Chapter Four: Despair

Ellen stood up and made a beeline for the living room. She forced a smile as she approached her parents. Rose and Wills also gave her a reassuring smile, pretending they had everything under control. 

Ellen knew they were only pretending so she wouldn't worry. She cleared her throat, “Hmm, hmm”

“What is it?” Rose asked with concern etched across her her face as she rubbed Ellen's back.

She continued, “Mom, Dad, I asked Ricardo for help, and he agreed to help us.”

“What?” Rose widened her eyes as tears streamed down her face. “My baby, we’ve put you through so much distress. This trouble was caused by your dad and me, but we can't even do anything to help you! You had to shoulder all these responsibilities."

She wailed harder.

"My baby is now an adult.”

Wills sighed and shook his head. His baby daughter, whom he had doted on and protected all her life, was now the one shielding their family from danger and trying to protect the company from going bankrupt.

Ellen hugged Rose.

“Mum, I can’t just fold my arms and watch our family fall into despair. Besides, the company is Dad’s sweat hard work, and I won’t allow it to go bankrupt. Not under my watch.”

Wills sighed as he patted his daughter’s back.

A few days passed, and Ellen became increasingly worried. As the deadline Wills had promised drew closer, she couldn't contain her fear anymore. She picked up her phone and called Ricardo.

After the third ring, a cold, mechanical female voice sounded.

Ellen's heart sank. 

Ric had betrayed her?

No. He would never do that. Something must have happened to make him ignore her.

She couldn't help grip her phone tightly at that thought.

***

Meanwhile, at the Jules mansion, Ricardo’s father, Frederick Jules, reprimanded his son.

“No, you can’t go against Ivan. He is ruthless, you can’t go against him!”

“Dad, you don’t understand. Ellen’s family is in debt, and I need to help her because she is my girlfriend, and I love her. I can’t just watch her go through so much trouble.”

Ricardo’s voice quivered as he looked at his father.

“No Ric. A wise man submits to circumstances. Your account will be frozen, and your phones and other devices will be confiscated until this passes. We can’t afford to offend that devil and put our family in danger.”

Frederick spat out the words before turning and leaving while Ricardo remained on his knees, pain written all over his face. 

“Dad, you can’t do that to me and Ellen, what will she think of me?”

He watched his father walk away in despair. He really couldn't do anything to save the love of his life.

***

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

The Adams family had left no stone unturned in their search of help, but it had all come to nothing. After evryone rejected them, thier last hope was Ricardo Jules, Ellen's boyfriend. 

“He hasn’t called yet?” Rose paced around Ellen’s room.

“No, mom.” Ellen sighed as she got up from her bed and hugged her mother.

She continued, “I don’t think he is going to help us, Mom.”

“What! Isn’t he your boyfriend? Is he going to watch you go with Ivan?” Rose asked angrily.

“Mom, isn’t it obvious? Who wants to go against that devil? Ricardo’s father must have forbidden from helping us. I know Frederick Jules well. He places his business over family, especially when danger is involved.”

Ellen pulled her hair in frustration.

“Do you still trust him then?” Rose asked.

“Yes mom, I do trust him. Besides, he was restricted from helping us” She sat back down and looked her feet.

Rose sighed as she looked at her daughter. They had created this trouble and dragged their daughter into the mess,. Now, her love life was caught in the middle of it.

Would she still trust Ricardo after all this?

Rose could only leave that to fate. After all, Ivan Vladimir was coming for Ellen because they had failed to provide the money as promised.

She slowly walked toward her daughter, sat beside her on the bed and placed her head on her lap. She looked at her lovingly while gently rubbing her hair.

The due date finally came and so did Ivan. 

He walked into the Adams mansion as if he owned the place. Arrogant and ruthless, he carried himself like a man who knew no one could stop him. 

Wills fell to his knees, his eyes widening with trepidation. “Mr. Vladimir, I haven’t gathered the money.”

Ivan walked toward him and placed his foot against his back forcing him to kowtow  with his forehead touching the floor.

“What did you say to me? You said you will gather the money in a week, right?”

Unknown to the Adams family, Ivan had already ordered every business owner not to help them. No one was willing to offend the ruthless Ivan Vladimir.

Ellen looked at her dad’s pitiful state on the floor before raising her head sharply toward Ivan.

“There is a condition, right?”

Rose immediately walked toward Ellen. “No. We'll figure this out. Don’t make such rash decisions.” She pushed Ellen behind her as pea sized tears fell from her eyes.

“No, Mom. I need to do this. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Ellen stepped out from behind Rose and gently touched her hands, trying to calm her.  

She looked at Ivan without trepidation and walked toward him,  stopping directly in front of him. , “Release my dad, and I will go with you.”

Ivan stared at the girl that had clouded his mind since the moment he met her. He raised his eyebrows, clearly not expecting her to accept his condition. He closed the distance between them and leaned toward her, his lips almost touching hers, “Are you sure you want to go with me, beautiful?”

Ellen glared at him and took a step back. “What? You want to change your mind? I don’t think you're that nice.”

Ivan smiled, two beautiful dimples appearing at both sides of his cheek.

It seems that his days were about to become interesting. He turned toward Wills who was still kneeling before him.

“On account of your daughter, I will leave you unscathed.”

Wills slowly stood with Rose's help. He looked at his daughter with guilt written across his face.

He blamed himself.

He shouldn’t have gone to this devil for help. He should have let his company go bankrupt and taken his family to the countryside to live an ordinary life. 

Regret burned deeply within him and his eyes slowly reddened.

Ellen knew what her father was thinking. She walked toward him and held his hand.  “Don’t blame yourself Dad, you did what you had to do to save the company.”

She hugged him one last time before turning to Rose.

Tears filled her eyes as she said her final goodbyes to her parents, before walking out of the mansion with Ivan. 

She had saved her family.

But she had no idea what she had just walked into.