“You’re three seconds late.”
The young woman standing outside the apartment building glanced at the delivery timer on her phone before looking at the man in the blue delivery uniform. Her expression twisted with disgust.
“I… I’m sorry, ma’am,” Ethan Ashford said between ragged breaths. Sweat soaked through his uniform after riding across half the city in the scorching afternoon heat. “There was an accident at the intersection. I came as fast as I could.”
“Do you think I care?”
Without warning, she snatched the carton of milk from the delivery bag, twisted the cap open, and poured the entire contents over his head.
Cold milk ran down Ethan’s hair, soaked his face, and stained his already worn uniform. People passing by slowed their steps, some stopping to watch the humiliating scene unfold.
A few even took out their phones.
The customer threw the empty carton at his feet.
“These delivery dispatch riders always have an excuse. Three seconds late is still late.”
Ethan clenched his fists.
His nails dug into his palms until they hurt, but he forced himself to loosen them.
Anger wouldn’t pay his mother’s hospital bills.
He lowered his head.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Please, could you still leave me a five-star review?”
The woman looked at him as if he were beneath contempt.
“After what happened, you still care about a review?”
Ethan swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat.
“A good review gives me a bonus.”
It wasn’t much.
Only a few cents.
But after hundreds of deliveries, those few cents added up. Every dollar brought him one step closer to paying for his mother’s treatment.
The woman scoffed.
“You really are pathetic.”
She turned around and slammed the apartment door in his face.
Ethan stood there silently for several seconds before bending down to pick up the empty carton.
He wiped the milk from his face with his sleeve, climbed back onto his electric bike, and rode toward his next delivery.
He couldn’t afford to stop working.
Not when every passing minute meant another medical bill waiting for him at the hospital.
By the time Ethan returned to the Sterling family villa that evening, darkness had already settled over the city.
He quietly removed his shoes and stepped inside.
The scent of expensive perfume instantly clashed with the smell of sweat clinging to his uniform.
Vanessa Laurent looked up from the living room.
The moment she saw him, she frowned.
“You’re filthy.”
Ethan lowered his eyes.
“I came straight home after work.”
Vanessa pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Go take a shower. The smell is unbearable.”
Before Ethan could answer, an elderly voice rang out from the dining room.
“Shower? Who said he could rest first?”
Margaret Laurent, Vanessa’s mother, walked over with a cold expression.
“The guests will be here soon. Go prepare dinner.”
Without waiting for a response, she shoved an apron into Ethan’s hands.
“And make something decent this time.”
Ethan quietly accepted the apron.
“Yes, Mother.”
He headed toward the kitchen.
An hour later, six dishes were neatly arranged on the dining table.
Margaret tasted one bite.
Her face darkened immediately.
“This is awful.”
She slammed her chopsticks onto the table.
“Can you do anything right?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
Margaret snorted.
“If apologies could solve everything, why would anyone need competence?”
She pointed toward the bathroom.
“I’m going to soak my feet. Go prepare the water.”
Ethan silently carried a bucket into the bathroom, carefully adjusting the temperature before placing it beside her chair.
Margaret dipped one foot into the water.
Her face twisted.
“It’s too hot!”
She kicked the bucket over.
Warm water splashed across the marble floor.
The bucket rolled across the room before coming to a stop against the wall.
Margaret stood up in disgust.
“Clean it.”
Without saying a word, Ethan grabbed a towel and knelt on the floor.
His soaked sleeves dragged across the cold tiles as he wiped away the water.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
“The guests are here,” Margaret said. “Go buy some fruit.”
Ethan stood.
“I… I don’t have any money with me.”
Margaret laughed mockingly.
“What kind of man doesn’t even have money to buy fruit?”
At that moment, the front door opened.
Vanessa walked inside after finishing a business call.
She happened to hear Ethan’s words.
“You don’t even have money for fruit?”
Her lips curled into a faint smile.
“That’s embarrassing.”
Ethan looked at her quietly.
After a long moment, he finally spoke.
“After we got married, I cooked meals for you every day because of your health issues.”
“I paid for the groceries.”
“I paid the household expenses.”
“I never asked you for a single cent.”
His voice remained calm, but there was unmistakable hurt in his eyes.
“So tell me, have you ever spent even one dollar on me?”
“In other families,” she said, folding her arms across her chest, “the husband is the one who works hard to support his wife. You should be grateful I don’t ask you for money every month. And yet you expect me to spend my money on you?”
Her words struck Ethan harder than any insult Margaret had thrown at him.
For a long moment, he simply stood there, unable to believe what he had just heard.
Not once in the five years of their marriage had he ever asked Vanessa to support him.
Every meal she ate had been prepared by his hands. Every grocery bill had come from the money he earned delivering food, unloading trucks, and taking whatever part-time work he could find. Even after exhausting shifts, he had rushed home to cook because Vanessa’s stomach had always been delicate.
Yet in her eyes, he had somehow become a burden.
Without waiting for his response, Vanessa picked up her handbag and walked upstairs.
Ethan remained rooted to the spot.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
Years ago, when Vanessa had dreamed of starting her own company, everyone laughed at her ambition. Banks had rejected her loan applications, and investors refused to take the risk.
He had been the only person who believed in her.
To raise one million dollars, he had sold the only house his late father had left him. He had borrowed money from relatives and friends until there was no one left to ask. Every cent he owned had gone into helping Vanessa build her future.
Today, that company generates tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue.
And the man who had made it possible was now mocked for not having enough money to buy fruit.
For the first time in years, Ethan wondered if every sacrifice he had made had been a mistake.
His phone suddenly rang.
The screen displayed the hospital’s number.
A chill crept down his spine.
“Ethan Ashford speaking.”
“Mr. Ashford,” the doctor said gravely. “Your mother’s condition has deteriorated. The medication is no longer working. She needs surgery as soon as possible.”
Ethan’s grip tightened around the phone.
“How much?”
“There is an additional one million dollars required before we can proceed.”
His face turned pale.
“ I’ll find a way.”
“You don’t have much time,” the doctor replied. “Please arrange the payment as soon as possible.”
The call ended.
Ethan stood frozen for several seconds before rushing upstairs.
The bedroom door was open.
Vanessa was packing several designer outfits into a large suitcase.
She didn’t even look up.
“What is it?”
Ethan took a deep breath.
“My mother’s condition has worsened. The hospital needs another million dollars for the surgery.”
Vanessa continued folding her clothes as though she hadn’t heard him.
After a moment, she said indifferently, “I’ve already paid enough toward your mother’s treatment.”
Ethan stared at her.
“I’m not asking for charity.”
She finally looked at him, her eyes filled with impatience.
“If you want medical expenses approved, talk to my assistant. My schedule is full, and I don’t have time for these trivial matters.”
His chest tightened.
“Trivial?”
His voice trembled.
“When your company was on the verge of bankruptcy, my mother sold every piece of jewelry she owned to help you. She treated you like her own daughter.”
He took another step forward.
“Is this really how you repay her?”
Vanessa’s face darkened.
“Your mother sold those things voluntarily.”
Her voice was cold and unwavering.
“I never forced her.”
Those few words shattered the last trace of hope Ethan still held.
He looked at the woman he had loved for years and suddenly felt as though he no longer recognized her.
Vanessa zipped up her suitcase.
“I’m moving out for a while.”
Ethan frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Damien Cross just returned from overseas,” she replied casually. “I’m taking a few days off to show him around the city.”
Ethan’s jaw clenched.
Whenever he had asked Vanessa to take a walk with him or share a simple meal outside, she always claimed she was too busy.
Yet now she was willing to put aside company affairs to accompany another man.
Vanessa reached into a document folder and pulled out a contract.
She placed it on the table between them.
“There’s one more thing.”
Ethan lowered his eyes to the title printed across the top.
Share Transfer Agreement.
“You still own sixty percent of NovaRise Technologies,” Vanessa said calmly. “Transfer those shares to Damien.”
Ethan looked up in disbelief.
“What?”
“They’ll serve as an incentive for him to work harder.”
His expression hardened.
“On what grounds?”
Vanessa answered without hesitation.
“Damien saved my life.”
She met Ethan’s gaze as though the matter were obvious.
“And since we’re husband and wife, saving me is the same as saving you. Giving him those shares is only fair.”
A laugh escaped Ethan’s lips.
It wasn’t amusing.
It was the laugh of someone whose heart had been broken one time too many times.
“Those shares aren’t yours to give away.”
His voice was steady despite the pain in his eyes.
“I sold my father’s house to invest one million dollars in your company before we got married. I borrowed money from everyone I knew because you insisted you needed that investment.”
He looked directly at Vanessa.
“Today, those shares are worth twenty million dollars.”
“He saved you, not me.”
“My mother sacrificed everything for you, and you wouldn’t even help pay for her surgery.”
“So tell me…”
“Why should I give Damien a single cent?”
Vanessa’s patience finally snapped.
“If you won’t transfer the shares, I’ll compensate you another way.”
She slid another set of documents toward him.
“I’ll transfer Obsidian Capital Holdings to your name.”
Ethan frowned.
He knew the company well.
It had been losing money for years and was widely considered one of the worst investments under Vanessa’s control.
It was nothing more than a financial burden.
“I don’t want it,” he said firmly.
Vanessa’s eyes turned icy.
“Think carefully before refusing.”
She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
“Do you still want your mother’s surgery?”
Ethan’s heart skipped a beat.
“If you agree to my conditions, I’ll consider paying the medical expenses.”
She paused just long enough for hope to flicker across his face before extinguishing it.
“But if you refuse.”
“I’ll stop every payment related to your mother’s treatment.”
Her voice remained terrifyingly calm.
“I’ll have the hospital discharge her immediately.”
Ethan’s face looked pathetic.
“Vanessa…”
He took an involuntary step toward her.
“Please don’t do this.”
She didn’t respond.
Instead, she tapped the agreement with one perfectly manicured finger.
“Take the contract.”
“Read it.”
“And think very carefully about your answer.”
“I’ll sign.”
The words left Ethan Ashford’s lips like a death sentence.
For the first time that evening, Vanessa Laurent smiled.
Not the warm smile that had once made him believe she would spend the rest of her life with him.
This one was cold and victorious.
She slid the agreement across the table and uncapped a fountain pen.
“I knew you’d make the right decision.”
Ethan lowered his eyes to the document.
Sixty percent of NovaRise Technologies.
The shares he had paid for by selling his late father’s house.
The shares that had grown from a one-million-dollar investment into a fortune worth twenty million.
Now he was about to give them away.
Not because he wanted to.
Because his mother was dying.
His fingers tightened around the pen.
Images flashed through his mind.
His father smiled as he handed him the keys to their old family home.
His mother quietly sold the last of her jewelry so Vanessa’s company wouldn’t collapse.
The endless nights working delivery jobs.
Every sacrifice.
Every dream.
Everything was ending with a single signature.
A drop of ink touched the paper.
Then another.
Slowly,he signed his name.
Vanessa picked up the agreement almost immediately, as if afraid he would change his mind.
She glanced over the signature before handing the documents to her lawyer.
“Begin the transfer immediately.”
“Yes, Ms. Laurent.”
The lawyer nodded respectfully before leaving the room.
Vanessa closed her suitcase.
“I’ll also have Obsidian Capital Holdings transferred to your name today.”
Ethan gave a bitter laugh.
A company drowning in debt.
That was her compensation.
He no longer cared.
There was only one thing left.
“My mother’s surgery.”
Vanessa paused at the bedroom door.
Without turning around, she asked, “What about it?”
“You promised.”
“I signed.”
“I gave up everything.”
“When will the hospital receive the money?”
Vanessa slowly looked back at him.
Her expression remained perfectly calm.
“I never promised to pay.”
Ethan froze.
“You said you’d consider it.”
A faint smile curved her lips.
“I’ve considered it. My answer is no.”
The room fell silent.
For several seconds, Ethan simply stared at her, unable to process what he had heard.
“You tricked me.”
“So what if I did?” Vanessa replied.
Vanessa adjusted the sleeve of her designer jacket.
“You’ve already signed the agreement.”
“The shares are no longer yours.”
“There is nothing you can do about it.”
Rage surged through Ethan.
“You used my mother’s life to force me into signing!”
“And?” Vanessa snapped.
Vanessa’s voice remained emotionless.
“You’re a live-in husband.”
“You can’t even come up with ten thousand dollars.”
“So where exactly were you planning to find one million for the surgery?”
She looked him up and down with open contempt.
“If I were you…”
“I’d stop wasting my time.”
“Take your dying mother home.”
The words struck Ethan harder than a slap.
His breathing became ragged.
For a moment, he wanted to ask her why.
Why had she become this person?
Where had the woman he loved disappeared to?
But when he looked into her eyes…
He found nothing.
No guilt.
No sympathy.
No love.
Only indifference.
Vanessa picked up her handbag.
“Oh, one more thing.”
“I’m attending the Starlight Charity Gala tonight.”
“The final auction item is rumored to be a mysterious ring connected to an enormous secret.”
“It seems the chairman of Zenith Innovations will also be there.”
She smiled faintly.
“I can’t afford to miss an opportunity like that.”
Then she walked past Ethan without another glance.
A moment later.
The front door closed.
Ethan remained standing alone in the silent house.
Everything he had once called home had disappeared.
Then his phone rang.
The hospital.
His heart skipped a beat.
He answered immediately.
“Mr. Ashford,” the doctor said urgently. “Your mother’s condition has worsened. You need to come to the hospital right away.”
Ethan grabbed his jacket and rushed out the door, praying he wasn’t already too late.
Ethan raced out of the villa without looking back.
The cool night air slapped against his face as he hailed the first taxi he saw.
“St. Mary’s Hospital,” he said hoarsely. “Please, as fast as you can.”
The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. Seeing the panic on Ethan’s face, he stepped on the accelerator without another question.
The journey felt endless.
Every passing traffic light seemed determined to steal another precious second from his mother’s life.
The moment the taxi stopped outside the hospital, Ethan threw several bills onto the dashboard and rushed toward the entrance.
He needed one million dollars.
Somehow.
Standing outside the emergency building, he took a shaky breath before scrolling through his contacts.
There was only one thing left to do.
And that’s to beg.
He pressed the first number.
The phone rang three times before someone answered.
A mocking laugh came from the other end.
“Well, well… if it isn’t the famous live-in son-in-law of the Laurent family.”
It was his uncle, Victor Hayes.
Ethan swallowed his pride.
“Uncle… I need your help.”
“Oh?” Victor sneered. “What happened this time?”
“My mother’s condition has worsened. The hospital needs one million dollars for surgery.”
There was silence.
For a brief moment, Ethan thought his uncle might actually agree.
Instead, laughter erupted through the speaker.
“You called me to borrow money?”
“Please.”
Ethan’s voice cracked.
“Mom is your younger sister.”
Victor’s tone instantly turned cold.
“My sister?”
“The woman who disgraced the Hayes family?”
“She refused the marriage our father arranged and ran away with that useless poor man.”
“Do you know how much ridicule our family suffered because of her?”
“As far as I’m concerned, she stopped being my sister years ago.”
His heart sank.
“Uncle…”
“I won’t give either of you a single cent.”
Click.
The call ended.
Ethan stared blankly at the dark screen.
His trembling fingers immediately dialed another number.
His eldest aunt.
But he got rejected.
His cousin.
Rejected.
His mother’s childhood friend.
Rejected.
Each call crushed the little hope he had left.
Some pretended they were busy.
Some claimed they had no money.
Others simply hung up after hearing the word “loan.”
Within minutes, every contact in his phone had become another closed door.
His breathing grew heavier.
There was still one person left.
His delivery station manager.
Ethan dialed the number.
“Manager Lewis.”
Before Ethan could finish speaking, the man interrupted.
“I heard you wanted to borrow fifty thousand dollars.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t have that kind of money.”
“Manager, even ten thousand would help.”
The man laughed.
“You earn nearly ten thousand dollars a month delivering food.”
“My yearly salary isn’t even a hundred thousand.”
“And you think I can casually lend you fifty thousand?”
“Ethan, if I started handing out money every time an employee asked, I’d be bankrupt.”
“I’m sorry.”
The line went dead.
Ethan slowly lowered the phone.
For the first time in years.
He truly understood what it meant to be completely alone.
He walked into the hospital like a man who had lost his soul.
The familiar smell of disinfectant filled the corridor.
When he entered Room 607, his footsteps came to a halt.
His mother lay quietly on the hospital bed.
Her face was pale.
Her breathing was weak.
The oxygen machine beeped steadily beside her.
She looked so fragile that Ethan was afraid even speaking too loudly might wake her.
His vision blurred.
Memories flooded his mind.
His mother scrubbed floors until her hands bled.
His mother worked as a housekeeper for wealthy families after his father’s death.
His mother pretended she had already eaten so he could have the last bowl of rice.
She had sacrificed everything to raise him.
Yet now.
He couldn’t even afford to save her life.
“Ethan.”
The attending physician stepped quietly into the room.
Dr. Harrison looked at him with sympathy.
“I’m sorry, but the payment deadline is approaching.”
“If the hospital doesn’t receive the funds within the next hour…”
“We’ll have no choice but to suspend the surgery.”
Ethan grabbed the doctor’s sleeve.
“Doctor…”
“Please perform the operation first.”
“I swear I’ll find the money.”
“I’ll work for the rest of my life if I have to.”
Dr. Harrison sighed.
“I wish I could help.”
“But hospital policy requires payment before surgery.”
“My hands are tied.”
He hesitated before adding softly,
“You can try speaking with the billing office.”
“Perhaps they’ll help you arrange a medical loan.”
After the doctor left, Ethan leaned heavily against the cold wall.
His entire body felt numb.
Vanessa had taken away shares worth twenty million dollars.
His family had abandoned him.
His relatives had rejected him.
Even his last hope had vanished.
He slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor.
Across the waiting room, the television suddenly switched to a breaking business report.
“Zenith Innovations has officially become the nation’s most valuable technology company after reporting a three-thousand-percent increase in annual profits.”
“The company, once considered a failing investment, has shocked the financial world through its semiconductor division.”
“The market expects another record-breaking dividend this year.”
Ethan watched the report silently.
A bitter smile crossed his face.
“If only I owned shares in a company like that…”
“My mother would already be in surgery.”
He closed his eyes.
He had reached the end of the road.
Just then.
His phone vibrated.
An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
Normally, he would have ignored it.
But with nothing left to lose…
He answered.
“Hello?”
A respectful voice came through the speaker.
“Good evening, Mr. Ethan Ashford.”
“My name is Adrian Cole, president of Obsidian Capital Holdings.”
“Congratulations.”
“You have officially become the sole owner of Obsidian Capital Holdings.”
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
“I’m afraid you have the wrong number.”
A soft chuckle came from the other end.
“No, sir.”
“We’ve been waiting for your call.”
“Your ownership transfer was completed just moments ago.”
“Last year’s dividend from Zenith Innovations alone totaled one point five billion dollars.”
“The funds have already been deposited into your bank account.”
“This is only the first payment.”
“The remaining dividends from your other subsidiaries will arrive shortly.”
Ethan’s heartbeat thundered in his ears.
“Is this some kind of scam?”
“Of course not, sir.”
“Your current net worth exceeds ten billion dollars.”
“And your total assets are valued at well over one hundred billion.”
“If you have a moment, please check your bank balance.”
“I’ll personally come to pick you up tomorrow.”
“The Starlight Charity Gala requires your attendance.”
For a long moment…
Ethan couldn’t breathe.
His fingers shook as he opened his banking app.
The screen refreshed.
His eyes widened.
Available Balance: $1,500,000,149.00
He stared at the number.
Again.
And again.
Then, for the first time that night…
Ethan laughed.
From this moment onward.
He was no longer the abandoned live-in husband everyone looked down upon.
“Ethan!”
The shout echoed through the hospital corridor.
Ethan spun around just in time to see two orderlies wheeling his mother’s bed toward the elevators.
His heart nearly stopped.
“Wait!”
He sprinted after them, cutting in front of the stretcher.
“What are you doing?”
A nurse glanced at her clipboard without looking up.
“Mrs. Eleanor Ashford’s payment deadline has expired. We’ve received instructions to transfer her to the general observation ward until the outstanding balance is settled.”
“No!”
Ethan spread his arms, blocking their path.
“I have the money.”
The nurse finally looked at him.
Recognition flashed across her face.
“You?”
Weren’t you the man asking everyone in the lobby for a loan twenty minutes ago?”
Several nurses exchanged amused glances.
One of them folded her arms.
“Mr. Ashford, if you’ve suddenly found a million dollars, congratulations. But unless the payment reflects in our system, we can’t proceed.”
“It will,” Ethan said quickly. “Give me one minute.”
His hands shook as he unlocked his phone.
The banking app opened.
His breath caught.
The balance was still there.
$1,500,000,149.00
He almost laughed with relief.
Without hesitation, he entered the hospital account number and typed in the amount.
$1,000,000.00
His thumb pressed Transfer.
A loading circle appeared.
Then the screen flashed red.
Transaction Declined.
Account temporarily restricted for security review.
Ethan’s smile disappeared.
“No…”
He tried again.
The same message appeared.
The nurse sighed impatiently.
“Is there a problem?”
“My account.” Ethan whispered. “It’s been restricted.”
A younger nurse leaned over curiously.
“Restricted?”
Ethan turned the screen toward her.
“I just received a large transfer. The bank must have locked the account automatically.”
She stared at the impossible balance.
Her eyes widened.
Then she burst into laughter.
“Look at this!”
Within seconds, two more nurses crowded around.
“One point five billion dollars?”
Another snorted.
“Did you edit that yourself?”
“I’ve seen fake bank screenshots before, but this is the most ambitious one yet.”
The corridor filled with quiet laughter.
Ethan clenched his fists.
“It’s real.”
No one believed him.
One nurse shook her head.
“If you really had that kind of money, would your mother be waiting for surgery?”
The words cut deeper than she realized.
Ethan closed his eyes for a brief second before dialing the number that had called him earlier.
The line connected almost immediately.
“Mr. Ashford,” the calm voice answered. “This is Adrian Cole.”
“My account is frozen,” Ethan said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “I need to pay the hospital immediately.”
There was a brief silence.
Then Adrian replied, “I sincerely apologize. The transfer triggered our highest-level fraud detection system because of its size. I’ll have the restriction lifted immediately.”
“I don’t need an apology,” Ethan said.
“My mother’s life depends on this payment.”
“I understand.”
“You have my word. We’ll resolve it as quickly as possible.”
Ethan ended the call.
The nurses were already preparing to move his mother again.
He looked at the screen in his hand.
The loading icon spun once more.
The loading icon continued spinning.
Every second felt like an eternity.
Ethan’s gaze drifted toward the stretcher.
An orderly had already pressed the elevator button.
The doors slid open with a soft chime.
“No!” Ethan shouted, rushing forward. “Please don’t take her away. Just one more minute.”
The senior nurse stepped between him and the stretcher.
“Mr. Ashford, we’ve already given you more time than hospital policy allows.”
“My account has been cleared. They’re processing it.”
“So you said.”
She folded her clipboard against her chest.
“But until the payment reaches the hospital’s account, your mother’s surgery cannot proceed.”
The elevator doors began to close.
“Wait!” Ethan yelled.
The orderly instinctively pressed the open button, freezing the doors halfway shut.
The younger nurse sighed.
“He’s obviously desperate.”
“And desperate people tell desperate lies,” the senior nurse replied coldly.
Ethan looked toward his mother.
She lay motionless, an oxygen mask covering most of her pale face. The rhythmic beeping of the portable monitor echoed through the hallway.
His chest tightened.
He had promised his father.
No matter what happened…
He would protect his mother.
He would never let her suffer alone.
Not today.
Not after everything she had sacrificed for him.
His phone remained silent.
His fingers trembled as he refreshed the banking app again.
Nothing.
The restriction notice had disappeared…
But the transfer was still marked as Processing.
“Come on,” he whispered.
“Please.”
The senior nurse glanced at her watch.
“We’re done waiting.”
She nodded to the orderlies.
“Move the patient.”
The stretcher rolled forward.
Ethan grabbed the rail.
“I’m begging you.”
“But please.”
“She’s innocent.”
“She doesn’t deserve this.”
For a brief moment, uncertainty flickered across the younger nurse’s face.
She quietly asked, “Should we give him another minute?”
The senior nurse shook her head.
“If we bend the rules for one patient, we have to bend them for everyone.”
“Our responsibility is to follow procedure.”
Just then
A ringtone shattered the tense silence.
It came from the receptionist’s desk.
The receptionist answered.
“Billing Department.”
“Yes?”
Her professional expression slowly changed.
She sat up straighter.
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
Everyone unconsciously looked in her direction.
“The transfer has been confirmed?”
She blinked in disbelief.
“One million dollars… received in full?”
The hallway fell silent.
The receptionist slowly raised her head and looked at Ethan.
“Mr. Ashford.”
“The finance department has confirmed your payment.”
“The surgery deposit has been received.”
For several long seconds, nobody spoke.
The senior nurse frowned.
“That isn’t possible.”
The receptionist turned her computer monitor toward her.
“The transaction just arrived.”
“Time stamp.”
She glanced at the screen again.
“Less than ten seconds ago.”
The younger nurse’s eyes widened.
“It, it’s really him.”
Ethan let out a shaky breath.
His legs nearly gave way beneath him.
He wasn’t relieved because of the money.
He was relieved because his mother still had a chance.
A surgeon hurried into the corridor, pulling off his gloves.
“Where’s Mrs. Ashford?”
The senior nurse answered stiffly, “Her payment has just cleared.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” the surgeon barked. “Take her back upstairs! Notify the operating theater immediately.”
The orderlies quickly turned the stretcher around.
As they wheeled Eleanor back toward the surgical wing, Ethan walked beside her, gently squeezing her frail hand.
“Mom,” he whispered, fighting back tears.
“I made it.”
“You’re going to be okay.”
The unconscious woman didn’t respond, but seeing her being taken toward surgery instead of away from it lifted a crushing weight from his heart.
Behind him, the nurses exchanged uneasy glances.
The man they had mocked only minutes earlier…
Had just transferred a million dollars without hesitation.
Just as the operating room doors closed behind his mother, a convoy of black luxury sedans pulled into the hospital driveway.
The vehicles stopped one after another.
More than a dozen men in tailored suits stepped out.
The nurses whispered among themselves.
“Who are they?”
“They don’t look like ordinary businessmen…”
The hospital director hurried downstairs personally.
Leading the group was a distinguished man in his sixties. His silver hair was neatly combed back, and every step he took carried quiet authority.
His sharp eyes scanned the lobby before stopping on Ethan.
He walked over respectfully.
“Mr. Ethan Ashford?”
Ethan frowned.
“Yes?”
The man extended his hand.
“My name is Graham Sterling.”
“I am the Chairman of NovaRise Technologies.”
Ethan froze.
NovaRise?
Wasn’t that Vanessa’s company?
Why would its chairman come looking for him?
Seeing Ethan’s confusion, Graham smiled.
“I’ve finally found you, Mr. Ashford.”
“There are matters regarding your ownership that we need to discuss.”
Before Ethan could ask another question, Graham added calmly,
“I believe you’ll soon discover that what your wife transferred to you… was never as worthless as she imagined.”
Ethan stared at him in stunned silence.
Behind him, every nurse who had mocked him was equally speechless.
“Why would the chairman of NovaRise want to see me? I don’t even own shares anymore. Vanessa took them from me.” Ethan soliloquized.
