CHAPTER 1: THE LAST TWENTY- FOUR HOURS
2000 Words
The rain began at 6:17 p.m.
By 6:30, it had turned the city into a blur of shimmering lights and flooded streets.
Selene Ashford barely noticed.
She sat alone in the dimly lit hospital corridor, her elbows resting on her knees, her fingers tightly clutching a stack of unpaid medical bills.
The paper had softened from how many times she'd folded and unfolded it.
At the very top, printed in bold black ink, were the words she had grown to hate.
FINAL NOTICE
Outstanding Balance: $287,450
Her gaze lingered on the number until it blurred.
Two hundred and eighty-seven thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars.
She could recite it from memory now.
It haunted her dreams.
She let out a slow breath and rubbed her tired eyes.
When had she last slept?
Four hours ago?
No...
That had only been a nap on the employee break-room sofa.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from her café manager.
>Where are you? You're fifteen minutes late again. If you aren't here in thirty minutes, don't bother coming back."
Selene closed the message without replying.
She wanted to laugh.
Or cry.
Maybe both.
Because how could she explain that she was choosing between keeping her job...
And watching her mother die?
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor.
"Miss Ashford?"
She looked up immediately.
Dr. Harrison stood a few feet away, still wearing his surgical cap. His shoulders slumped with the exhaustion of a man who had spent too many years delivering impossible news.
Selene rose so quickly that the papers slipped from her lap and scattered across the floor.
"Doctor."
He helped her gather them in silence.
Neither of them spoke.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Her heart sank.
He hadn't even started talking, yet she already knew.
"The operating room has been reserved until tomorrow evening."
His voice was gentle.
"If payment isn't received before then..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Selene lowered her head.
"She'll lose her chance."
Dr. Harrison nodded once.
"The tumor has become aggressive."
"The longer we wait..."
"...the more dangerous the surgery becomes."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Finally, Selene forced herself to ask the question she'd been avoiding all week.
"If..."
Her throat tightened.
"If we can't pay..."
"How much time does she have?"
The doctor looked away.
"I can't give an exact answer."
"But if the cancer continues progressing at this rate..."
He paused.
"...perhaps two months."
Two months.
The world tilted.
Selene gripped the edge of the nearby chair to steady herself.
Two months.
That was all the time her mother had left.
Her mother...
The woman who had worked double shifts to put her through school.
The woman who had smiled through every hardship after losing her husband.
She wasn't a burden.
She was everything.
"I'll find the money."
Selene heard herself say it before she even believed it.
"I promise."
Dr. Harrison offered her a sympathetic smile.
"I hope you do."
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before walking away.
The corridor felt colder after he left.
Room307.
Selene stood outside the half-open door, taking a deep breath before stepping inside.
Her mother was asleep.
Or at least pretending to be.
The oxygen tube rested beneath her nose.
A book lay open on her chest, untouched.
She looked smaller than Selene remembered.
Fragile.
Like the slightest breeze could carry her away.
Selene quietly pulled the blanket higher over her mother's shoulders.
Almost immediately, Eleanor's eyes fluttered open.
"You came."
"I always come."
"You should be at work."
Selene smiled.
"I had a break."
A lie.
One of many.
Eleanor studied her daughter for a long moment.
"You've lost weight."
"I've been busy."
"You're skipping meals again."
"I'm eating."
Another lie.
"You always touch your necklace when you lie."
She laughed awkwardly.
"I guess I still haven't fooled you."
"You never will."
Eleanor reached out and gently brushed a strand of damp hair from Selene's face.
"My beautiful girl."
Tears threatened to escape.
Selene quickly looked away.
"I spoke with the doctor."
"And?"
"He says you're stubborn."
Eleanor chuckled weakly.
"I've always been."
"They're going to fix you."
Silence.
Then Eleanor whispered,
"...Don't sell the house."
Selene's smile faded.
"Mom—"
"Promise me."
"If it comes to choosing between my life and your future..."
"I've already chosen."
"I choose you."
Selene shook her head firmly.
"We're not having this conversation."
"You deserve a life."
"I deserve my mother."
Eleanor's eyes glistened.
"You sound just like your father."
At the mention of him, the room fell quiet.
Three years.
Three years since the accident that had taken him away.
Three years since strangers had appeared claiming he owed millions.
Three years of debt.
Three years of working until exhaustion.
Enough.
It had to end.
One way or another.
Selene squeezed her mother's hand.
"I'll be back after work."
"You'll see."
"Tomorrow..."
She forced another smile.
"...everything will be okay."
She kissed her mother's forehead.
Then turned and walked out before the tears could fall.
The moment the hospital door closed behind her...
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She hesitated.
Then answered.
"...Hello?"
A rough male voice spoke.
"Miss Selene Ashford."
Her heartbeat slowed.
"Yes?"
"You've ignored our boss long enough."
The warmth drained from her body.
Loan sharks.
"We're trying to gather the money—"
"No."
The man cut her off.
"You've run out of excuses."
She swallowed.
"Please..."
"My mother is in the hospital."
"We know."
The words hit her like ice.
"We know where she is."
"We know where you work."
"We know where you live."
Selene's blood ran cold.
"So listen carefully."
The man's voice became frighteningly calm.
"You have exactly twenty-four hours."
"If we don't receive every cent..."
"...we'll collect the debt another way."
The line went dead.
Selene slowly lowered the phone.
Her hands shook so violently that the bills slipped from her grasp, scattering across the rain-soaked pavement outside the hospital.
She stared at them.
Then at the dark sky above.
For the first time in years...
She felt completely alone.
The rain soaked Selene's clothes within seconds.
She didn't move.
Cars splashed through puddles, people hurried beneath umbrellas but she remained standing outside the hospital, staring at the scattered bills lying in the rain.
Twenty-four hours.
The words echoed inside her head.
She bent down, gathering the papers one by one. The ink had begun to bleed.
Just like her hope.
A horn blared behind her.
She flinched.
Her phone vibrated again.
This time it wasn't another threat.
It was her bank.
She already knew what they were going to say before she answered.
"Hello, Miss Ashford," the woman on the line said politely. "We're calling regarding your emergency loan application."
Selene closed her eyes.
"Yes."
"I'm sorry to inform you that your application has been declined."
"...Again?"
"Your current income and outstanding liabilities exceed our lending requirements."
She gave a quiet laugh.
"I understand."
"We wish you the best."
The call ended.
She stared at the black screen of her phone.
That made six banks.
Six rejections.
She had exhausted every option she could think of.
Selling the house wasn't enough.
Working three jobs hadn't been enough.
Nothing...
Was enough.
---
By seven-thirty that evening, Selene pushed open the back door of Aurora, the city's most luxurious restaurant.
Warm air wrapped around her immediately.
The rich aroma of grilled steak, fresh herbs, and expensive wine filled the kitchen.
"You're late."
Her manager, Mr. Collins, didn't even look up from his clipboard.
"I know."
"You were supposed to start forty minutes ago."
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry doesn't pay salaries."
He finally looked at her.
Dark circles shadowed her eyes.
Rainwater dripped from her hair onto the polished floor.
He sighed.
"You look terrible."
"I feel worse."
For a moment, something resembling sympathy crossed his face.
Then it disappeared.
"The VIP lounge requested two additional servers."
"You're taking Table Seven."
Selene blinked.
"The VIP section?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
She nodded quickly.
"Yes, sir."
"And Selene..."
She turned back.
"If any customer complains tonight..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't have to.
She understood perfectly.
One mistake...
And she'd lose the only steady job she had left.
---
An hour passed.
The restaurant buzzed with laughter and quiet conversations.
Selene forced smile after smile, carrying expensive dishes she could never afford to taste.
"Another bottle of wine, please."
"Right away."
"Miss, the steak is overcooked."
"I'm terribly sorry. I'll replace it immediately."
"Can I have fresh napkins?"
"Of course."
Every step made her feet ache.
Every smile felt heavier than the last.
She hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon.
The smell of warm bread alone made her stomach twist painfully.
She slipped into the kitchen to refill a water pitcher.
Her coworker, Mia, frowned when she saw her.
"When did you last eat?"
"I'm fine."
"Liar."
Mia reached into her apron pocket and handed her a small wrapped sandwich.
"I saved this from my break."
Selene immediately shook her head.
"I can't take your food."
"You can."
"Mia..."
"Either you eat it, or I'll force-feed you."
Despite everything, Selene laughed.
It was the first genuine laugh she'd had all day.
"Thank you."
She quickly took a bite.
The simple sandwich tasted better than any expensive meal she'd ever served.
"You know," Mia said quietly, "you don't always have to carry everything alone."
Selene swallowed.
"If I stop carrying it..."
"It all falls apart."
Before Mia could reply, the kitchen doors swung open.
"Selene!"
Mr. Collins' voice thundered through the room.
"The VIP guest has arrived."
She immediately straightened.
"I'm coming."
Mr. Collins lowered his voice as she approached.
"Listen carefully."
"The customer in the private lounge booked the entire floor."
"No interruptions."
"No mistakes."
"And whatever he asks for..."
He paused.
"...make sure he gets it."
Selene nodded.
"I understand."
She smoothed the wrinkles from her black uniform, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and picked up a menu.
As she climbed the staircase leading to the private lounge, an uneasy feeling settled in her chest.
She couldn't explain why.
---
The upper floor was silent.
Unlike the busy restaurant below, this section held only one table.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the rain-soaked city.
Soft piano music drifted through hidden speakers.
At the center of the room sat a man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.
His broad shoulders faced the window.
One hand rested on a porcelain coffee cup.
The other casually held a document.
He hadn't touched the gourmet meal prepared by the head chef.
He seemed more interested in watching the rain than eating.
Selene took a slow breath.
Just another customer.
Nothing more.
She stepped forward.
"Good evening, sir."
The man didn't turn around.
"My name is Selene, and I'll be serving you tonight."
Still no response.
She wondered if he hadn't heard her.
Then—
"I know."
His voice was deep.
Calm.
Dangerously composed.
A strange shiver ran down her spine.
He slowly set his coffee cup onto the table.
Then turned.
Time seemed to stop.
His face was impossibly handsome, but it wasn't beauty that stole her breath.
It was his eyes.
Cold gray.
Sharp.
The kind of eyes that looked straight through a person, as though every secret they had ever buried was laid open before him.
He studied her quietly.
Not with desire.
Not with curiosity.
With... recognition.
As if he'd spent years searching for someone.
And had finally found them.
Selene forced herself to smile professionally.
"Would you like to order, sir?"
The man didn't even glance at the menu.
Instead, he asked one simple question.
"...Selene Ashford?"
Her smile faltered.
"...Yes."
For the first time that evening...
The billionaire smiled.
It wasn't warm.
It wasn't kind.
It was the smile of a man who had just confirmed something he'd waited years to discover.
He slowly rose to his feet.
Towering over her.
"At last..."
He took one measured step closer.
"I've finally found you."
- Writer
