Underrated Secret Billionaire

Chapter 9: When Pride Is Tested

After everything that had happened that evening, Jalen knew he couldn’t linger any longer. 

Standing beside Sonia under the soft glow of the garden lights, he offered a small, tired smile. 

"Thank you for everything tonight," he said, his voice low, heavy with the exhaustion he could no longer hide. 

The night air was cool, carrying with it the faint scent of rain and flowers. Sonia, who had been silently hoping he would ask to stay longer, shifted slightly on her heels. 

"You could come to my place," she said quietly, almost shyly. "Rest a little. Clear your head." 

Jalen looked at her, seeing the genuine concern hidden beneath her poised exterior. For a moment, he considered it. It would be easy, slipping into a warm, welcoming space, allowing someone else to share the weight he carried alone. 

But he couldn’t. 

He needed space. He needed the silence of loneliness, the kind that would allow him to wrestle his thoughts without distraction. 

With a soft but firm shake of his head, Jalen declined. "Not tonight, Sonia. Thank you, but I need to be alone for a while." 

He caught the flicker of disappointment that clouded her eyes, a quick flash before she masked it with a graceful nod. She didn’t push.

She only watched as he gave one last nod of gratitude and turned, disappearing into the cool night. 

Walking through the sleeping city, Jalen kept his hands buried deep in his pockets, his mind restless. 

Tonight had been a harsh reminder. 

He was tired. Tired of being looked at as if he didn’t belong. Tired of living in the shadows of other people’s success stories, even when he knew, deep down, he had paved the road for some of them. 

It was time to start treating himself the way he deserved. 

No more dim lights. No more hiding. No more cheap hotels in rundown streets. 

His steps grew firmer as he headed straight toward the Orion Hotel — the crown jewel of the city’s hospitality scene. A seven-star palace, reserved only for the untouchable elite. 

The building loomed above him, its sleek glass exterior catching the city lights and throwing them back like a thousand tiny suns. Inside, the marble floors gleamed like rivers of cream, and the air smelled of fresh lilies and silent wealth. 

He stepped through the grand revolving doors, drawing a few subtle glances from the sharply dressed guests lounging in the lobby. 

At the front desk stood a receptionist, dressed immaculately in a navy-blue uniform, her hair pulled into a severe bun. 

Jalen approached calmly, shoulders relaxed, clothes simple but clean. The day’s battles had left a faint wrinkle here and there, but he still carried himself with a kind of quiet pride that no fabric could diminish. 

The receptionist barely spared him a glance. Her eyes, sharp and judging, skimmed him from head to toe in less than a second. 

Without even checking the computer, she gave a rehearsed smile, the kind that barely touched her eyes, and said, "Good evening, sir. I’m sorry, but all our rooms are fully booked." 

Jalen frowned slightly, sensing immediately that something was off. 

The lobby was not full. In fact, it was unusually quiet for such a bustling place. 

He kept his voice polite but firm. "Are you sure? Could you kindly check the system?" 

The woman’s smile froze a little. She tapped lazily at her keyboard, making a show of it, before repeating her claim. "All rooms are taken, sir." 

Before Jalen could respond, the heavy glass doors swung open behind him. 

A rotund man with a loud laugh stormed into the lobby, his arm wrapped possessively around the slim waist of a stunning young woman in a red sequined dress. 

Their presence was like a thunderclap — loud, showy, demanding attention. 

They swaggered straight to the desk, not sparing Jalen even a second glance. 

"We need your finest suite," the man declared loudly, his words slurred slightly, betraying the alcohol in his veins. 

The receptionist, the same woman who moments ago had sworn there were no rooms available, lit up like a Christmas tree. 

"Of course, sir!" she chirped, bending over her computer with exaggerated eagerness. 

Within seconds, she was handing them a golden keycard, her face a study in servile sweetness. 

Jalen watched the scene unfold, a slow, bitter anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. 

He stepped forward, his voice cutting through the fake laughter around him. 

"I thought you said there were no rooms available?" 

The receptionist’s hands froze over the counter. 

For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then, panic flashing in her eyes, she straightened and raised her voice unnecessarily, drawing attention from all corners of the lobby. 

"Sir, please do not cause a disturbance!" she barked sharply. "I will have to call security if you do not leave immediately!" 

Several heads turned, guests pretending to be discreet while openly watching the unfolding drama. 

Jalen stood his ground, his face unreadable. 

Before he could utter another word, the fat man turned toward him with a loud snort of laughter. 

"Ah-ah, my brother," the man jeered, shaking his belly as he laughed. "You think you can find a room here? With this your ordinary jacket and sad face? huh?" 

The girl clinging to his arm joined in the mockery, tossing her silky hair and wrinkling her nose as if Jalen’s very presence offended her. 

"This one probably thought Orion was a place to eat pizza and drink cheap beer," she said loudly, earning a round of snickers from a few nearby onlookers. 

Jalen’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t move. 

Pride wouldn’t allow him to beg. Anger wouldn’t allow him to explain. 

He simply stood there, letting the wave of humiliation wash over him like a man used to enduring storms. 

It was at that moment that a middle-aged man appeared from the back office. 

He wore a crisp black suit, his face polished into the perfect mask of hospitality. The gold tag on his breast pocket announced him as the Manager. 

He walked briskly to the front desk, took one look at the scene unfolding, and gave a quick, almost invisible signal. 

Immediately, the security guards stationed around the lobby moved. 

They surrounded Jalen with mechanically, like a hyena circling its prey, forming a tightening circle, their faces blank but their message very clear: Leave. Now. 

Jalen inhaled deeply, feeling the familiar, ugly sting of injustice pricking at his chest.