The Billionaire Who Killed Our Son Now Begs Me To Save His Daughter Chapter 04

The Billionaire Who Killed Our Son Now Begs Me To Save His Daughter Chapter 04

Chase saw red. I put a hand on his chest and stopped him.

“Don’t.”

Grant watched me hold Chase back. His smile got wider. Cockier.

“I gave you two hours to think it over,” he said. “You didn’t take it. So I came myself.”

Liana stepped forward in her heels. Her face was all wronged innocence and grief.

“I know you probably think we’re being horrible,” she said.

“But that’s my daughter down there. My Cora. She’s only twenty-three. She’s been down there for fourteen hours.”

Her eyes reddened. She turned and hooked her arm through Grant’s.

Grant patted her back. Then he looked at me. His eyes went cold.

“Fifty million. I’ll transfer it right now. You suit up and go.”

“I told you. I’m not taking the job.”

“You’re negotiating with me?”

He tilted his head.

“Fine. Name your price. A hundred million? Two hundred million? I’ve seen your type before. You’re just jacking up the price. Fine. You win.”

“It’s not about the money.”

“Then what is it?”

He stepped forward. His presence pressed down on me.

“You say it’s not about money. Then what? You got a beef with me? Have I ever seen you before?”

I looked into his eyes. Those eyes that used to look at me with so much love. Now all I saw was impatience. And coldness.

“No,” I said.

“Then there’s no reason.”

He waved his hand. Final warning.

“I don’t care who you are. I don’t care about your attitude. My daughter is down there dying. You’re the only one who can save her. So here’s your choice. Take the money and dive. Right now. Or…”

He glanced at Chase.

“She’s just an intern. No offshore safety cert either. If something happens to her, it won’t even count as a workplace accident.”

Chase’s face went white.

“What do you mean?” Chase’s voice shook.

“Nothing.”

Grant looked at him like he was nothing.

“I just want you to know. Every year, people go overboard on those platforms. Especially greenhorns. The ones who don’t know what they’re doing.”

“You’re… you’re using my daughter’s life as leverage?”

Grant didn’t answer. He just looked at me.

“And you. If my daughter doesn’t make it, you two better pray nothing happens every time you work this stretch of water.”

Liana stepped forward. Her eyes were so sincere.

“Syl, I know this is terrible,” she said. “But you’re a woman too. You must understand a mother’s heart. My Cora is down there. She must be so scared. So cold.”

She reached out to take my arm.

I stepped back.

“Don’t touch me.”

Liana’s hand froze in the air. For a second, anger flashed across her face. Then she smoothed it over.

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said. “I’m just so worried.”

Grant pulled her back to his side. His eyes cut into me.

“Last chance. What’s your answer?”

“No.”

He laughed. That same arrogant laugh.

“Fine.”

He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Hey. It’s the platform. Put that new intern on the overnight inspection run. Yeah. Alone. The whole deck loop.”

Chase lost it. He lunged forward.

“No! You can’t!”

One of the guards shoved him back. Chase slammed into a shipping container.

“Syl!”

Chase got up off the ground. Tears streamed down his face. He dropped to his knees in front of me.

“Syl… please…”

Grant hung up and looked at me.

“See?” he said. “This could’ve been simple. But no. You had to make it complicated.”

I looked at Chase. The blood seeping from a cut on his forehead. The way his whole body shook as he knelt there.

Then I looked at Grant.

Same entitled look on his face.

Ten years ago. Now. It never changed.

Other people’s lives were just bargaining chips to him.

“You think I’m scared of you?” I said.

“Doesn’t matter if you’re scared or not.”

He shrugged.

“You don’t go down, your partner’s daughter becomes a marine accident number tomorrow. And you two? You’ll be an accident soon enough. You think that’s worth it?”

“All that, just to protect your pride as some salvage diver? You’d throw away your partner’s kid? Your own future?”

Liana stepped up again. Her voice was soft.

“Look, all you have to do is one dive,” she said. “Then it’s over. You get your money. We’ll even help fund your yard. Your partner’s daughter stays safe. Why make this harder than it has to be?”

She smiled. So sweet it made my teeth hurt.

I closed my eyes. Took a deep breath.

“I can’t save the daughter of the man who killed my son.”

I opened my eyes.

“And if you force me down there? I’ll take her out myself. Then I’ll go down with her.”