Chapter 295: Give Your Money Back

\[Sarah\]

My finger hovered over Wilson's name in my contacts for several seconds before I finally pressed "call." Each ring echoed in my ear like a countdown, my heartbeat accelerating with each passing moment. When she finally answered, I didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"I'm back in the country. When are you free to meet?" I asked, my voice deliberately steady and direct.

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, followed by a moment of stunned silence. When Wilson finally responded, her voice wavered between shock and indignation, rising almost to a squeak before she managed to control it.

"Sarah?" She sounded genuinely rattled. She paused, composing herself. "Is there any need for us to meet?" Her tone had shifted to forced casualness, but I could hear the underlying tension.

"You seemed quite concerned about me, even going to Europe to inquire about my situation," I replied, allowing a hint of mockery to color my words. I pictured her face on the other end—likely flushed with alarm, her perfectly manicured hand gripping her phone too tightly. "Since you're so worried about me, I thought I'd contact you first thing after returning."

"Sarah, don't flatter yourself," Wilson scoffed, but there was a nervous edge to her laughter. "I was in Europe visiting family and just happened to ask about you. Since your children returned to America without you, I thought perhaps you were seriously ill, so I made some inquiries." Her words tumbled out too quickly, too defensively.

I smiled to myself, though there was no warmth in it. "Yet you claim you don't care about me," I said, my voice deliberately calm and measured. The contrast to her flustered state would unnerve her further. "If that's true, how did you know William and Emma had returned? Did they parade themselves in front of you?"

The silence that followed was deafening. I could almost hear her mind racing, searching for a plausible explanation. "Let's meet this afternoon," I suggested, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You can see for yourself how well I've recovered."

"I really don't care about your condition..." Wilson's voice trailed off, uncertainty creeping in. "But since you're so eager to see me, I suppose we could meet."

At three o'clock that afternoon, I arrived at the restaurant near Pierce Technologies, ten minutes late due to traffic. The familiar New York congestion had welcomed me back like an old friend. I spotted Wilson immediately, sitting rigidly at a corner table, repeatedly checking her watch and glancing nervously at the door.

As I approached, her eyes widened slightly, taking in my appearance—perhaps looking for signs of my injury or pregnancy. Her perfectly painted lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval.

"Could you possibly be on time when you arrange to meet someone?" Wilson complained, her perfectly manicured nails tapping impatiently against the table.

I took my seat across from her with deliberate slowness, enjoying how each unhurried movement seemed to increase her discomfort. I picked up the menu and studied it as if we were simply old friends meeting for lunch, rather than adversaries circling each other. After ordering a fruit juice, I finally met her gaze directly, noting the slight tension around her eyes despite her attempt at appearing nonchalant.

"Wilson, what business did you have with that silver-haired man before Daniel was kidnapped?" I asked bluntly, my voice low enough that only she could hear, but sharp enough to cut through any pretense.

The effect was immediate. Her composure crumbled like a sandcastle hit by a wave. Her eyes darted frantically around the restaurant as if seeking escape routes, and her perfectly manicured hands trembled slightly.

"N-nothing!" she stammered, a slight sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead despite the restaurant's cool air conditioning. "He contacted me, asking if I could treat his daughter. I said I couldn't." Her explanation came tumbling out, words tripping over themselves in her haste to appear innocent. "That was it."

"Are you certain you didn't tell him anything else?" I maintained eye contact as I removed a document from my bag and slid it across the table, the paper making a soft hissing sound against the tablecloth. "What's this transfer about? You didn't treat his daughter, so why would he pay you? Because of your good looks?"

The color drained from Wilson's face so rapidly I thought she might faint, her carefully applied makeup suddenly stark against her pallor. Her pupils dilated with naked fear.

"I... I'd had a few drinks that night. I might have mentioned something..." Wilson's cheeks flushed crimson as she raised her voice defensively, drawing curious glances from nearby tables. She leaned forward, voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "I told him I'd heard the Professor had a special protégé, and that Daniel might know who that person was... That's all I said! I never mentioned your name specifically, Sarah, so don't look at me like I betrayed you!"

She reached for her water glass with visibly trembling fingers, taking a nervous gulp that left a smudge of lipstick on the rim.

My jaw tightened involuntarily as I processed her words, a cold fury building inside me. Each heartbeat seemed to drum a single word in my ears: betrayal, betrayal, betrayal. "So you're suggesting Daniel sold me out? He is at least much more trustable than you." Each word felt like a small stone dropping between us, heavy with accusation. "Anyways, the silver-haired man is dead now, so discussing this is pointless. I came here today to make sure you return every cent of the money Theodore gave you."

Wilson nearly choked on her water, her eyes bulging with shock. "What?" The single word came out as a strangled gasp.

"Wilson, hasn't anyone ever told you there's no such thing as a free lunch?" I said mockingly, enjoying the way her perfectly composed facade was crumbling before my eyes. "You're certainly brave, deceiving Theodore and accepting his money. Aren't you afraid of choking on it?"

Wilson's eyes widened with indignation, her chest heaving with rapid, shallow breaths. Two bright spots of color appeared high on her cheekbones, a stark contrast to her otherwise pale face. "Sarah, don't think you can throw around baseless accusations just because you're the Professor's protégé!" Her voice rose shrilly. "This is an era of evidence! You think you can erase my achievements with a few words?"

"Ah yes, your achievements... you mean your acting skills?" The server arrived with my juice, providing a perfectly timed pause in our increasingly heated exchange. I took a moment to sip it, letting the cool liquid soothe my throat, watching Wilson squirm with impatience and fear across the table.

Wilson clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white, her expensive bracelets jangling with the tremor in her arms. Her eyes gleamed with venom. "Sarah, show me your proof!" she hissed, leaning forward aggressively. "Without evidence, whatever you say is meaningless! Don't think you can be unreasonable just because Theodore has feelings for you!"

I took another few sips of my juice, then unhurriedly reached for my phone. The casual nature of my movements seemed to unnerve Wilson more than any threat could have.

"What are you doing?" Her voice rose in pitch, panic evident in her suddenly wide eyes. "Calling Theodore?" Wilson's voice quavered slightly, her fingers clutching the edge of the table. "That won't help! There were plenty of witnesses who can testify for me!"

"If that's the case, why are you panicking?" I raised an eyebrow, casting her a contemptuous glance that made her flinch visibly. "Could it be that you know I have evidence?"

"You have evidence?" Wilson's face turned ghostly pale, a sheen of sweat breaking out across her forehead as she slumped slightly in her chair.

"Would I come demanding money without proof? Was I counting on your conscience?" My lips curled in a smile that held no warmth as I opened a video on my phone and pushed it across to Wilson. "This is the recording of Lily's first surgery. Although only the lead surgeon's eyes are visible, I'm confident Theodore would recognize who it is instantly."

Wilson stared at the video on my phone, her entire body seeming to freeze in place. The only movement was a slight trembling of her lower lip and the rapid pulse visible at the base of her throat. All the blood drained from her face, leaving her makeup garish against her pallor.

"It was you!" she gasped, her voice barely audible as she struggled to breathe, one hand flying to her throat. "You were really the one who operated on Lily!"

"Wilson, you have three days to transfer the money to my account." I leaned forward, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Otherwise, I'll give this video to Theodore and let him deal with you personally." I gave her a small smile that didn't reach my eyes. "You know what kind of man Theodore is. His methods would certainly be far less gentle than mine."