Chapter 2: A Debt Remembered
Chapter 2: A Debt Remembered
The next morning, Grace forgot about Dominic DeLuca.
Life did not allow her the luxury of dwelling on strange encounters.
Her mother needed medication.
Her brother needed school supplies.
Bills needed money.
Money required work.
By seven-thirty she was serving coffee at the diner.
By noon she was helping an elderly customer carry groceries.
By evening she was back at the hospital beside her mother.
“Something happened,” Ellen said.
Grace blinked.
“What?”
“You have that look.”
“What look?”
“The one you get when you're pretending everything is fine.”
Grace laughed softly.
“Might have stopped a rich woman from slapping somebody.”
Ellen smiled.
“Good.”
“That wasn't exactly the smart choice.”
“The smart choice isn't always the right choice.”
Grace squeezed her mother's hand.
She wished doing the right thing paid hospital bills.
Three days later, she was fired.
Not officially.
Not directly.
But effectively.
Marcus called her into his office.
“The Bellamy is restructuring.”
Grace stared.
“You hired six new servers yesterday.”
Marcus wouldn't meet her eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
“Why?”
He remained silent.
That told her everything.
Someone influential was unhappy.
Someone powerful wanted her gone.
Grace left carrying her final paycheck.
Outside, rain hammered the streets.
For several minutes she simply stood there.
Job gone.
Rent overdue.
Mother sick.
No plan.
No answers.
Across the street, a black sedan waited.
The rear door opened.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Broad shouldered.
Expensive suit.
No smile.
“Miss Miller.”
Grace immediately recognized him.
One of Dominic DeLuca's security men.
Her pulse quickened.
“What do you want?”
“The boss would like to speak with you.”
“No.”
The guard blinked.
People rarely said no to Dominic.
“Miss Miller—”
“I said no.”
The guard stared for several seconds.
Then something unexpected happened.
He chuckled.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “That's probably why he likes you.”
Before Grace could respond, another voice spoke.
“Get in, Grace.”
Dominic himself sat inside the car.
Watching.
Waiting.
The city noise seemed to disappear.
Grace knew every sensible instinct told her to walk away.
But curiosity is a dangerous thing.
And so is desperation.
She got in.
The door closed.
The car began moving.
For nearly a minute neither spoke.
Then Dominic finally said,
“You lost your job because of my mother.”
Grace frowned.
“No. I lost it because rich people protect each other.”
A faint smile appeared.
Just for a second.
“You saved her.”
“I would've done that for anyone.”
“I know.”
May you like
Those two words carried unusual weight.
Because Dominic believed her.
