Chapter 5

“Yale, I’m sorry.

“But the 2,000 dollars…

“I can’t give it to you.”

The commenters that had been celebrating for me just moments ago suddenly fell silent.

I opened my mouth. I wanted to ask why, but I could not get the words out.

I could not stop shaking. Tears welled up in my eyes.

Then, I saw the comments.

[Yale, it looks like your parents pressured Peter. If he gives you the money, he might lose his entire business…]

[Peter has it hard too. His mother has heart failure, and he has a son with autism. The bar is the only thing keeping his whole family going. He had no choice but to turn you down.]

[But what is Yale supposed to do without the 2,000 dollars? The funeral home is already ready to cremate Xander.]

I looked at Peter’s teary eyes and said in a numb voice, “Thank you. I’m sorry for putting you in such a difficult position.”

I turned around stiffly and wandered aimlessly through the streets.

I felt completely hopeless.

Why did it always end this way?

Every time they gave me hope, they crushed it and pushed Xander and me further into desperation.

I stared blankly at the people rushing past me when my phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from the hospital nurse, Mindy Lane.

“Hello, Yale. You’re still coming to the hospital today to take your brother’s body home, right?

“It’ll be another 50 dollars if you wait another day…”

“Ms. Lane, I…”

I did not know how to explain it to her.

Before I could say another word, something struck the back of my head.

Someone covered my mouth with a towel from behind.

A harsh chemical smell filled my lungs. Everything around me started to blur.

The only thing I saw was the comments.

[Run!]

On the other end of the phone, Mindy kept calling my name.

However, I could no longer answer.

A chill swept through my entire body.

I forced my eyes open, but the harsh light made me squint.

“Heh. I told you pouring water on him would work.”

I froze for a moment. I tried to move, only to realize that I was restrained.

The man who had spoken walked over and grabbed my chin. He forced me to look at him.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at this pretty boy. You’re quite handsome.

“Have you ever been with a woman before? Don’t be scared. I’ll take care of you.”

He laughed and patted my cheek. Then, he pulled a syringe from his pocket.

I panicked.

“What are you trying to do? Who sent you to kidnap me?”

The man chuckled.

“You messed with someone you shouldn’t have. Don’t you know that?

“Why did you have to steal the Parker heir’s girlfriend?”

I finally realized what was going on.

Then, Zach stepped out from the corner.

His face was full of malice. He waved his hand.

The man immediately drove the syringe into my arm.

I fought back with all my strength, but several burlier men came out of the darkness and held me down.

Zach smiled with satisfaction. He took out his phone and filmed me from every angle.

“Yale, this is the price you pay for trying to take the family fortune from me!

“You said you needed 2,000 dollars for Xander’s funeral, didn’t you?”

He laughed as he pulled out a bank card and tossed it at my feet.

“Here’s your 2,000 dollars. Consider it a gift from me.

“You’d better thank me. I had to give you the newest stuff just for your sake. It wasn’t easy for me to part with it.

“Oh, right. There’s one more thing.”

He laughed as he pulled out a piece of paper and an ink pad. Then, he grabbed my finger and pressed it onto the paper.