65 Chapter 65 – Ripples of Revenge, a Chance Reunion,
and a Reluctant Summons
Corbin Ashworth’s face contorted with fury as he slammed the phone down. The heavy oak desk shuddered under the impact, causing his assistant to flinch.
“That insufferable woman,” he spat, running a hand through his salt–and–pepper hair. “Who does Nora Donovan think she is, making demands of an Ashworth?”
I’d been summoned to his office minutes ago and now stood witnessing his rage. As his right–hand man, I was accustomed to these outbursts, but this one seemed particularly venomous.
“Sir?” I prompted carefully.
Corbin’s eyes snapped to mine, cold and calculating. “The Donovans have forgotten their place. That simpering daughter of theirs had the audacity to threaten Isabelle, and now they’re demanding compensation for ‘emotional distress.” He let out a harsh laugh. “As if an Ashworth could ever be threatened by those parasites.”
He drummed his fingers on the desk, his wedding ring clicking against the polished surface. “Send two of our men to escort Miss Donovan back to her family estate. Make sure she understands that any further… unpleasantness will have severe consequences.”
“And what about the Donovan family’s contracts with us?”
A cruel smile spread across Corbin’s face. “Terminate them. All of them. Let’s see how they manage without Ashworth backing”
I nodded, making mental notes. The Donovans would be financially crippled within weeks.
“One more thing,” Corbin added, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Make sure they understand this is a direct consequence of their daughter’s behavior. I want them to deal with her themselves.”
As I left his office, I couldn’t help but think about how quickly fortunes could change in this world. One misstep, one wrong word to the wrong Ashworth, andere families
could be ruined.
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Across town, Sebastian Hawthorne stared at his computer screen, the quarterly financial reports swimming before his eyes. Each graph pointed downward, each number smaller than the last. The Hawthorne family business was hemorrhaging money, and the blood was starting to run dry.
“Mr. Hawthorne?” His secretary’s voice broke through his dark thoughts. “The bank president is here to see you.”
Sebastian straightened his tie with shaking hands. “Send him in.”
Thomas Reynolds entered, his expression giving nothing away. As president of Eldoría Bank, he held Sebastian’s fate in his hands.
“Thomas, good to see you,” Sebastian said, forcing a smile. “I trust you’ve reviewed our loan application?”
Thomas took a seat, placing his briefcase on the desk between them. “I have. I’ve also reviewed your current market position and capital flow.” He paused. “Sebastian, I’ve known you for fifteen years. I won’t insult you with platitudes.”
Sebastian’s throat went dry. “And?”
“The loan has been denied.” Thomas’s words fell like an executioner’s axe.
“But-” Sebastian sputtered. “Without this capital infusion, we’ll-”
“Collapse within the quarter. Yes, I’m aware.” Thomas looked genuinely regretful. “Perhaps if you’d approached us six months ago…”
Sebastian slumped in his chair. “Is there nothing that can be done?”
Thomas hesitated. “There is one option. A private investor has expressed interest in purchasing a controlling stake in Hawthorne Industries.”
“Who?” Sebastian demanded, desperate hope flaring.
“They wish to remain anonymous for now,” Thomas replied smoothly. “But they’re willing to inject the capital you need immediately, in exchange for fifty–one percent ownership.”
Sebastian’s mind raced. Selling control of the family business was unthinkable, bu
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bankruptcy was worse. “Can I have time to think about it?”
“Of course,” Thomas said, rising. “Though I should mention–the offer expires in forty–eight hours.”
After Thomas left, Sebastian poured himself three fingers of whiskey, downing it in one burning gulp. He had no idea that miles away, Isabelle Ashworth was smiling as she received a text confirming her plan was working perfectly. Nor did he know that the “anonymous investor” was a shell company controlled by Liam Knight, using funds Isabelle had helped him secure.
The bus rumbled beneath me as I stared out the window at the passing countryside. Eamon Greene sat beside me, thumbing through medical journals I’d lent him.
“First time taking the bus in a while?” Eamon asked with a knowing smile.
I nodded, returning his smile. “I could have borrowed a car from Isabelle, but it felt wrong somehow.”
“Still not comfortable with all the luxury she offers?”
“It’s not that,” I said, watching fields give way to small clusters of houses as we approached Shiglance City. “I just don’t want to forget where I came from. Who I really
am.”
Eamon nodded approvingly. “That’s why you’ll succeed where others fail, Liam. You stay grounded.”
The bus lurched to a stop at a small station, and several passengers climbed aboard. I didn’t pay much attention until someone stopped beside our row.
“Liam? Liam Knight? Is that you?”
I looked up into a pair of familiar hazel eyes that I hadn’t seen in years. “Aurora? Aurora Sinclair?”
Her face lit up with recognition. “It is you! I thought I was seeing things!”
Eamon politely moved to another seat, allowing Aurora to slide in beside me. Her chestnut hair was shorter than I remembered, cut into a stylish bob that framed her heart–shaped face.
65 Chapter 65 Ripples of Revenge, a Chance Reunion, and a Reluctant Summons
“I can’t believe it’s been what–six years?” I said, genuinely happy to see her.
“Seven,” she corrected, her smile widening. “Not since high school graduation.”
Aurora had been one of the few people who’d been kind to me back then. Like me, she’d been an orphan, bounced between foster homes until she aged out of the system.
“What brings you to Shiglance?” I asked.
“I’m a nurse at Shiglance Memorial now,” she said proudly. “Just finished my night shift. What about you? Last I heard, you were…” She hesitated, clearly unsure how to reference my marriage to Diana Sterling.
“That’s long over,” I said simply. “I’m a physician now. Specializing in alternative medicine and difficult cases.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You made it through medical school? That’s amazing, Liam! You always said you would.”
The genuine pride in her voice warmed me. Aurora had been there during those nights I’d studied under the dim light of a foster home’s kitchen, determined to escape through education.
“And you? Always said you’d be helping people someday,” I said.
She laughed. “I try. The hours are brutal, the pay is mediocre, but I love it.”
We spent the rest of the journey catching up, exchanging stories of our lives since high school. It felt refreshing to talk with someone who knew me before everything–before Diana, before the Sterlings, before Isabelle. Someone who remembered me as just Liam, the quiet orphan boy with big dreams.
As the bus pulled into Shiglance City’s terminal, we exchanged phone numbers.
“Don’t be a stranger, Liam,” she said, giving me a quick hug. “It’s good to see you doing
well.”
“You too, Aurora. I mean it.”
As she walked away, I felt an unexpected lightness. Sometimes, amid all the chaos and ambition, it was nice to be reminded of simpler connections.
Eamon rejoined me as we collected our bags. “Old friend?”
65 Chapter 65 – Ripples of Revenge, à Chance Reunion, and a Reluctant Summons
“One of the few genuine ones I’ve ever had,” I replied honestly.
Outside the terminal, a black sedan waited. A tall man in his sixties stepped out, his silver hair neatly combed, his posture rigid with authority. Beside him stood a younger man, perhaps in his thirties, with a skeptical expression that mirrored the older man’s features.
“Dr. Knight?” The older man extended his hand. “Leopold Shepherd. Thank you for coming”
I shook his hand firmly. “This is my assistant, Eamon Greene.”
Leopold nodded curtly to Eamon before gesturing to the younger man. “My son,
Jonah.”
Jonah didn’t offer his hand, merely giving me a curt nod. The tension radiating from him was palpable.
“Let me be direct, Dr. Knight,” Leopold said as we loaded our bags into the trunk. “I appreciate Miss Ashworth’s… recommendation, but I remain unconvinced that your methods will succeed where traditional medicine has failed.”
I met his gaze steadily. “I understand your skepticism, Mr. Shepherd. I don’t expect blind faith. I only ask for the opportunity to examine your wife and determine if I can help.”
Leopold’s expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes shifted–perhaps a flicker of desperate hope breaking through his veneer of doubt.
“My mother has seen every specialist from here to Veridia City,” Jonah cut in, his voice sharp. “What makes you think you can do what they couldn’t?”
“I don’t claim to be a miracle worker,” I replied calmly. “But I’ve had success with cases others have abandoned.”
Leopold placed a restraining hand on his son’s shoulder. “Miss Ashworth was quite… insistent that we give Dr. Knight a chance, Jonah.”
The unspoken reality hung between us–Leopold didn’t want me here, but refusing Isabelle Ashworth’s “suggestion” wasn’t an option for a man in his position. I was being tolerated, not welcomed.
“Shall we go?” Leopold said, opening the car door. “Eleanor is waiting, and she tires
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easily these days.”
As I settled into the backseat, I caught Jonah watching me in the rearview mirror, his eyes full of suspicion and barely concealed hostility. This wouldn’t be an easy case- not just medically, but navigating the family dynamics as well.
The sedan pulled away from the curb, carrying me toward a patient whose condition was still unknown and a household clearly bracing for disappointment. I took a deep breath, centering myself for the challenge ahead. Whether they believed in me or not didn’t matter. I believed in myself, and sometimes, that had to be enough.
