Billionaire's Stolen Glance

Andrea’s shift at the restaurant finally came to an end. It had been a long and exhausting day, but now she could finally head home and collapse into bed. As she stepped out onto the quiet street, the cool night air was a welcome change from the noise back at the restaurant. Andrea tucked her phone into her pocket as she walked hurriedly to the train station, her thoughts drifting to plans for the rest of the evening. Suddenly, the vibration from her phone jerked her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was her father’s assistant. “Why is Miss Felicia calling at this time?” she thought, her heart rate quickening with concern. With a furrowed brow, Andrea answered the call. “Hello?” The PA's voice came through the phone, tense and urgent. "Andrea, it's me. I need you to come to the hospital right away. Your father had a heart attack." Andrea's breath caught in her throat, her mind racing with fear and concern. "Oh my God, what? How is he? What happened?" "He's in a critical condition. We need you here as soon as possible," the PA replied, her voice wavering with urgency. A wave of panic washed over Andrea as she processed the news. Just yesterday, she had spoken to her father, and he had sounded perfectly fine. But now, faced with the reality of his sudden illness, Andrea's mind raced with worry and fear. "I'm on my way," Andrea said firmly, her voice trembling with emotion. She ended the call with shaky hands and hurriedly made her way to the hospital, her heart pounding with each step. Andrea arrived at the hospital with tears in her eyes, the same place she had lost her mother a few months ago. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as she begged the nurse to let her see her father. "Please, I need to see my father,” she begged, her voice choked with emotion. Sensing Andrea's distress, the nurse quickly directed her to her father's room. Andrea hurried down the corridor, her footsteps echoing in the quiet hospital halls. When she reached her father's room, her breath caught in her throat. There he lay, her father, on life support. Andrea's hands flew to her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs as tears streamed down her cheeks. She approached his bedside, her heart breaking at the sight before her. "Dad," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion as tears continued to stream down her cheeks "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through this together." As Andrea sat by her father's bedside, a sense of helplessness washed over her. She felt lost and alone, her mind swirling with fear and uncertainty. Suddenly, the door opened, and Miss Felicia entered the room. Andrea's voice cracked as she looked at the PA, her eyes pleading for answers. "What happened?" The PA's expression was grim as she replied, "I don’t know, Andrea. I just walked into the office and found him collapsed on the floor. But there's something you need to know. Come with me." Once they were alone, Miss Felicia hesitated, her eyes filled with guilt. “I don’t think this is just a heart attack,” she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Andrea felt a surge of panic at Miss Felicia's words, her heart pounding in her chest. "What do you mean?" she asked confused. Miss Felicia's expression was grave as she revealed the shocking truth about her father's condition. "Andrea, your father's company... it was defrauded. He's been under a lot of stress trying to handle it on his own without alarming you." Shock washed over Andrea, her mind reeling at the revelation. "Defrauded? But... how could he keep something like that from me? And you too?" Her voice trembled with a mix of disbelief and hurt. Miss Felicia shook her head, her pain evident in her eyes. "He wanted to protect you, Andrea. He didn't want you to worry, and neither did I." As Andrea processed the gravity of the situation, her emotions swirled in turmoil. Anger, sadness, and fear battled within her. The PA's voice was strained as she continued, "But the doctor says they need to carry out surgery on him urgently. It's going to cost $129,000." Andrea's breath caught in her throat; her eyes widened in shock. "$129,000? But... but that's a lot of money," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. The PA nodded solemnly. "Yes, it is. And here's the thing, Andrea. The company is bankrupt. I'm confused, Andrea. I don't know what to do." Andrea's mind raced as she tried to process the gravity of the situation. “I don't know either," she confessed. “I think I should speak with Doctor Stephen,” Andrea said. Miss Felicia nodded in agreement, her expression mirroring Andrea's concern. Andrea’s steps felt heavy as she entered the doctor's office. Noticing her presence, Doctor Stephen stood up to give her a hug and motioned for her to take a seat, his expression somber as he regarded her with empathy. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Andrea settled into the chair. “I came by the house last week and your dad said you had moved,” he said, surprised. “Yes, I did. I just wanted some time alone. I wish I hadn’t. Maybe if I was there, this wouldn't have happened.” Andrea said. "Andrea, it's okay. Don’t blame yourself, you been through a lot already." the doctor said slowly. Andrea nodded, though she found it hard to accept his words. "But we need to act fast. Your father's condition is getting worse, and he is not responding to the treatment we are providing. If we can't secure the necessary funds within a few days, I'm sorry, there may not be another option." Andrea's heart sank at the doctor's words. She nodded and stood up, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plan, any plan at all, to save her father. Desperate, Andrea asked, "What if I pay $10,000 first? It's all I have at the moment, but I promise we will pay the rest as soon as possible," she proposed, hoping he would agree. The doctor's expression softened slightly at Andrea's plea, but he shook his head. "I understand your situation, Andrea, I really do, and I'm sorry, but we won't be able to proceed with the surgery unless the full amount is paid upfront. We don’t accept partial payments, especially for this kind of surgery," he explained sadly. “Thank you so much, doctor," Andrea said with a heavy heart as she took her leave.