She Drew Our Love, She Drew Our End Chapter 03

She Drew Our Love, She Drew Our End Chapter 03

At the hospital, Dad was rushed straight into surgery.

Before I could even sit down, a nurse told me I needed to make the $4,500 payment for the procedure.

That $4,500 was the emergency fund I’d quietly built for myself.

But when I opened my banking app, transaction alerts filled the screen.

Every one of them was timestamped twelve minutes earlier.

Ethan had drained every cent of my savings. The money had gone to a women’s clothing boutique.

My knees nearly buckled.

“Ethan Prescott, that money is keeping my father alive. Give it back.”

Music thundered through the other end of the call.

“That little bit? I spent it on Sloane so you could make things right with her.”

“And your dad’s old enough to know better than to drop to the floor wherever he feels like it.”

Sloane cut in.

“I don’t usually wear anything that cheap. I’m only accepting your apology because my boy asked me to.”

My nails bit into my palm.

“What do I have to do to get the money back?”

Ethan’s voice went cold.

“I told you. You’d come begging to apologize.”

I didn’t hesitate.

“I’m sorry, Sloane. It was all my fault. Please, give me the money back.”

Laughter came through the phone.

“Future Mrs. Prescott, I just drew again. I got a huge number this time. Ninety-nine.”

“Emmie, see? My best friend isn’t even mad anymore. He was generous enough to raise your spending limit…”

I ended the call.

Someone slammed into my back, nearly sending me to the floor.

“If you can’t pay, get out of the way.”

“Emmie.”

Mom caught me and started to confront the person who’d shoved me.

I held her back. “Mom, I’m okay. Go back upstairs. I’ll figure something out.”

I had to.

I went straight back to the apartment Ethan and I shared and grabbed the condo deed.

At the bank, though, the manager returned it with a professional smile.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Reed. You’re not the legal owner of this property, so you can’t borrow against it.”

My fingers went cold as I unfolded the deed.

Sloane Mercer’s name stared back at me in black and white.

I remembered Ethan saying he knew someone who could get us a better deal on the closing.

And when the title paperwork was finalized, I’d been stuck in the lab running an experiment.

That condo had cost my parents everything.

They’d even sold their home back in Arkansas and every acre of land they owned without telling me.

My mind went blank. By the time I came back to myself, I was standing in a jewelry store.

My engagement ring sat on the counter, waiting for an appraisal.

A moment later, the associate slid it back to me.

“Ma’am, are you sure this is supposed to be a Winston ring?”

“Yes. How much can I sell it for?”

It was the engagement ring Ethan had given me.

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t even a good counterfeit. The materials look like something from a $9.99 costume-jewelry rack.”

When Ethan had gone to buy my engagement ring, Sloane had jokingly pulled a stick from the jar.

It had been $9.99.

And I’d actually believed,

just once, that he’d decided I was worth more than the number on the stick.

I took out my phone and called the number I’d sworn I’d never use.

“I’ll take the offer. $1.5 million.”

“Good. I want you at my company in three days.”