Chapter one: Timely coincidence

Anna’s POV

“Anna, your mother needs surgery. Without it, she has weeks.”

The doctor’s words hit me like a punch to the gut. I gripped the edge of the plastic chair until my knuckles turned white. Dr. James sat across from me in his white coat, face calm but eyes tired from too many bad conversations. The small office smelled like bleach and old coffee. My heart pounded so loud I could barely hear my own voice.

“How much?” I asked, keeping my tone steady even though my stomach twisted into knots.

Dr. James flipped a page on his clipboard. “The procedure, hospital stay, follow-up care, and specialist fees? Around two hundred and eighty thousand dollars. And Anna We need to move fast if we want the best chance.”

Two hundred and eighty thousand. I almost laughed out loud at the number. I barely made rent with my two jobs combined.

“Mom’s in the room down the hall, right?” I said. “Can I see her first?”

He nodded. “She’s resting. But she knows the situation. Helene’s a fighter, Anna. She needs this surgery.”

I stood up lifeless. My cheap sneakers squeaked on the linoleum floor. “Tell me the truth, Doctor. If we wait a little longer. what happens exactly?”

He met my eyes without blinking. “The tumor raptures. Pain gets unberable. And surgery Complications increase. Time is not on our side.”

Straight to the point. I liked that about him, even if I hated every word coming out of his mouth.

“Thanks,” I muttered and walked out of the office.

The hallway stretched long and cold under the harsh fluorescent lights. Nurses moved quietly between rooms. I pushed open the door to Mom’s room. She looked small in the hospital bed, gray hair spread across the pillow, but her smile still lit up the second she saw me.

“Anna, honey. Come here.”

I sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. It felt too thin, too fragile. “Dr. James told me everything about the surgery darling, Two hundred and eighty thousand.”

She squeezed my fingers gently. “We’ll figure it out. We always do, don’t we?”

I forced a smile. Yeah. But this time it feels different. I whispered in my mind.

We sat in silence for a moment. The machines beeping steadily beside us. I looked at the IV drip and tried to keep my voice even. “You always fight so hard. I remember when you first got sick. You tried to hide everything.”

Mom chuckled softly. “I made burned pancakes that morning. Though You still ate them all.”

“Yeah. Because you made them.” My throat tightened but I pushed through. “I won’t lose you, Mom. I’ll find the money. Somehow.”

“You always were stubborn,” she said with a weak smile. “Just like your father. But don’t you dare sacrifice yourself in the process,You’re young, Anna. You should be living your life, not stuck here every day.”

“Living means having you,” I shot back quickly. “So don’t talk like that.”

A nurse knocked and stepped inside. “Mrs. Vale? Time for your meds.”

I stood up. “I’ll be back soon. Love you mom.”

“Love you more cupcakes,” Mom whispered as the nurse moved around her.

I stepped back into the hallway. My head spinning with numbers. Two hundred and eighty thousand dollars. I had maybe three thousand in the bank if I was lucky. Two dead-end jobs. No rich relatives. No savings. The weight of it pressed on my chest.

My phone buzzed. A text from John, my old friend.

John: How’s Helene today? Need me to bring anything to the hospital?

I can't have John worrying about me all the time. This is my own problem to solve and overcome.

I typed fast while walking. Me: currently running errands. Let’s talk later johnny 😊.”

No time for pity right now. I headed toward the exit, mind racing through every possible option. Bank loans with terrible interest. Crowdfunding that probably wouldn’t reach the goal. Selling everything I owned. Even selling my body if it came to that. Anything to keep Mom alive.

The automatic doors whooshed open. Bright daylight hit me. I rushed out, head down, digging in my bag for my keys. When I slammed straight into a hard chest.

Strong hands caught my arms to steady me. “Watch it.”

I looked up. Way up. The man towered over me. Dark suit perfect on broad shoulders. Jaw sharp enough to cut glass. His eyes,deep brown, almost black,locked onto mine. Expensive cologne cut through the hospital smell. Power rolled off him like heat from a furnace.

“Excuse me,” I said, stepping back fast. “I wasn’t looking.”

He didn’t let go right away. His grip felt warm and firm. “Are you fine? You look like the world just ended.”

I pulled free. My cheeks burned. “It kind of did. Excuse me.”

I tried to move past him but he shifted slightly, blocking the path without making it obvious. “Wait. Are you sure you are all right?”

His voice was deep and smooth. The kind that probably closed million-dollar deals before breakfast. Up close he was too handsome,perfect hair, strong features, the kind of face that belonged on billboards. But right now I did not care about any of that.

“No,” I said bluntly. “My mom is dying and the fix costs more than I’ll see in ten years. Happy now?”

He raised one eyebrow. Something flickered in his eyes. Surprise, maybe interest. “Straight talk. Rare these days.”

I laughed once, bitter and short. “Yeah, well, rich guys in suits don’t usually stop for girls like me. So thanks for the catch. But I have to go.”

I started walking again toward the parking lot. His voice followed me.

“Carlton Blackwood. And you are?”

I stopped and glanced back over my shoulder. The name sounded familiar. Big money. Blackwood. Hotels? Tech? Something like that. I couldn’t remember exactly.

“Anna Vale,” I said. “Nice almost-knocking into you, Carlton Blackwood.”

My phone rang. Unknown number. I answered while walking. “Hello?”

“Miss Vale?” a woman’s voice said. “This is the billing department at the hospital. We need to discuss payment options for Mrs. Helene Vale’s upcoming procedure. If we don’t secure funds soon, we may have to delay—”I hung up fast. Tears stung my eyes but I blinked them back hard. I can't breakdown in public.

Behind me, I still felt eyes on my back. Carlton Blackwood was probably still watching.I didn’t turn around. I reached a car in the parking lot and leaned against it for a second, trying to breathe.

My phone buzzed again. A text from an unknown number.

Unknown: Go to the Blackwood empire, you would get a job. C.B

CB as in Carlton Blackwood? The stranger i just met? Wow, strange. Wait…how did he get my number.

I stared at the screen. Help? From a stranger who looked like he owned half the city? My heart slammed against my ribs. A job? Just like that?

I looked back toward the hospital entrance. No sign of him now. But the offer sat there on my phone like a trap wrapped in hope.

What do I do now.

The parking lot suddenly felt too small. The future looks uncertain. But one thing was clear. I would do whatever it took to save my mother. Even if it meant taking the offer of a rich stranger who might be more dangerous than the illness itself.

What I didn't know was that. I’m about to sell my soul to a two faced demon.

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