Those Are Fake!
1026 Words
Everyone stared at the open suitcase, their eyes wide and unblinking. The pile of cash sat there like a monument to something they couldn't quite grasp. Nathan wasn't joking. He'd actually come to pay off the debt—all of it. Which meant Sera would no longer be their maid, no longer tied to the Nashville family in any way.
The silence stretched for several seconds before someone broke it.
"Those are fake!" a man shouted from the crowd, his voice cracking with disbelief. He was one of the distant relatives, a man Nathan recognized but had never bothered learning the name of. "He brought counterfeit notes to show off! There's no way he got that much money!"
Nathan's smile didn't falter. He turned slowly toward the man who'd spoken, his ice-blue eyes locking onto him with calm amusement. "Then come over here and confirm it yourself." He pointed directly at the man. "Check every single bill if you want."
The man's face went pale, but Winston spoke before he could retreat. "Go ahead. Confirm whether the money is real or not."
The man had no choice. He shuffled forward, his steps hesitant, like a child being sent to check under the bed for monsters. The crowd parted to let him through, and soon he stood in front of the suitcase. He bent down, his hands trembling slightly as he picked up one of the bills.
Nathan watched him with that same grin, his hands still tucked casually in his pockets. The man held the bill up to the light, his fingers running over the texture, checking the watermark, the security thread. His eyes widened.
He picked up another bill. Then another. Each time, the same result.
"Well?" Nathan's voice cut through the tension. "Tell them what you just confirmed. Don't lie now."
The man turned slowly to face Winston and the rest of the family. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "It's... it's real. All of it."
The words landed like a bomb.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. People leaned forward, craning their necks to get a better look at the suitcase. Some whispered to each other, their voices urgent and confused. Others just stood there, frozen in disbelief.
Even Sera was stunned. She stood among the crowd, her silver eyes locked on her brother, her mouth slightly open. She didn't even notice the tears that had started rolling down her cheeks, tracing warm lines down her face.
Marie broke the silence, her voice sharp and demanding. "Where did you get that money?"
Nathan turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. "None of your business."
Her face flushed, a mix of anger and embarrassment coloring her cheeks. She opened her mouth to respond, but Nathan had already turned away from her, dismissing her entirely.
"Now," Nathan said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "about those modifications to the divorce."
Winston's frown deepened, the wrinkles on his forehead multiplying. "Modifications? You already made modifications the last time we spoke. What more do you want to change?"
Nathan tilted his head, considering. The room watched him, waiting. Then he waved his hand dismissively. "Actually, forget it. I'm not in the mood anymore. Let's just stick to the previous modifications I made."
Winston's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
Nathan continued, ticking off items on his fingers. "I get back the one million dollars I spent on Marie during our marriage. I get back my mother's necklace that I gave her." He paused, his eyes sweeping across the crowd until they found Sera. "And my sister is released from her contract with your family. Immediately."
At those words, Sera couldn't hold back anymore. The tears she'd been trying to control burst forth like a dam breaking. Her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees, her hands covering her face as sobs wracked her body. Three years. Three years of servitude, of watching her brother suffer, of feeling helpless and trapped.
And now it was over.
The crowd barely noticed when Nathan moved. One moment he was standing by the suitcase, the next he was beside his sister, having bypassed everyone without them realizing. He knelt down beside her, his hand gently wiping away her tears.
"It's okay," he whispered, his voice soft enough that only she could hear. "It's over now."
Sera couldn't speak. Words wouldn't come. She just threw her arms around him, hugging him tight, her face buried in his shoulder as she cried. All the fear, all the pain, all the loneliness of the past three years poured out of her.
Nathan held her, his hand rubbing small circles on her back.
Winston watched the scene, his jaw clenched. He wanted to complain, to point out that the divorce hadn't been finalized yet, that Nathan had no right to approach Sera before everything was settled. But the words died in his throat. They were the ones delaying things with the money counting. He had no ground to stand on.
The man who'd been designated to count the money worked quickly, his fingers moving through the stacks with practiced efficiency. Bills rustled. Everyone watched him, the tension building with each passing second.
Finally, he straightened up, his face pale. He turned to Winston and cleared his throat. "It's confirmed. Ten million dollars. Exactly."
The room exploded with whispers.
"Ten million?"
"Where did he get it?"
"That's impossible!"
"Did you see his clothes? How does someone dressed like that have ten million dollars?"
Nathan stood up slowly, helping Sera to her feet. His arm stayed around her shoulders, supporting her as she tried to compose herself. He turned to face Winston, then let his gaze drift to Marie.
His face twisted into a wicked grin.
He hadn't even done anything yet, and already they looked like they'd swallowed poison. Winston's face was red, a vein pulsing at his temple. Marie's expression had gone from shock to something else—regret, maybe, or realization of what she'd just lost.
Haden stood beside his father, his mouth hanging open slightly, still processing what had just happened.
Nathan's grin widened. The fun was just beginning.
- Writer
