“Send the Poor, Ugly Girl—He’ll Reject Her!” They Laughed… Until the Millionaire Stood Up
Chapter 5
Claire rushed home.
Her mother’s bank account had already been frozen.
The hospital called to say payment for the next treatment had failed.
Claire stood in the hallway, shaking.
“This can’t be happening.”
Adrian looked at the paperwork.
“It can.”
“Can you stop it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the transfer was fraudulent.”
Claire looked at him.
“How can you know that?”
“Because your mother never signed it.”
He called his legal team.
Within hours, an emergency injunction was filed.
But Adrian didn’t stop there.
He wanted to know who had authorized the transaction.
The answer came that night.
Vanessa.
Claire was furious.
She called her cousin.
“You tried to steal my mother’s money?”
Vanessa laughed.
“You weren’t supposed to find out.”
“Why?”
“You don’t understand business.”
“No.”
Claire’s voice shook.
“I understand betrayal.”
Vanessa became quiet.
Then said:
“You should have stayed invisible.”
The call ended.
Claire stared at the phone.
Adrian stepped closer.
“You shouldn’t confront her alone.”
“I wasn’t alone.”
He looked at her.
“I know.”
Claire’s anger cracked.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I don’t know what to do.”
Adrian pulled out a chair.
“Sit.”
She did.
“I spent years trying to keep my mother alive.”
“I know.”
“I worked every job I could.”
“I know.”
“I never asked them for anything.”
“I know.”
She looked at him.
“Then why does it still feel like I’m losing?”
Adrian knelt in front of her.
“Because you’re exhausted.”
Claire looked at him.
“You don’t have to be strong every second.”
She started crying.
He stayed there.
No dramatic speech.
No promises he couldn’t keep.
Just stayed.
After a while, she whispered:
“Why are you helping me?”
Adrian answered honestly.
“At first, I wanted to know who was manipulating me.”
“And now?”
“Now I care what happens to you.”
Her breath caught.
“That’s dangerous.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t usually care.”
Claire smiled through tears.
“That sounds like a terrible romantic line.”
“I wasn’t trying to be romantic.”
“Good.”
He smiled.
Then his phone buzzed again.
This time, it was a message from Thomas.
I found your father’s final ledger.
They drove to meet him.
Thomas handed Adrian a battered notebook.
Inside were payments made by several shell companies.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Vanessa’s father.
Another appeared more often.
Adrian’s father.
Claire felt sick.
“Your father was involved.”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
Adrian turned a page.
A final entry had been circled.
Bennett Repair — witness discovered.
Beside it was a date.
The date Claire’s father died.
Adrian stared.
His jaw tightened.
“My father ordered the operation.”
Claire covered her mouth.
“But he was dead three years before yours,” Thomas whispered.
Adrian looked up.
“Then someone continued it.”
Thomas nodded.
“Someone with access to his accounts.”
Claire suddenly thought of Vanessa.
“No.”
Adrian looked at her.
“What?”
“Vanessa.”
“What about her?”
“Her father didn’t know how to use those accounts.”
“Who did?”
Claire swallowed.
“Vanessa studied corporate finance.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
They had found the person continuing the scheme.
But they hadn’t yet discovered why.
