Nathan turned back to Grace, his expression softening slightly as he spoke. “What’s going on, Grace? Why were you begging these people?”Grace took a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s Brian, sir. He’s sick. The doctors said he needs surgery, and it will cost five hundred thousand dollars. I—I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”Nathan’s jaw clenched, and Bianca’s eyes widened with anger. “So you came to them?” Bianca asked, glancing at the family with disgust. “You came here, to these people?”Grace nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I didn’t know what else to do. They're Brian’s grandparents. I thought—” She swallowed hard. “I thought they might help.”Nathan’s gaze shifted back to the family, his eyes burning with cold fury. “So you knew she was desperate, and instead of helping, you humiliated her?”Thomas, shaking with fear, tried to step forward again. “Lord Cloud, please, it’s not like that...”Nathan took a step closer to him, his eyes never leaving his
The moment Grace’s ex-family fully understood what was going on, they knew they had to donate something to at least try and save face. Thomas, once the proud patriarch who had mercilessly rejected her without even a second thought, now looked shattered. His face paled as the realization dawned that he had allowed a woman with powerful connections to slip through his fingers. Elaine, still nursing her bleeding lip, glanced at her husband with panic in her eyes. Their eyes met, and in that moment, **they both immediately knew that they had made a grave mistake.** Without warning, Thomas dropped to his knees and pleaded with desperation. “Grace… please,” he begged, his voice trembling as he crawled toward her, with his hands out. “We were wrong. We… we didn’t understand. Please forgive us.” Elaine also followed, kneeling beside her husband, her face wet with tears. “Grace, my dear,” she pleaded, her voice shaking. “We were blinded by grief… by our son’s death. We didn’t me
As Grace left the doctor’s office, she felt so happy.Brian, her baby, was going to be fine.Everything was finally falling into place. Brian was going to get the surgery, and for the first time in years, she would still have over a million dollars to her name.She clutched her phone tightly, ready to transfer the funds and make it official.She walked back toward the waiting room, her hands still shaking from how tense today **had been**.After everything she had been through, after all the suffering and fear, this moment felt good—almost too good to be true.She had secured Brian’s future. She had been saved by a man she barely knew a few months ago, someone most people in Prescott would do anything to have a relationship with, but he had extended his hand to her, of all people.Just as she was about to sit down and begin the transfer, her phone buzzed. Startled, she glanced down at the screen. It was an unknown number. Hesitating for only a moment, Grace answered the call.“Hello?”
Grace wiped her eyes as she struggled to stand.She was rejoicing a few moments ago, but now she was full of despair, and her entire body felt weak. She had no idea how she was going to face Brian now.How could she tell him that the money was gone?That the surgery he so desperately needed might never happen?She wiped her face with the back of her hand, she was shaking but she had to composex she had to stay strong for her son. Grace walked slowly to Brian's ward, she had to be there for her son at least. Each step felt heavier than the last; she was weighed down by so much despair.She stood in front of Brian's ward for a moment. She hesitated as she could hear him inside, talking quietly with one of the nurses. His innocent voice sounded tired but hopeful.Grace took a deep breath before opening the door. As she stepped inside, Brian’s face lit up when he saw his mom.His eyes were filled with concern, as he could see his mommy's face was full with despair. “Mummy, what happe
vsGrace sat on the cold hospital floor, her body trembling as she continued to cry. There was no way out. Suddenly, she could hear a loud voice from the television mounted in the corner of the hallway. Grace didn’t pay attention at first, but something about the tone of the announcer’s voice caught her attention. She blinked through her tears, slowly looking up at the TV screen. Her gaze went to the headline at the bottom, which read, “Nationwide Scam: Thousands of Victims Report Entire Savings Stolen in OTP Fraud.” Grace’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart raced as she wiped her eyes and focused on what the news reporter was saying. “This just in,” the announcer said in a grave voice, “Thousands of people across the country have fallen victim to a widespread scam involving fraudulent phone calls claiming to be from banks.” "Victims report receiving calls where they were asked to provide one-time passwords for supposed account verification.” "Upon doing so, the
Grace stood up, having made up her mind. She had to do this for Brian. She didn’t have any other choice. She started walking down the hallway, her mind focused on one thing. She had to get to that building. She didn’t know what she would do once she got there, but it was better than staying here hopelessly. As she reached the hospital’s exit, she nearly ran into Dr. Matthews. He had left her to check on a patient but hurried back as soon as possible. “Grace?” he said, concern etched on his face. “Where are you going?” “I—I have to go,” Grace stammered, her voice shaky but determined. “I saw the news. There are other victims—people just like me. They’re all gathering in front of the company that took the money for my baby's surgery.” "I have to go. I can’t just sit here.” Dr. Matthews frowned, "Grace, I understand you really want your money back, but are you sure going there is the best option?" “You’re already under so much stress, and Brian needs you here
The crowd immediately lunged forward, their faces twisted with anger and desperation. As Darius stepped forward, the mob pressed forward with arms reaching out and their fists raised, trying to rip him apart. People lunged, desperate to touch him, to claw at him, to make him feel the suffering he had inflicted. But the guards were ready, their faces hardened as they lifted their weapons. The first line of people who dared get close was met with brutal swings of metal pipes and bats, the impact on their bones heard loud and clear. A woman near the front reached out, her fingers almost brushing Darius’s suit before a guard struck her hard across the face. She staggered back, blood trickling from her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and pain. Another man tried to break through; he roared and cursed Darius, but the guard swung a bat into his ribs, and he fell, clutching his side, gasping for breath. The crowd retreated in fear and horror. Grace watched in stunned silence,
As Darius strode away from the crowd, he continued to giggle and laugh, mocking the helpless people who stood there in chilling silence. The guards held their weapons at the ready, daring anyone to move. The crowd instinctively parted, creating a path for Darius, who did not even spare the hopeless people a glance. Slowly and arrogantly, he made his way to his luxury car, a sleek black vehicle. One could say he used the money he got from the scam to purchase it, since Lord Cloud burned down every one of his cars. The crowd murmured quietly but angrily. They didn’t dare look directly at him, and those who did quickly averted their eyes. Grace stood among them, trembling. Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat; her chance to save her son's life was slipping away. She felt powerless, surrounded by people too terrified to act; they were so paralyzed by their fear. Grace felt a desperation unlike any she’d ever known. Then she saw it: Darius was alm