The $1.5 Million Kidney Trap

One of the man's lackeys stepped forward to snatch my phone.

I clutched it in my fist and shouted, "Don't touch me! I don't know you.

"And I never took any $1.5 million!"

More and more people were gathering to watch.

The man dropped his menacing expression, and his eyes actually reddened.

"How can you lie like that?

"My mother is in the hospital waiting for your kidney to save her life. There's no time left."

He reached for my arm.

"You're coming with me right now.

"You don't get to take someone's money and then refuse to do what you promised."

I stepped back, out of his reach.

"You've got the wrong person. I've never seen you before in my life."

An older woman behind me moved in front of me and snapped at him, "The girl already told you she doesn't know you.

"You'd better not be some kind of trafficker!"

Her husband closed ranks beside her, shielding me as he eyed the man with suspicion.

The man stared at me, perfectly composed.

"Your name is Serena Ashford, isn't it?"

"Yes."

I answered without thinking.

"You live in Houston, and the last four digits of your Social are 4536, right?"

He rattled off several pieces of my personal information. Every one was correct.

"Just answer the question. Did you sign a donation agreement or not?"

"I did sign one, but..."

He cut me off, raising his voice.

"That's all I needed to hear!

"Don't let her fool you!

"This woman is a fake heiress who just got kicked out of a rich family. She's desperate for cash!

"$1.5 million! I sold my house and bled myself dry to scrape that together, and my mother is on the operating table right now!"

The crowd erupted.

The older woman's protective arm fell away from me.

I stared him down.

"Who are you, really, and what do you want from me?"

A chill of fear ran through me.

These days, it wasn't hard to dig up someone's personal information.

But only my family knew I was a "fake heiress."

I had barely left my hotel that morning when these people intercepted me on this stretch of road.

There were no cameras here. If I hadn't known some self-defense, they would already have forced me into that car.

The man, Derek Cole, clenched his jaw, his eyes bloodshot.

"Serena, quit pretending you don't remember. The agreement is right there in black and white.

"You demanded another $600,000 at the last minute. When I refused, you took the money and ran."

His hands shook as he spoke, as if he were fighting to hold his emotions in check.

Without warning, he dropped to his knees in front of me, hard enough that the impact echoed off the concrete.

"Miss Ashford, I'm begging you. Please save my mother first.

"I truly can't come up with any more money right now. I'll spend the rest of my life repaying you. I'll do anything!

"My mother won't make it through tonight... She's suffered her whole life."

Still on his knees, he shuffled toward me and reached for the hem of my pants.

I jerked backward.

The next second, the older woman whipped around and glared at me.

"And here I was, actually trying to help you.

"You took $1.5 million meant to save someone's life and ran off with it? That's disgusting!"