Julia, whom she referred to as Julia King, was her best friend.
They had known each other since high school and had developed a close bond over the past ten years.
Julia had been a great help to her and even acted as the godmother to her two children.
When Old Ashley heard Julia's name, she instantly felt relieved and stopped asking questions.
Julia had a spare key to their house, and this wasn't the first time she had helped with babysitting.
Deanna had spent the night at the hospital, keeping a close eye on her grandmother, who was sleeping peacefully and in stable condition.
Ironically, Deanna was the one who couldn't sleep, constantly worrying that something might happen to her grandmother.
The next morning, the doctor came for rounds and gave Old Ashley various examination forms.
After a bit of a hassle, they were fortunate that all the test results came back fine, with all indicators within normal range. The doctor also recommended that she be discharged.
With the confirmation that Old Ashley was alright, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
Deanna quickly packed up their belongings, completed the necessary paperwork, and happily took her grandmother home.
As they reached the entrance of their residential complex, they noticed a group of elderly neighbors gathered together, discussing something. Deanna faintly heard words like "luxury car," "not a good person," and "debt collection," but she didn't pay much attention to it. After all, it had nothing to do with her.
Supporting her grandmother, Deanna walked towards their apartment building, being careful on the stairs.
When they reached the second floor, someone rushed towards them and blocked their path.
Deanna recognized the person as Amelia Scott, their friendly neighbor whom they often interacted with.
Amelia seemed anxious as she spoke, "Deanna, something bad has happened at your place. A large group of people wearing black clothes broke into your house just a few minutes ago. They look like debt collectors from the underworld! Have you incurred any debts? Your two children and Julia are trapped inside. Those people seem dangerous, so please be careful."
Deanna was shocked. What could have happened?
Old Ashley hadn't fully understood the situation yet and looked at her, asking, "Deanna, what's going on?"
"I don't know either."
Deanna didn't have time to analyze further. She quickly entrusted her grandmother to Amelia's care and asked her to look after her for a while. Then, she rushed upstairs to check on the situation at home.
Amelia's loud voice came from behind, "Deanna, you should call the police! Those people are all men, and there are several of them! It's too dangerous for you to go up there alone!"
Amelia wanted to hold her back but couldn't keep up with her pace. She didn't dare to chase after her and could only anxiously shout from behind.
Deanna couldn't worry about all that. Her two children might be in danger, and her heart felt like it was burning with fire.
And Julia, who had come to help out of kindness, what if she got caught up in something? What would they do then?
She quickened her pace and rushed up to the fourth floor.
At that moment, Gregory and Chloe were huddled together with Julia in a corner of the living room. All three of them wore fearful expressions as they looked at the people in front of them.
Four men dressed in black stood tall and menacing, exuding an aura of danger.
Next to them was a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a refined demeanor.
And there was another man sitting on the sofa. He had a tall and slender figure, standing close to 6. 3 feet tall, dressed in a black suit with matching pants. His appearance was so handsome that it seemed almost unreal. He wore an exquisite black and gold watch on his wrist, exuding an air of luxury.
His facial features were delicate, unlike anything they had ever seen before.
He emanated an aura of cold indifference that made people shudder.
Among everyone present, he had the most imposing presence and the strongest intimidation factor.
Gregory's young face showed an unusual calmness beyond his age.
He stared at these people and deduced from their attire that they were here to collect debts from their mother.
Julia looked at the man sitting on the sofa and felt her heart race with excitement.
She couldn't help but feel infatuated and struggled to control the drool that threatened to escape her mouth.
Were all debt collectors this handsome nowadays? It was simply unfair!
But despite their attractiveness, their positions were clearly opposing.
She tightly protected the two adorable children, knowing that although these people were after Deanna, there was no guarantee they wouldn't cause trouble for them as well.
She worried about the safety of herself and the two children.
Swallowing hard, she broke the silence and attempted to communicate with them, hoping to negotiate for their safety. "Um... gentlemen, although my friend owes you money, she has already promised to repay you in installments. Isn't it inappropriate for you to come here to collect it?"
Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Even though I can't fight against you, we live in a society governed by law. If you insist on forcing your way in, I... will have to call the police."
She hoped they wouldn't do anything reckless.