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Chapter 10

Penulis: TEG
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-26 21:20:38

The world tilts.

My father. Alive. Standing beside Richard Chen like colleagues. Like the last three years of grief were performance art.

"You're dead." The words scrape out. Hollow. "I went to your funeral. I watched them lower your casket."

"Empty." My father still won't look at me. His hands shake. He shoves them in his pockets. "Richard arranged everything. Made it look real. Gave me a choice. Disappear and help him perfect Project Angel, or watch him kill you and your sister. Both of you.
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  • The Debt He Can't Collect   Chapter 63

    Emma collapsed during her Wednesday cardiac rehab session in mid-February.She'd been doing well—thirty minutes on the treadmill at 2.5 miles per hour, heart rate steady at ninety-two. Patricia had been discussing increasing the intensity next week. Emma felt strong, confident, almost normal.Then the room tilted.Patricia caught her before she hit the floor, easing her down carefully while simultaneously hitting the emergency call button."Emma, stay with me. What are you feeling?"Emma tried to answer but couldn't form words. Her chest felt like someone had wrapped steel bands around it and was tightening them systematically. Her heart rhythm was all wrong—she could feel it stuttering, racing, struggling.The world grayed at the edges.Patricia was talking to someone—medical staff who'd responded to the emergency call. Emma felt hands on her, people checking vitals, someone placing oxygen over her face."Heart rate one-forty-two. Blood pressure dropping. Possible cardiac event. Get

  • The Debt He Can't Collect   Chapter 62

    Emma started her position as medical director of the Medical Trial Victim Support Fund on the first Monday of January.The office was small—a converted suite in a medical building near Manhattan Memorial, just two rooms and a waiting area. Rachel had set it up with Emma's limitations in mind: ergonomic furniture, multiple rest areas, and flexible scheduling that allowed Emma to work from home when necessary.Emma's first day was deliberately light. Four hours in the office, reviewing intake protocols and meeting the small staff Rachel had assembled. A case manager, an administrative assistant, and a part-time nurse to handle initial medical screenings."We're starting small," Rachel explained, walking Emma through the filing system. "Thirty-seven current beneficiaries, but we're expecting that number to grow as more victims come forward. Your job is to review medical documentation, make recommendations for treatment protocols, and coordinate with patients' primary physicians."It was

  • The Debt He Can't Collect   Chapter 61

    The Daniel Cross trial lasted three weeks.Emma didn't attend again after her testimony. Dr. Walsh had been explicit—one day in court was the maximum her heart could handle. Instead, Emma followed the proceedings through news coverage and daily updates from Damien, who attended every session.The prosecution built a methodical case. FBI agents testified about the evidence seized from Cross Foundation files. Accountants traced money through thirty years of shell companies. Victoria Chen provided detailed testimony about her father's research and Daniel's role in protecting it.The defense strategy remained consistent: attack every witness's credibility, argue that the conspiracy was Marcus Cross's creation alone, portray Daniel as a prosecutor who'd made errors in judgment but committed no crimes.It might have worked if not for the recordings.Sarah Chen's testimony in week two destroyed the defense's narrative. She authenticated the audio recordings of Webb and Daniel discussing brib

  • The Debt He Can't Collect   Chapter 60

    The Daniel Cross trial began on a Tuesday in mid-December, six weeks after Emma's last cardiac arrest.She sat in the witness waiting room of the Southern District courthouse, reviewing her testimony notes for the third time that morning. Sophie sat beside her, periodically checking Emma's heart rate via the monitoring app that had become a constant presence in both their lives."Heart rate eighty-eight," Sophie reported. "Elevated but manageable. How do you feel?""Nervous," Emma admitted. "But okay. Dr. Walsh cleared me for this."Walsh had indeed cleared Emma—reluctantly—with strict conditions. No more than two hours in the courthouse. Breaks every thirty minutes. Immediate departure if symptoms developed. And Sophie accompanying her as a medical monitor.The prosecution had scheduled Emma as their second witness, right after the FBI agent who'd arrested Daniel Cross. Emma would provide the victim perspective—the human cost of the conspiracy Daniel had orchestrated.A bailiff appea

  • The Debt He Can't Collect   Chapter 59

    Emma's recovery progressed in increments so small they were almost imperceptible day to day, but unmistakable week to week.By the end of November, she could walk fifteen minutes on the treadmill without her heart rate spiking above 105. Her shoulder wound had healed enough that physical therapy focused on rebuilding strength rather than managing pain. The medications had stabilized, side effects diminishing as her body adjusted.Dr. Walsh cleared her for limited activities outside of formal rehab—short walks, light household tasks, brief social engagements. Nothing strenuous, nothing stressful, but enough that Emma felt slightly less like an invalid.Damien had become a constant presence during recovery. Not hovering like Sophie, but there—bringing dinner twice a week, coordinating with Mitchell on foundation paperwork so Emma could review documents without the stress of actual meetings, just existing in her space without demanding anything.On the first Friday of December, he arrive

  • The Debt He Can't Collect   Chapter 58

    Monday morning arrived cold and gray, typical November weather that matched Emma's mood as she entered the cardiac rehab facility.Patricia greeted her with cautious optimism. "Dr. Lawson. Good to see you back. How was your rest week?""Long," Emma admitted. "But I followed orders. Complete rest. No stress.""Your vitals look better." Patricia reviewed Emma's chart on her tablet. "Heart rate at eighty-two, blood pressure one-twenty over seventy-eight. Significant improvement from last week. Let's see if you can maintain those numbers during light exercise."They started with five minutes on the treadmill at 1.5 miles per hour—slower than Emma's previous attempts. Patricia monitored continuously, watching for any sign of distress.Emma focused on breathing steadily, keeping her movements controlled. Her shoulder still ached from the gunshot wound, limiting her arm swing slightly. But her heart felt stronger, more stable than it had in weeks.Five minutes passed. Patricia checked the mo

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