Chapter 1740

“Send me forty thousand. I need to upgrade to a better wheelchair.”
Karina frowned. “Didn’t you just get a new wheelchair recently? Let’s be real, it’s not for the wheelchair, is it? You’re just going to blow it on something else.”
Caught off guard, Kieran’s voice rose in anger. “Cut the crap! Just tell me, are you giving me the money or not? Give me forty thousand, and I’ll stay out of your life for a while. Deal?”
Listening to his voice through the phone, Karina gripped her phone tightly, regret and frustration bubbling up inside her.
No one knew how much she regretted that day. If only she hadn’t gone out, hadn’t gotten into that car, or if she had been the one to die instead. At least then, she would be free. Instead, she was stuck, drained by this family like a parasite that wouldn’t stop until they had sucked her dry.
Exhaustion weighed heavily in her voice as she responded, “I told you last time, I don’t have any more money. No matter how many times you ask, the answer won’t change. Do what you want. Post whatever you want. I don’t care anymore.”
Karina had always been careful, never doing anything to betray the Stone family. Whatever so-called dirt Kieran claimed to have was just his own delusion.
With that, Karina hung up and, when he called back, blocked his number.
Enough was enough. She was done with them.
Collapsing onto the sofa littered with clothes, Karina stared blankly at the ceiling, the excitement from earlier completely drained. She looked like a lifeless puppet, her energy completely gone.
Then her phone rang.
Wilfred’s calm voice came through. “Are you ready? I’m coming to pick you up.”
Karina blinked, sitting up. “Almost ready. Give me a few more minutes.”
That single call reignited a spark within her.
Karina quickly finished getting ready and headed downstairs. Spotting a sleek luxury car parked on the lawn, she recognized it immediately.
Inside the car, Wilfred glanced at his phone before hearing her approach. His deep gaze lifted, pausing momentarily on her champagne-colored dress.
“It suits you,” he said simply.
Karina’s heart skipped a beat as she slid into the passenger seat. “Thank you.”
Wilfred glanced over, noticing something, and leaned forward slightly.
The faint scent of his cologne filled the space between them, and Karina’s heart raced as her entire body tensed.
Then came a quiet *click.* Wilfred leaned back as if nothing had happened. “You forgot to buckle your seatbelt,” he explained.
Karina’s cheeks flushed, unsure if she felt more embarrassed or disappointed.
Meanwhile, at the Stone family home, Kieran threw his phone against the wall in a fit of rage,
panting Keavily. “That ungratefulet
woman! How dare she refuse me and block my number? Does she think she’d be where she is now without us?”
Mrs. Stone, picking up the pieces of the broken phone, muttered, “Maybe she’s just busy with work. Don’t get so upset.”
Kieran shifted his useless legs, the dead weight a constant reminder of his bitterness. His expression darkened, his eyes filled with hatred. “Too busy for her family? Don’t fool yourself, Mom. She looks down on me because I’m crippled. She thinks we’re beneath her. She forgets it’s because of her that I’m like this!”
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Snatching the phone from his mother, Kieran dialed a number, his
voice dripping with malice. “I’mein. I’ll
do itol’ve got dirt on Karina. Let’s Dow it all up!”
If Karina wanted to play tough, he would make sure she regretted it.