Chapter 44
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Saturday afternoon. I’m out with my daughter when a Porsche comes screaming through the crowd-straight at US!
BANG.
I grab her arm and yank-but I’m not fast enough.
The car slams into her. She hits the ground hard. Her leg twists wrong. Then she’s out cold.
My brain shuts down for a second. Then kicks back on.
Ambulance. Now!
My hands won’t stop shaking but I get the call through. Then I snap a pic of the license plate.
Suddenly, the driver’s door swings open.
Out steps some woman dripping in diamonds and a greasy little punk trailing behind her.
She doesn’t even look at my daughter. Just me.
“Delete that p>
I stare up at her. Is she serious?
She looks down at me like I’m a stain on her shoe:
“$2,000,000. For your kid’s life. That’s more than fair p>
Then she whips out a black card and waves it in my face:
“Know what this is? Bet you don’t. Ultra-VIP. One percent of the one percent. You’ll never touch one of these in your entire pathetic life p>
“So here’s the deal-delete the photo, we walk away, and this card’s yours. Two hundred grand just like that p>
Then I see it.
A tiny engraving in the corner-a ghost orchid.
My favorite flower.
I had that card custom-made. For MY IIUSBAND.
The world stops spinning.
I look up at her. My voice comes out dead calm:
“$20,000,000. Your son’s life. I’ll take it p>
My baby girl-wrapped head to toe in bandages, lying there in the ICU, completely still.
19:39
You Traded Our Son for Her? Your ‘Happy’ Ending Just Crashed, Asshole!
33.3%
Chapter 1
The doctor said she barely made it through. Just barely.
I sat by her bed for three days straight.
Then the school called-the driver’s family wanted to meet.
When I walk into that office, there’s this woman dripping in jewelry, scrolling through her phone without even looking up.
“You must be Raven’s mom.” She flicks her eyes at me.
Then slides a settlement agreement across the table.
“Let’s not waste time. Sign this. Don’t mess up my son’s life p>
Like it’s my fault. Like she’s doing me a favor.
I can barely breathe through the fury. All I see is my daughter covered in blood.
My hands shake so bad I can barely grip the paper. I rip it to shreds and throw it in her face.
“Your son belongs in prison. Sine this? Dream on p>
How dare she act so high and mighty when her son’s the one who did this p>
I lose it. I lunge at her, ready to claw that ugly smirk right off her face.
But the teachers immediately grab me, holding me back.
“Ma’am, calm down! Ms. Serling came here in good faith p>
Good faith. Right.
The woman-Gemma Serling-brushes the paper scraps off her cheek. Her smile is pure mockery:
“I looked into you. Your daughter wears bargain-bin clothes to school. Not even real brands. I’m guessing you’re working-class? Barely scraping
by p>
“Wrongful death settlements cap out around a million. But your kid’s still breathing. So medical costs plus two hundred grand? That’s generous p>
“For a family like yours, two hundred grand is a fortune. You’d have to save for twenty years to see that kind of money. One accident and boom-you’re set. I’m being charitable. Don’t get greedy p>
I stare at her with so much hatred I’m trembling:
“Your son was drunk off his ass, racing through a pedestrian plaza! Three people in critical condition, dozens injured! HE deserves to rot in a
cell p>
Gemma raises one eyebrow, smiling like I just said a joke:
“Ever heard the phrase ‘money talks’? Honey, I’ve got money and connections. Why do you think this hasn’t blown up online? Because 1 p>
She presses her hand down in the air.
“-made it DISAPPEAR p>
Then she whips out that black card again, waving it in my face:
“Know what this is? Top-tier exclusive. You need billions in assets just to qualify. That’s a number people like you can’t even wrap your heads
Chapter 1
around p>
Then I see it-that one of a kind pattern I had custom-made-a ghost orchid.
So, it’s THE CARD I gave my live-in husband!
And now this woman-his fucking mistress is trying to use my money to buy off my daughter’s life!
My brain connects the dots fast:
A month ago, Hayes came to me asking for a birthday present-said he wanted to buy himself a Porsche.
I didn’t even think twice. Just told him to go ahead and get whatever he wanted.
But now that I’m actually thinking about it? The model he picked? It matches.
It fucking matches the car that plowed into my daughter!
And three days ago, the PR team said Hayes wanted to bury some story online. I was too wrecked over Raven to ask questions. I approved it.
Turns out that was for her too p>
A chill runs through me.
My voice comes out ice-cold:
“So what’s your son’s life worth? Name your price. I’ll pay it p>
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Mark Twain