Chapter 47

Chapter 47
Veronica.

What would you do if you had to make a million dollars in four days?

That was the exact thing I typed into my search bar before hitting enter for what had to be the hundredth time tonight. And unless there was some kind of miracle.

It  was absolutely impossible unless I could learn a high demand skill in forty eight hours.

A million dollars.

Even saying the number in my head sounded insane.

But then there was another route but after my first trial resulted in Dante, I had forever crossed the strip club out of my list. So unless I had to do drug trafficking, or learn a high demand skill in the next forty eight hours it was flat out impossible.

And no, I didn't need that amount of money for my mother’s treatment, it was far less but still, I didn’t have it. 

The hospital had given me four days before my mother’s next treatment deadline passed completely. After that, they would stop everything until payment was made.

And I had absolutely no idea what to do.

My gaze drifted toward the notebook lying open beside my laptop, pages filled with calculations, crossed out plans, and increasingly desperate ideas.

Loans?

Selling my apartment? Wouldn’t even make a dent.

Then there was the other option.

The one I had permanently blacklisted from my life after my first disastrous attempt somehow ended with Dante Russo as a result.

The strip club. My stomach twisted immediately at the thought. Never again.

A bitter laugh escaped my throat because clearly life found that statement hilarious considering my current situation.

At this point my options were becoming genuinely concerning.

Drug trafficking.

Money laundering.

Organ harvesting.

Honestly, if someone approached me with a suspicious suitcase right now, I might actually hear them out first before panicking.

I slammed my laptop shut with a frustrated groan before collapsing backward onto my bed.

I looked at the time on my phone, currently 1:28am.

A tired laugh escaped me.

I was broke, exhausted and slowly losing my mind after midnight.

Just as I was about to close my eyes and drown myself in thoughts, a sudden knock echoed  through the apartment.

I froze instantly, my head snapped toward the door.

Another knock followed and this time every hair on my body stood alert.

Who the hell was knocking on my door at almost two in the morning?

Slowly, I pushed myself off the bed, I glanced around quickly before grabbing the closest thing I could use as a weapon.

A thick metal candle holder from my bedside table, It wasn’t exactly ideal but it would have to do.

I tightened my grip around it before moving quietly toward the door.

Another knock.

“Jesus Christ,” I whispered under my breath.

I stopped beside the entrance, holding my breath for a second before checking the peephole.

Nothing, my brows furrowed.

The hallway outside looked empty.

Still uneasy, I unlocked the door carefully and pulled it open slightly, the candle holder raised just enough to swing if needed.

The hallway was completely deserted.

I stepped out cautiously, looking left and then right.

Nothing.

A chill crawled slowly down my spine.

I was about to close the door when something near my feet caught my attention.

An envelope.

My grip tightened instinctively around the candle holder as I bent slowly, picking it up while glancing around one last time.

Still nobody.

“What the hell?”

I quickly stepped back inside and locked the door immediately.

Then locked the second latch too.

Only after that did I lower the candle holder and stare at the black envelope in my hands.

It was thick.

A terrible feeling settled in my stomach as I slowly opened it.

My breath caught mid air as I stared at the bundles.

Cash. Stacks of cash, neatly bundled bills packed tightly inside the envelope.

My fingers trembled slightly in complete disbelief before noticing the folded note tucked between the money.

Heart pounding, I pulled it out carefully.

“I know you need the money. And I know you well enough to know you’d never ask for it. So stop being stubborn for once and use it to take care of whatever needs taking care of.”

There was no signature.

None was needed.

Because I could practically hear the voice saying every word.

My throat burned unexpectedly as I stared down at the note.

It was him. No doubt.