Chapter 3

With trembling hands, I felt for his breath. It was so faint I thought it might stop at any second.

I glanced at the elevator display. The elevator Alexis had deliberately sent to every floor was now on the 17th.

Each stop felt agonizingly long. The doors would open, wait, and close again as the elevator slowly crawled downward.

There was no time to lose. By the time it reached the first floor and came back up—or another elevator arrived—it would already be too late.

"Help me! Please, help me carry him down! We'll take the stairs!" I turned to the security guards and yelled.

They exchanged uneasy glances, and no one was willing to step forward.

Colin quietly backed away, stammering, "Look... if he dies while we're carrying him, we're the ones liable... You... you're on your own. I'm going to call HR."

With that, they all turned and ran off.

I clenched my jaw until it hurt. In this cold corporate world, a human life meant nothing.

But I didn't have time for anger. I had to force myself to stay calm.

Hoisting Marvin onto my back once more, I staggered toward the door leading to the emergency stairwell.

With the weight of a grown man on my back, I began the long descent down the stairs from the 21st floor.

The stairwell echoed with my heavy footsteps and ragged breathing.

"Hang in there, Mr. Brown. We're almost there... We're almost there..." I kept talking to him as I descended, hoping to keep him conscious.

When I reached the 15th floor, my legs felt like lead.

Every single step down sent a sharp stab of pain through my knees.

Marvin's head hung limply over my shoulder, bumping against my neck with every step.

His body was growing colder and colder, and panic surged through me as I felt his life slipping away.

"Mr. Brown, think about your daughter. Didn't you say she just got a great job in the city? Aren't you saving up to give her a beautiful wedding? You can't give up now," I said.

Sweat poured into my eyes, stinging fiercely.

Marvin loved talking about his daughter more than anything. She was the pride and joy of his life.

He always told me that she had been a top student, graduated from a prestigious university, and had a successful career in the city.

Even though she was always busy and rarely came home, he sent her every dime he earned each month, refusing to even buy himself a decent meal.

By the time I reached the 10th floor, I was at my limit.

My lungs felt like they were on fire, and every breath carried the metallic taste of blood.

Suddenly, my legs gave out, and I pitched forward.

To protect Marvin, I twisted my body, slamming my back hard against the steel handrail.

The acute pain exploded through me, and everything went black for an instant. I bit down hard on my tongue, using the pain to force myself to stay conscious.

I couldn't stop. If I did, Marvin would really die.

Just then, a faint, barely audible whisper reached my ear.

"Je… Jerome…"

It was Marvin. His voice was so weak it felt like an illusion, but I knew I had heard it.

"Mr. Brown, I'm here! I'm right here! Hang in there!" I answered, hope surging through me.

"I… I can't… make it," Marvin uttered the words with difficulty.

I quickly stopped him and said, "Don't talk. Save your strength. We're almost there!"

"She cares… too much… about her reputation. Don't... don't blame her..." Marvin said faintly. Those were the last words he spoke.

When he finished, his head suddenly slumped against my shoulder.