The rain showed no mercy. It fell in relentless sheets, blurring the city lights into streaks of gold and white as Amara Hayes stood across the street, staring up at the towering glass building that bore his name in bold silver letters. Blackwood Corporation. Five years ago, she had walked out of those doors with trembling hands and a heart that felt like it had been carved out of her chest. Tonight, she was walking back in with nothing but desperation. Her fingers tightened around her phone as it vibrated again. She didn’t need to look. She already knew. But she opened the message anyway. Mom’s blood pressure is unstable. Surgery deposit must be paid within forty-eight hours. We cannot proceed without it.