Chapter 5

Ten years. I'd had countless opportunities to come back and find her.

But I was afraid I wasn't successful enough, afraid I couldn't stand before her.

I waited until I achieved success, but she had fallen into hell.

“Get the car ready.” I stood up, grabbing the car keys and the old bank card from my desk. “To Third Hospital.”

The hospital corridor in the afternoon reeked of disinfectant.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard an extremely harsh laugh.

Following the sound, I saw Summerville leaning against the wall next to the hospital billing department, clutching a payment slip.

Wilson and Ulysses stood opposite her.

“Summerville, why do you have to be so stubborn?” Wilson, hands in his pockets, feigned a look of deep regret.

“Her mother's illness can't wait. All you have to do is sign that declaration to fully relinquish your shares, acknowledging that I was the primary developer of all those technical patents.”

He pulled a stack of cash, probably ten thousand dollars, from his pocket.

“I'll consider this money a loan to you. You don't have to repay it. Consider it me being generous for old times' sake.”

Summerville stared at the stack of money, her fingers trembling.

“Wilson.”

Her voice was soft, as if a breeze could scatter it, but every word was full of pain.

“You stole those patents from my computer when my mother was critically ill.”

“You transferred assets, engineered a scheme to saddle me with debt, and now you're even trying to cut off my mother's last chance at life.”

She looked up, her once clear eyes bloodshot.

“Aren't you afraid of facing consequences?”

Wilson's face changed slightly, clearly embarrassed to be called out in public.

But he quickly recovered, putting on his indifferent sneer.

“Summerville, you need to speak with evidence,” he lowered his voice, his eyes cold and sinister.

“It's in black and white, your signature is on it. You're a defaulter now, who's going to believe you?”

“If you don't sign this waiver today, your mother will be kicked out of her hospital room tomorrow.”

“Wilson, why are you wasting your breath on her?” Ulysses swayed her hips, reaching for Wilson's arm.

“I told you, Summerville is just too strong-willed. What's wrong with compromising?”

She turned to Summerville, her face a mask of feigned innocence and grievance.

“Summerville, don't look at me like that. I'm doing this for your own good.”

“Wilson painstakingly pulled this money from the company's funds. Hurry up and take it to pay the bill. Don't make your mother wait.”

Hah! The man was a jerk, and the woman was a total bitch.

Summerville didn't look at her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she reopened them, her gaze held a quiet, stark resolve.

She slowly raised her hand, reaching for the stack of money.

For her mother, she was ready to bend her back, something she'd never done before.

Just as her fingers were about to touch the banknotes, a hand reached out from the side and fiercely grabbed her wrist.

Summerville's entire body jolted. She turned her head, startled.

I looked at her, at her gaunt face, at the desperation that hadn't yet faded from her eyes, and a volcano of rage erupted in my chest.

I pulled her behind me, turned, and looked at Wilson.

“This money,” I said, my voice low, laced with extreme, suppressed fury,

“I'll pay it for her.”