The Black Card
1004 Words
The night wind in Riverton was biting, but Julian felt a fire burning in his chest that no cold could extinguish.
"Young Master, I am currently in the neighboring province inspecting the family's assets," Sebastian’s voice came through the phone, respectful and urgent. "I have already authorized the transaction. However, a transfer of that size to a dormant account might trigger security flags at the local bank. I have arranged for the president of Riverton’s Grand Dominion Bank to meet you personally. He will hand you the Supreme Gold Card. It is linked directly to the family's private treasury."
"I'm at the City Hospital," Julian said, checking the time. "Tell him to hurry."
"He will be there in ten minutes. And Young Master... The Emgrand Enterprise in Riverton? We acquired it this morning as a welcome gift. It is now yours."
Julian hung up the phone. Emgrand Enterprise. The largest conglomerate in the city. The company that the Hayes family had been trying to curry favor with for a decade, only to be rejected time and time again. Now, it was his.
He hailed a taxi, ignoring the driver’s disdainful look at his wet suit, and sped toward the hospital.
When he arrived at the ICU waiting room, the atmosphere was grim. A nurse was standing by the door with a clipboard, looking impatient.
"Are you the family of Lena Smith?" the nurse asked, eyeing Julian’s disheveled appearance.
"I am," Julian said, breathless.
"We need the payment now," the nurse said, tapping her pen. "The surgeon is ready, but the administration won't clear the anesthesia without a deposit. Five hundred thousand. Do you have it?"
"I..." Julian reached for his wallet, but then he remembered. The transfer. He needed to meet the bank president. "Give me five minutes. Just five minutes."
The nurse scoffed. "You’ve been saying that for an hour. Look, sir, this is a hospital, not a charity. If you can't pay, we have to move her to the general ward. The ICU bed is needed for paying patients."
"You can't move her!" Julian snapped, his eyes flashing with a sudden intensity that made the nurse take a step back. "She will die if you move her!"
"Then pay up!"
"Mr. York!"
A voice boomed down the hallway. A middle-aged man in a bespoke grey suit was sprinting toward them, sweating profusely, followed by two security guards carrying a metal briefcase.
The nurse’s eyes went wide. She recognized him. It was Richard Miller, the President of Grand Dominion Bank, the most powerful financial figure in Riverton. Even the mayor had to make an appointment to see him. Why was he running through a hospital hallway?
Richard Miller skidded to a halt in front of Julian. He was panting, his face red. He looked at Julian—wet, dressed in a cheap suit—and didn't hesitate for a second. He bowed. A full, ninety-degree bow.
"Mr. York," Richard gasped. "I am... I am so sorry I am late. The traffic..."
Julian looked at him calmly. "Do you have it?"
"Yes! Yes, of course!" Richard snapped his fingers. One of the guards opened the briefcase. Inside sat a single card. It wasn't gold, nor platinum. It was black, made of anodized titanium, with a single diamond embedded in the center.
The Ancient Wyrm Card. There were only five in the world.
"The pin is your birthday," Richard whispered, his hands trembling as he offered it with both hands. "The limit is... well, there is no limit."
Julian took the card. It felt cold and heavy.
He turned to the stunned nurse. "Swipe it."
The nurse stood frozen, her mouth agape. She looked from the legendary banker bowing like a servant to the man she had just called a deadbeat.
"I said, swipe it," Julian repeated, his voice cutting through her stupor.
"Y-yes! Right away, sir!" She fumbled with the card machine, her hands shaking so hard she dropped it once. When she finally inserted the card, the machine beeped instantly. Transaction Approved.
"Arrange the best surgical team," Julian ordered, taking the card back. "And move her to the VIP suite for recovery. Money is not an issue."
"Of course, Mr. York! Immediately!" The nurse ran off as if her life depended on it.
Richard Miller wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. "Mr. York, is there anything else I can do? The York family has instructed me to fulfill your every command."
"Keep my identity a secret," Julian said, pocketing the card. "Especially from the Hayes family. I want them to know nothing."
"Understood." Richard nodded vigorously. "Oh, and regarding Emgrand Enterprise... The Vice President, Doris Young, is waiting for your instructions. Should she come here?"
"No," Julian said. "I will go to the office tomorrow. You can go."
Richard bowed again and retreated, leaving Julian alone in the hallway.
Julian looked through the glass window of the ICU. Mother Lena looked frail, hooked up to machines, but the doctors were now swarming in, moving with a new sense of urgency. She was safe.
A heavy weight lifted off his chest, but a new, colder weight settled in its place.
He thought of the tea splashing on his face. He thought of Frederick Vance’s smug grin. He thought of his wife, Natalie, standing alone against her family to defend him.
"I promised to pay you back," Julian murmured to the empty air, thinking of Old Madam Hayes. "And I will. But I don't think you'll like the currency."
His phone buzzed again. It was Natalie.
“Julian, where are you? Grandma is furious. She says if we don't get a contract with Emgrand Enterprise by tomorrow, she’s kicking us out of the family for good. Please come home.”
Julian stared at the screen. A contract with Emgrand Enterprise?
He almost laughed. It was a cold, sharp sound.
The Hayes family wanted a contract with his company?
He typed a reply: “I’m coming home. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
- Writer
