"The Price of Desperation"
Mira's phone rang when she already knew the answer.
"Hello?" Her voice trembled despite her attempt at calm.
"Ms. Chen, I have your father's test results," the doctor said, his tone clipped. "We need to act quickly. The surgery if it's going to work needs to happen within weeks. Not months."
Weeks. Not months.
Mira's chest tightened. She pressed the phone harder against her ear, as if squeezing it could make the words disappear.
"Two million," she whispered before she could stop herself. "Two million dollars in weeks."
She heard the doctor sigh. "I'm sorry. We have resources, but insurance won't cover this experimental procedure. You'll need to find funding outside the hospital."
Mira's hands shook. She gripped the counter for balance. "Outside the hospital?"
"Yes. We can guide you on payment plans, but time is critical."
Her vision blurred, her breath catching. Two million dollars. She didn't even have two hundred.
She ended the call before the doctor could say more.
Her father's face flashed in her mind. The way he smiled when she brought him tea. The way his hand rested over hers, steady and warm, every time she felt weak. The man who had chosen her, always, without expectation. She couldn't fail him. Not now.
Her laptop chimed. Another email. Another rejection.
Ashford Industries.
She stared at the screen. We regret to inform you that your application has not been successful…
Her fingers trembled as she slammed the laptop shut.
"No. No!" she muttered. Rage surged, sharp and pure. Her father was dying. And she was powerless.
That night, she worked herself up into a frenzy. She had tried every job, every opportunity. Nothing. And now the clock was ticking.
She didn't know why she did it, maybe desperation, maybe pure defiance but she walked straight into Ashford Industries the next morning.
The receptionist barely glanced at her. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No," Mira said. Her voice was sharper than she intended. "I need to see Dominic Ashford. Now."
The woman raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. "He's in a meeting. But I can"
"No," Mira interrupted, her patience gone. "I need answers. Now."
She stormed past the desk before the woman could stop her. Every step felt heavier, like the two million dollars pressed against her chest. She wasn't a visitor. She wasn't supposed to be here. And yet, she walked, determined.
She found the office. A polished glass door with the name Dominic Ashford, CEOengraved in gold. She hesitated a fraction of a second. Then I knocked. Hard.
A voice answered before she could speak.
"Come in."
The door opened. And there he was. Dominic Ashford.
Tall, composed, unapproachable. The kind of man who didn't need introductions because his presence demanded attention. His gray eyes scanned her in silence. Cold. Sharp. Calculating.
"What is this about?" he asked, his tone calm but unreadable.
"I" Mira swallowed, her words catching. "I need to know why my application was rejected. I sent it yesterday. It's a clerical error. I need"
He didn't respond. He didn't even blink. His gaze made her feel exposed.
"I said, why?" she repeated, her voice louder now, cracking with frustration.
"Miss Chen…" he began. "I don't usually"
A woman's voice cut in sharp and sweet. "Dominic, we need to talk privately."
Camille. His ex. Mira froze. She barely had time to register her presence. Camille's smile was calm, dangerous. The kind of smile that promised ruin behind every polite word.
"Camille?" Dominic said, his voice low. His body stiffened. Mira noticed the tension immediately.
Camille didn't answer. She simply placed a file on the desk. "This is about inheritance. If certain details come out, everything could fall apart for you."
Mira's mind spun. She didn't understand. But she understood enough to know she shouldn't be here.
Dominic's eyes flicked to her. Something unreadable passed through them, annoyance, surprise, curiosity. "Miss Chen, how much did you hear?"
Her mouth went dry. "I… I don't know. Enough. I think I"
"Enough," he said. The word hit her like a punch. "Enough to know that you shouldn't be here. Enough to be in danger. Enough that I'm considering asking you to leave before this becomes your problem too."
She swallowed hard. She couldn't leave. She couldn't turn back now. Two million dollars. Her father's life. Her conscience screamed.
"I can help," she blurted out, before she could stop herself. "I can… I don't know how, but I can help."
Dominic's eyebrows shot up. "You? Help? You're a stranger."
"Then make me not a stranger!" she snapped. Her hands shook, her voice louder. "My father is dying! I don't care about rules. I don't care about your business. I don't care about anything! I just… I can't fail him!"
For a moment, he just stared. Mira's chest heaved. Her words spilled without pause. Rage, desperation, fear every emotion spilled out like water breaking through a dam.
"I can do things you don't want to do. I can… I can fix problems. I can keep secrets. I can… I can be useful!"
The room was silent for a heartbeat. Then two.
Dominic leaned back in his chair, studying her. His eyes narrowed. "You're reckless."
"Yes!" she shouted. "Yes, I am. Because if I'm not reckless, he dies!"
He didn't move. Didn't speak. Just watched.
Her breath came in shallow, rapid bursts. "You don't get it. Two million dollars. Thirty days. Or my father is"
His hand lifted, stopping her mid-sentence. "Thirty days?"
Mira froze. "Youwait… what? Did you just… did you hear that?"
Dominic's face didn't change. "I heard enough. I also know that you're not supposed to be here. And yet… you are. And now, you've made this your business. Correct?"
"Yes!" she said, louder, almost desperate. "It's my business because it's his life!"
He rubbed his forehead. Mira noticed the tension in his jaw, the slight twitch of his fingers. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. Something that wasn't irritating. Something sharper.