Chapter 110 Raising Money for Him
Normally, Alison would have hidden away; she was terrified of violent confrontations. But at this moment, when Erin shouted and charged towards Jackson, Alison couldn't help but follow.
Jackson, is it really him?
In her memories, he was tall and strong, but Jackson never got involved in fights.
At the alley entrance, Alison saw a dozen men beating someone with sticks.
"Stop!" Erin yelled, "Stop it right now!"
"Hey, a pretty lady. How do you plan to save him? With your body or by paying his debt?"
"I'm Erin the Thunderbolt. Haven't you heard of me? If you dare touch a hair on his head, none of you will leave here!"
"Erin the Thunderbolt? You? Who believes that?" The men circled Erin. "Cut the crap. Choose: your body or the money. Pick one."
"I'm not choosing either. I just want you to let him go!"
"Erin, leave! Don't worry about me!" Jackson shouted from the crowd, "Go, or I'll never speak to you again!"
"No!" Erin yelled, throwing a punch at one of the men.
"Grab this little witch. We'll have some fun tonight."
The men split into two groups, one continuing to beat Jackson, the other starting to harass Erin.
Alison couldn't stand it any longer.
She couldn't just watch Jackson get beaten and Erin get harassed.
"Stop!" Alison shouted, her voice low but determined, though it lacked power.
"Well, another chick. Are you Jackson's girl too?"
"This has nothing to do with you. How much does he owe you? I'll pay it!"
"Alison, leave! Go now! I don't want you involved!" Jackson's voice was desperate. His carefully maintained image was crumbling.
Alison had thought Jackson only owed a few thousand dollars. She figured she could sell her flower shop and use her savings to cover it.
"Jackson, take this money and pay them back. You can repay me later." She knew Jackson's pride and wanted to protect it, even if she was paying his debt.
"The principal is a hundred thousand, plus twenty thousand in interest. We need the money now, or none of you are leaving."
Alison was stunned.
"Say that again. How much in total?"
"One hundred and twenty thousand."
One hundred and twenty thousand?
She didn't have that kind of money. She really didn't.
She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
The debt collectors saw her hesitation. "Jackson, if you can't pay, we'll take your girlfriend as interest. Otherwise, we'll lose too much."
With that, the men surged towards the three of them again.
Alison knew they couldn't fight these men. Her mind was a mess, but she couldn't let Jackson and Erin get hurt. She still had Sophia and Ethan to take care of.
In desperation, Alison shouted, "Stop! Give me three days. I'll get you the one hundred and twenty thousand, principal and interest, every cent. I'll pay it all!" She was shocked by her own words. Where would she find that much money?
The leader of the group walked over, eyeing Alison. "You mean it?"
Alison said firmly, "I mean it! I'll get the money in three days."
The man nodded. "Alright, since you're sticking up for Jackson and Erin, we'll trust you for now. But we're taking these two with us. Bring the money, and we'll let them go."
Alison had no choice. "Fine." She knew they couldn't escape.
Jackson shouted, "Alison, don't be stupid. I'll handle my own problems." Erin was also in the men's grip, one of them groping her.
Seeing Jackson and Erin being taken away, Alison added, "I'll give you an extra two thousand, but you have to promise me they won't be harmed or mistreated."
The man laughed. "Alright, interesting. Bring the money to Rebel and find Liam. I'll leave a message for him." It was an underworld rule; no one would be foolish enough to call the other side.
The men left, leaving the alley empty and littered with debris, a stark reminder that everything had been real.
She had come to find Erin and gather clues, but instead, she got herself involved. When she promised to get the money, she had already thought of a backup plan—borrowing from Aidan. It was her only option.
She hurried out of the alley, her mind in chaos. She needed to know if Aidan would help her; otherwise, she wouldn't sleep a wink.
It had been a long time since she last spoke to Aidan. As she dialed his number, her heart pounded. He had to answer. He just had to!
The phone finally connected, but it was a woman's voice. "Hello, who is this?"
"Oh, it's Alison."
"Alright, I'll leave a message for Mr. Winston. I'll let him know you called."
"Wait, when will Mr. Winston be back?" It was the housekeeper. Aidan had carelessly left his phone at home.
"Mr. Winston went to San Francisco. I heard from the butler that he might be back in half a month, but I'm not sure."
Alison's mind went blank. She was on the verge of losing it. Her fingers trembled, and she dropped the phone.
The housekeeper's concerned voice came through, "Miss Fairchild, are you alright?"
Alison steadied herself, picked up the phone, and replied, "I'm fine. I just dropped my phone. I'll hang up now."
She had thought the person who could help her was in the city, but Aidan was in San Francisco. In half a month, who knew what would happen to Jackson and Erin?
What to do? What to do?
The night was deep, and Alison walked home in a daze. She looked at Sophia and Ethan sleeping peacefully, but she couldn't sleep at all.
She shook her head, truly at a loss.
That night, she sat on the balcony, staring at the stars. She remembered the night Jackson had brought her home, and they had watched the stars together.
It all felt like yesterday, but now everything had changed.
She could ignore it, but her heart wouldn't let her.
She searched through all her bankbooks and called Laura, but even selling the flower shop wouldn't be enough for the one hundred and twenty thousand.
She shouldn't have agreed to those men, but at the time, it was like she was possessed, thinking Aidan would help her. But when she needed him most, he wasn't there. She couldn't wait half a month.