Chapter 83

Thalia glanced at her caller ID. It was Lucy Jenkins from her law firm. She answered.

"Ms. Winters, could you possibly come over? There's something I need your help with."

Thalia composed herself. "What's happening?"

Lucy explained the situation succinctly. Thalia's brow furrowed. "Wait for me. I'll be right over."

Ending the call, Thalia grabbed her handbag. "I've got to go—something's come up. Let's catch up later."

Victoria pouted dramatically. "Is it really urgent? You're not using this as an excuse to escape our interrogation, are you?"

Thalia sighed, showing Victoria her call history. "I'm not making this up, I promise. It's genuinely important."

Victoria crossed her arms. "Fine. But next time, I'm subjecting you to a proper grilling—you'll have to tell us everything!"

"Agreed."

Thalia hurried out.

Victoria shuffled closer to Charlotte. "Charlotte, what do you think it feels like? You know… that."

Charlotte's face flushed crimson. "I… I wouldn't know… I've never had a boyfriend…"

"Ah, yes," Victoria patted Charlotte's shoulder with mock solemnity. "You're the good girl. You're not allowed to date. None of those ruffians deserve you anyway."

Her words recalled her own regrettable first relationship.

Victoria had dated once, during her first year of university. Her boyfriend was an attractive upperclassman with many admirers. Victoria, beautiful and from a wealthy family, had plenty of suitors, but she'd fallen for him. He'd pursued her.

Initially, they were inseparable, constantly flaunting their happiness to Charlotte and Thalia. As the saying goes, "Show off your love, and it'll quickly die"—and how true that proved to be. Victoria learned this the hard way.

Less than two months in, the senior's long-distance girlfriend confronted her. Victoria discovered she'd unwittingly become "the other woman." She joined forces with the girlfriend to expose him, making his infidelity known across campus and turning him into a social pariah. Sebastian even stormed the university and gave the scoundrel a beating. Ultimately, Sebastian used his family's influence to force the man's expulsion.

Since then, Victoria had been wary of relationships and hadn't dated. The most intimate contact she'd had with the cheater was kissing—she hadn't even considered sleeping with him.

"Bloody hell…" Victoria exhaled heavily. "I feel like I might never get to experience it…"

When Thalia arrived, Lucy was comforting a distraught young woman.

"Ms. Winters, thank goodness you're here!" Lucy's eyes brightened. "Please help Teresa. She's in a dreadful situation."

Thalia asked, "Lucy, could you explain what's happened?"

"This young woman is Teresa Bormen, my neighbor. Teresa is an orphan, dependent on her brother. He left school early to support her education, but…" Lucy's expression turned pained, her eyes misty. "Teresa was recently diagnosed with leukemia. She had to leave school and was hospitalized. Her brother, Mark, took on extra shifts at the factory to cover her medical expenses, working over twelve hours a day…"

Teresa, whom Lucy had just calmed, began crying again. "My brother was exhausted. His concentration lapsed at work, and his hand got caught in the machinery. He's lost his entire right hand…"

Teresa broke down. "I… I…"

Lucy comforted her. "Ms. Winters, Mark is hospitalized. This is clearly a workplace injury, but the factory hasn't provided proper compensation. The owner gave him two months' salary and dismissed him. He hasn't received the disability allowance, medical subsidy, or employment assistance payment."

Teresa wept. "I know I don't have much time left, but my brother still has his whole life ahead of him. All his savings went toward my treatment. Now, he can barely afford his hospital bills. Ms. Winters, please help us."

Thalia felt a heavy weight in her chest. She comforted Teresa. "I understand. Please calm down. Can you take me to see your brother now?"

"Yes!" Teresa nodded eagerly. "I'll take you there."

Meanwhile, at the Tribeca flat, the estate agent, in a black suit, asked Drake, "Mr. Ashcroft, what do you think of this flat?" He'd shown Drake several units. This one seemed to please him most.

Drake, hands in his pockets, surveyed the room before nodding slightly. "This one is quite suitable. I'll take it."

The agent was delighted and produced the purchase agreement. "Would you like to sign now?"

"Yes."

"Excellent!" The agent handed Drake the contract. Drake flipped through it briefly and signed.

Recently, Grace had given him a business card. The contact had invested a substantial sum in the Ashcroft Group. With the capital secured, Ashcroft Capital was back on track. Money was no longer a concern.

To see Thalia regularly, Drake decided to buy a flat in her building. The development was a few years old. Located in a prime area, the units had sold quickly, and no new flats were available. He purchased a resale unit, rarely occupied, so it was nearly indistinguishable from new. He paid in full on the spot.

After the agent left, he examined the flat. It was a fully furnished two-bedroom apartment with a large balcony. Though he didn't like the décor, he decided against renovating to move in quickly.

Drake sat contentedly on the sofa, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. Thalia, we'll be neighbors now.

Teresa sat in Thalia's Bentley, uncomfortable, fidgeting. She tugged at Lucy's sleeve. "Lucy?"

"What is it?"

Teresa whispered, "Is Ms. Winters' car very expensive?" Her face flushed with embarrassment.

It had rained; the streets were muddy. Teresa's once-white canvas shoes, now yellowed, were stained with mud, the toes blackened.

Lucy followed her gaze. Teresa was rubbing her left foot against her right.

Thalia glanced over. "Let me help you with that."

Mark smiled awkwardly. "Thank you, Ms. Winters. I appreciate it."

Thalia took Mark's phone and froze. The app displayed meals costing less than £2. The "Budget Meals" section. She'd never paid attention to such inexpensive options before. How could meals be this cheap? They must barely cover the ingredients. One could only imagine the quality.

Seeing Thalia's hesitation, Mark asked, "Is something wrong, Ms. Winters? Anything under ten pounds is fine."

Thalia handed back the phone. "I just remembered Burger King downstairs. Their meals are reasonably priced. Why don't I get something for you? It would be quicker than delivery."

"Oh? Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

Thalia shook her head. "It's no trouble at all. I won't be long."

Thalia went to a nearby Granger & Co. in Notting Hill. She messaged Lucy:

[Has Teresa had lunch yet?]

Lucy replied:

[I don’t think so. She came around nine this morning, and we haven’t had time to eat yet.]

[I see.]

She ordered three meals—Fresh Avocado Toast and Ricotta Hotcakes with banana and honey—light and suitable for patients. Remembering something, she also arranged for two private caregivers.

Returning with the beautifully packaged meals, the caregivers had arrived. One male, one female.

Thalia handed a meal to the man. "This is for Mark Bormen in Ward 503, Bed 4. He'll be under your care."

The caregiver nodded. "Understood."

Thalia gave the other two meals to the female caregiver for Ward 602, Bed 3.

Then, Thalia paid the outstanding hospital fees for the Bormen siblings.

As she left, she received a PayPal notification from Mark:

[Ms. Winters, you're a truly good person. Thank you for helping us.]

[The nurse said someone paid our fees. It was you, wasn’t it? Thank you so much. Once I receive compensation from the factory, I’ll repay you.]

Thalia felt a heaviness in her heart and replied, "Yes." She declined the money.

A biting wind blew through Thalia's hair. She stood by the hospital's flower bed, unable to calm her emotions. Lucy stood behind her, wiping away tears.

"Ms. Winters, the hospital issued another critical condition notice for Teresa. They haven't found a compatible bone marrow donor. If they don't find one soon, Teresa… she doesn't have much time left… Why is her life so difficult? She's only eleven. Why is fate so cruel?"

Lucy sobbed uncontrollably. Thalia's eyes filled with tears. Standing in the cold wind, her nose reddened, her heart constricted. Teresa was only eleven. Mark, barely nineteen, had left school to support his sister, and now he was disabled.

After a long silence, Thalia made a call. "Please connect me with a leukemia specialist at University College London Hospital. Also, come to the community hospital on Harley Street to arrange transfer procedures for a brother and sister."

Chapter 84