The Billionaire's Captive

The check

Diana Weston followed her father, Richard, into his office. They had no small talk, cutting straight to the chase.

Richard pulled out his checkbook. “How much do you need?”

“The kidney and surgery cost at least $30,000, not counting post-op care... Give what you can,” Diana replied.

Richard gave her a look and reluctantly wrote a check for $50,000. “This should cover it. The company’s been having issues lately, so I can’t give more. If you need anything else, call me directly. Don’t come to the house; your stepmother won’t like it.”

Diana snatched the check. “I’ll pay you back!” she declared, then turned and left.

Half an hour later, Richard's phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Weston.” The voice on the other end was calm and authoritative.

“Mr. Moore!” Richard stood up, his voice filled with respect and a touch of nervousness. Even over the phone, Tyrone Moore’s presence was commanding. Tyrone Moore, the city's renowned real estate tycoon and president of Moore Enterprises, was not a man to be taken lightly.

Tyrone spoke casually, “I hear you’re eager to sign that contract with me?”

“Absolutely,” Richard confirmed. He had been tirelessly working to secure this deal for months. His company was on the verge of bankruptcy due to poor investments, and doing business with Tyrone Moore seemed like the only lifeline.

“Let’s discuss it over dinner tonight,” Tyrone suggested.

“Of course...” Richard couldn’t believe his luck. Tyrone had previously declined, and now, out of the blue, he had changed his mind. But as long as the deal was within reach, Richard wasn’t going to question it.

Tyrone smiled and shifted the topic, “I hear you have another daughter besides Celine, named Diana?”

Richard froze for a moment, then quickly understood. “Yes, Diana is the one who bumped into you earlier.” Clearly, Tyrone had done his homework. To uncover such details within half an hour showed the vast influence of the Moore family.

“Bring her along tonight,” Tyrone said. “I quite like her.”

Richard hesitated briefly before agreeing.

Tyrone’s interest in Diana obviously had ulterior motives. As an experienced businessman, Richard knew this well. He had previously introduced Celine to Tyrone, but Tyrone had shown no interest. Now, unexpectedly, Diana had caught his eye. However, everyone knew that Tyrone’s interest was likely short-lived.

Would Richard really sacrifice Diana for this?

After hanging up, Richard sat in contemplation for a while, finally making a ruthless decision.

Diana didn’t have a mobile phone, so Richard couldn’t contact her directly. He had to wait for her to reach out. He called the bank and canceled the check.

Meanwhile, Diana was at the bank, waiting in line. When it was finally her turn, she was informed that the check was invalid. Stunned, she stood there for a few minutes before calling Richard. “The check won’t clear…”