Chapter 8

Lily snatched the card back, gripping it tightly in her palm. She glared at Eric, her teeth clenched, and asked, enunciating each word, "Tell me! How much do I have to pay you?"

Eric didn't buy for a second that Lily, who probably didn't even have ten bucks to her name, could actually have any money.

Even if she did, it was probably money she'd been saving up for ages for Jason's surgery. There was no way she'd ever hand that over. So he threw out a random number, hoping she'd back off.

Eric said, "The two storefronts on either side, plus yours—the one that got burned the worst. That's three in total. Since it's for Jason, I'll give you a discount. 900 thousand dollars. Not a cent less, or we're not done here today."

There was a bank right nearby. Lily gripped her bank card like a lifeline, fighting through the pain in her knees and everywhere else. She limped into the bank, her steps shaky but her resolve rock solid.

Ten minutes later, with everyone staring in shock, Lily hauled several heavy, bulging black bags out of the bank, struggling with every step.

Then, as Eric and Jason watched her in total disbelief, she dumped all the cash out of the bags in one go.

Stacks of crisp, brand-new hundred-dollar bills piled up in front of Eric, the sight so dazzling it nearly blinded everyone.

"900 thousand. Go ahead, count it if you want!" Lily pulled herself upright. Even though she looked like hell, bruised and battered all over, her gaze was icy, filled with a resolve no one had ever seen in her before.

The stacks of bills seemed to fill Jason's vision, his eyes wide, pupils contracting sharply.

Suddenly, his expression twisted into rage. He grabbed Lily's arm and shook her hard, his voice warped by anger and a strange, creeping fear. "Where did you get all this money? How could you possibly have so much? Did you..."

He thought Lily had cheated on him. But the rest of the accusation stuck in his throat. Staring into Lily's cold, desperate eyes—laced with sarcasm—he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

Between Jason shaking her so hard, the blood loss, and all the overwhelming emotions, Lily couldn't hold on any longer and went out like a light, collapsing completely.

"Lily!" Jason caught her as she went limp, panic rising in him. He stared at the blinding pile of cash and the pale, battered Lily in his arms, his mind spinning with confusion and fear.

Eric stared at the genuine cash piled on the floor, absolutely floored. He never imagined Lily could actually come up with that kind of money.

Jason was still furious, his glare downright terrifying. Eric didn't want to risk crossing Jason at that moment, so he motioned for his crew to grab the cash and beat it.

Chasing after Eric was the last thing on Jason's mind. He scooped up Lily, battered and out cold, and raced her straight to the hospital.

While the doctors were patching up the wounds on her back and hands, they numbed her with anesthesia.

Lily slept quietly, her long lashes casting delicate shadows beneath her closed eyes. Her face was pale.

Jason sat by her bedside, his heart aching as he looked at her thin cheeks and the mix of old and new scars covering her body.

He reached out, wanting to touch her face, but his fingers froze before they could make contact.

He couldn't stop thinking about the money that came out of nowhere, stabbing at his heart like a thorn. He wondered where on earth Lily had gotten all that cash.

He thought maybe Lily had hooked up with a rich man. But he immediately pushed that awful suspicion aside because Lily loved him more than anything, would do anything for him, and would never betray him.

But still, Jason couldn't help but wonder where all that money came from.

He watched Lily for a long time, unable to tear his eyes away, until the doctor came in and gently reminded him that Lily needed her rest. Only then did Jason leave, his heart heavy with reluctance.