"I need it for some wedding plans dad." Elliot said his face buried in his hands.
"That is not an issue Elliot, the vendors would all be paid right after the wedding. There is no reason for that payment now." His father explained.
"Alright dad." Elliot said disappointed, but not wanting to press the issue to avoid suspicion
"Yes, just tell the vendors to send their invoices in." His father added.
"Thank you." Elliot ended walking out of his father's office his head down.
The universe just seemed to play a very cruel joke on him. He exited the building. He pulled out his phone, his fingers shaking slightly as he dialed Clara's number. On the first ring, Clara picked up.
"Clara," he said, his voice tight, as soon as she answered. "I could not get the money. "
A light gasp could be heard over the phone, "Why, what happened?" Clara asked.
"Well, my dad would not authorize the withdrawal by signing." Elliot said
"Since when was that needed?" Clara asked
"It is a new policy for really huge amounts." Elliot said.
There was a brief silence on the other end. "Elliot, I do not know what to say. I will try to see if I can get some funds from my side but it is a lot of money." Clara told him.
"I know, I know," Elliot said, his voice laced with desperation. "I'm so lost, I do not know what to do."
"Okay, okay," Clara said, her voice trying to be calm. "Let us think. There has to be something."
"I have to go, Clara," Elliot said, his voice urgent. "I need to talk to Jonah. I will call you back."
He started his car, driving speedily back home. He needed to tell Jonah the situation at hand. He opened the door stopping Jonah who was previously pacing across the room. "Elliot!" Jonah exclaimed, his voice filled with panic. "What happened? Did you get the money?"
Elliot shook his head, his heart heavy. "No. Dad would not authorize it. There is a new policy, and I needed his signature."
Jonah's eyes widened in disbelief. "A new policy? Now? Of all times?"
"I know," Elliot said, his voice coated with frustration. "I tried everything, but he would not budge."
Jonah ran a hand through his hair, anxiety creeping all over him. "What are we going to do now, Elliot?
"We will find a way,There has to be another way." Elliot reassured.
He thought for a moment. Then, it hit him. "My watches," he said, his voice filled relief "My watch collection. It is very valuable. We can sell it."
Jonah looked at him, his eyes flashed with hope. "Do you think it would be enough?"
"It has to be," Elliot said, his voice resolute. "It is the fastest way I can think of."
He rushed upstairs, his heart pounding in his chest. He entered his closet, his eyes scanning the rows of watches. He carefully selected several of his most valuable pieces, his hands moving quickly and efficiently.
"I will be back," he said to Jonah, his voice urgent. "I am going to find a pawn shop."
He left the house, his car speeding through the streets. He drove to the nearest pawn shop, his hopes high. He stepped down from his car, his designer collection sitting safely in a box. The sun began to set already. He walked into the shop, the bell announcing his presence. An old white man at the counter greeted him.
"Hi good evening, I believe I have some pieces that might interest you." Elliot said.
The old man raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?" He asked.
"Definitely." Elliot said as he set down the box on the counter.
The old man pulled the box closer to him. Opening it, his eyes lit up at the literal jackpot he had just hit. "Give me a minute." He told Elliot as he went behind a door. Returning shortly with some tools. The man took his time, inspecting each and every watch.
"Could you please hurry up, I am in a bit of a rush right now." Elliot told the man.
The man set his tools down to face him, "These are great pieces no doubt. They are timeless and authentic." He told Elliot
"How much are you willing to sell them?" The man asked.
"Ten million." Elliot replied immediately.
The old man shook his head in disappointment, "Sadly we currently do not have that amount but here is what I can do for you. I will offer you two million." The man explained.
"Two million is too low for all these, you know how much of a gem they are. I need the ten million urgently." Elliot said.
"Sadly I can't help you, but there's a pawn shop uptown with a much more larger budget than mine. I think they could help you." The old man told him.
Elliot thanked the man. Shut the box, pulled it off the counter and left in a hurry. He got into his car, searching for pawn shops uptown. He quickly followed his Google Maps to the nearest one. But at each shop, he was turned down. The sums were too large, that amount of liquid cash was not easily available. He was about to give up when his phone rang. It was Clara.
"Elliot," she said, her voice excited. "I am coming to meet you. I have managed to get some money together, but it is not the full amount."
"Clara, thank you," Elliot said, relieved "Where are you?"
Clara told him her location, and Elliot drove there immediately. When he arrived, he saw Clara standing beside a car, its trunk open. Inside, stacked neatly, were boxes of cash.
"Two million," Clara said, her voice proud. "It is not the ten million, but it is something."
"Clara, you are amazing," Elliot said, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you." He hugged Clara, grateful.
"Wait so what is the next plan now?" Clara asked.
"I am taking my watch collection, to a pawn shop to see if I can get the rest of the money." Elliot told her showing her the box.
"You are pawning off property, don't you have any money in your account?" Clara asked in confusion.
"Yes I do, but it is barely up to a million. Dad does not allow us keep more than 2 million in our personal accounts." Elliot answered.
"Huh? Why?" Clara asked.
"He said it's for security reasons, and since I just paid the blackmailer 1 million, I am left with over just eight hundred thousand." Elliot continued.
Clara nodded, realizing the complexity of the situation. "What about large purchases?" Clara asked.
"Well large purchases are just charged to Dad's account or the company's account. The personal account is just majorly for emergencies, like the one I just took care of." Elliot added.
"Alright we barely have any more time. Let's go." Clara said looking at the darkening sky.
They drove to the pawn shop closest to where they were, the one that seemed the most likely to handle a transaction of this size. Inside, they met with the owner, a sharp-looking man with a calculating gaze.
"We need to sell these," Elliot said, his voice firm, placing the watches on the counter.
The owner examined the watches, his eyes gleaming. "These are fine pieces," he said, his voice low. "How much are you looking at?" The man asked.
"Ten million." Elliot blurted.
"That is quite a lot." The man said kissing his teeth.
"We need the money urgently it is an emergency." Elliot added.
They began to negotiate, the clock ticking down, the deadline coming closer.