One Late Fee Too Far

"Ms. Booth, I'm on my way to renew. You know it's rush hour—traffic's a mess. I'll transfer the money right now. Just recharge the card first."I forced myself to stay calm, but my voice still shook."I'll wire ten grand. No—fifty. Send someone to find Maya. Bring her back to her VIP room. Please."This was out of my hands. If I pushed too hard, she'd take it out on Maya. My voice dropped, almost begging.Winnie laughed—sharp and grating."Oh, Ms. Keyne, I'm so sorry." She didn't sound it. "New policy. For client security, all large recharges and renewals must be signed in person by a family member with valid ID. We don't accept remote transfers.""Just bring Maya back. I'm begging you. It's freezing out. She can't handle it. I'm two kilometers away—I'll be there any minute."Tears burned at my eyes. It felt like a fist squeezing my chest."I'm sorry, but your balance is zero. You're not our client. Our staff are busy. We're not searching the streets for a non-client.""Two ki

Time dragged, second by second. Each one cut deeper."Hurry up!""What's the rush? The computer's slow, can't you see?" Winnie snapped.Her hand crawled over the mouse, flipping through folders at a snail's pace.Open. Glance. Close. Open another."Now where did I put that template?" she muttered, sneaking looks at me. "We just updated it. I really can't remember.""Winnie Booth, you got a death wish?" I grabbed her collar and yanked her out of the chair. "Do you know how cold it is out there? My sister's weak. If anything happens to her, you won't know a single peaceful day for the rest of your life!"She shrieked. "You dare touch me? Security! Where's security?"Then she steadied, sneering. "Go ahead. Hit me. Lay a finger on me, and I guarantee you won't find your sister—and you'll be the one arrested. Then she really will be left out there to die."I stared at her. Rage roared in my ears, begging me to snap her neck.But Maya's pale face flashed in my mind. My grip loosene

The fire exit at the end of the hall was dark and empty.They shoved me down. My knees hit concrete hard. I sucked in a sharp breath.Before I could get up, Winnie stepped in, thick heels clicking.The fire door slammed shut behind her, killing the light. A dim motion sensor bulb flickered on, casting a sick glow.She looked down at me, smiling like she had me cornered."Go on. Run. Weren't you real impressive just now?"She touched her swollen cheek, sucked in a breath. The hate in her eyes deepened."What do you want?" I pushed through the pain and got up, bracing against the wall, my gaze sharp."Don't look at me like that. Your sister brought this on herself. She stuck her nose where it didn't belong."My pupils shrank. My head buzzed, like something slammed into it.I remembered.Two days ago, on a video call, Maya mentioned it like it was nothing.An old man with Alzheimer's had accidentally soiled his clothes. A manager went off on him.Maya told her to be patient.

"Officer! It's them! Illegal detention and attempted murder!" Colin shouted, pointing at Winnie and the guards.The officers moved fast, stepping in and restraining the two guards.The lead officer looked at Winnie, cold. "You in charge here? We got a report you abandoned a seriously injured patient and illegally detained someone. You're coming with us."For a split second, panic flickered across her face. Then she pulled herself together, smoothing her clothes like nothing happened."Don't listen to them," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Attempted murder? Do you even know the law?"Her sister was a client, but the account ran out of money. We're a high-end facility, not a charity. No money, we discharge. It's in the contract."At most, this is a civil dispute. And illegal detention? Please. She hit me first. Look at my face. The guards restrained her to protect me.""Bullshit! Since when does discharge mean dumping someone with two broken legs in a snowy alley?" Colin snapped.

Gideon lost it. He rushed Winnie, throwing punches and kicks, trying to distance himself."Ms. Keyne! It's a misunderstanding! All of it! That bitch acted on her own—I didn't know! I'll fire her right now! I'll call the police myself! Please—be reasonable. Don't hold this against me!"Winnie took the hits, covering her head, screaming, "Gideon, you bastard! That's not what you said last night, in my bed! You said you run this place! Even if someone died, you had people to cover it up! And now you're hitting me?!""Bullshit! Officer, I don't know her! She's lying!" Gideon panicked, cold sweat pouring down his face.He knew it—cross the Keyne family, and everything he built would crash. Every dirty secret dragged into the light."Enough. Cut the act."I watched them tear each other apart, disgusted, then turned to the lead officer."Officer, I have recordings proving intentional harm, abandonment, and abuse of power. I want to file a report."The officer's face went cold. "Take t