correctly, Arthur Price could become the bank’s most important client.

While he waited, Arthur sat silently, staring at the table. His reflection in the glass looked tired. But his eyes no longer held the same fear they once did.

He was beginning to understand the world he had just stepped into. His enemies weren’t just people with harsh words. They were people with power. And they had already taken too much from him.

He was done playing the fool.

Within twenty minutes, the cash was brought in neatly packed briefcases, with armored security beside it.

Arthur signed the documents carefully.

Mr. Wilson handed him the receipt with both hands. “Everything is here, sir. Would you like us to send a car to escort you?”

“No need,” Arthur said. “Just get me a cab outside.”

“As you wish.”

When he walked out carrying the two cases, the same people who had looked down on him before were now looking at him with awe.

Even the young woman at the reception desk stood and bowed slightly as he passed. A single mistake before the right client could end her career.

But Arthur didn’t look back. He walked straight outside, where a black taxi had been prepared for him.

He got in and the cab pulled away from the curb. Arthur leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and put on an expressionless face.

This time, no one would touch his money. And no one would stop him from protecting the only person who mattered.