Duane's vision went red. His entire body trembled with rage as he watched them move toward his mother's room.
They were going to throw her out and discard her like she was nothing.
"Stop."
His voice cut through the chaos, shaking with fury. Everyone turned to look at him.
His hands clenched into fists. His jaw was so tight it hurt. Every muscle in his body was coiled, ready to explode.
The supervisor's lip curled in disgust as his eyes swept over Duane's bloodstained clothes.
"You. You're the one who brought this mess here in the first place. Your mother's time is up. We've been more than generous keeping her alive this long without payment."
"I have the money." Duane's hands clenched into fists at his sides as he walked forward. "I can pay for everything. Just don't touch her."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the supervisor threw his head back and laughed. The security guards joined in, their laughter echoing through the corridor like a cruel chorus.
"You have the money?" The supervisor wiped tears from his eyes, still chuckling. "You? Look at yourself. You're covered in blood, wearing clothes that probably came from a thrift store, and you expect me to believe you suddenly have a hundred thousand dollars?"
"I do." Duane's voice was steady despite the rage building in his chest. "Let me pay, and this all ends."
The supervisor's laughter died, replaced by a cold sneer. "Fine. Let's play your little game. If you can actually pay, right here, right now, then I'll resign from my position. I'll get down on my knees and apologize to your mother myself." His smile turned vicious. "But when you can't pay, when this turns out to be another pathetic bluff, I'm calling the police and having you arrested for trespassing and wasting hospital resources."
Duane reached into his pocket and pulled out the Black Gold Card.
The matte black surface caught the fluorescent lights, the gold trim gleaming. The Pinnacle Reserve logo was embossed in the corner, completely unmistakable.
For just a moment, everyone froze.
The supervisor's eyes widened. One of the security guards took a step back. Even the doctor, still holding his reddened cheek, stared at the card in shock.
Then the supervisor's face twisted with contempt.
"Oh, please. Do you really think I'm that stupid?" He stepped closer, his voice dripping with mockery. "You couldn't pay five minutes ago. You showed up here looking like a homeless person. And now you're trying to tell me you have a Black Gold Card? The rarest credit card in the world?"
"It's fake." The supervisor's voice rose. "It's obviously fake. You probably bought it online, some cheap knockoff made in someone's basement. Did you really think you could fool me with a piece of plastic?"
“You wouldn't be able to differentiate what's real and what's fake?” Duane said coldly.
Without another word, he moved toward the payment terminal near the nurse's station. "Then let me use it. Let me pay, and you'll see."
"I don't think so." The supervisor moved to block his path. "I'm not letting you waste any more of our time with your scams."
"Get out of my way."
"Or what? You'll bleed on me?" The supervisor's smile was sharp and cruel. "Face it. You're a nobody. A desperate, pathetic nobody who's trying to pull a con because you can't accept that your mother is –"
Duane raised the card toward the payment terminal.
The supervisor's hand shot out and knocked it from Duane's grip.
The Black Gold Card clattered across the floor, spinning before coming to rest near the wall.
"Oops," the supervisor said, his voice mocking. "Looks like your fake card fell. What a shame."
Something inside Duane snapped.
All the humiliation from the party, the desperation and fear and rage he'd been holding back, Gloria's laughter, the locked car doors came together and anger overtook him in that moment.
He lunged forward and grabbed the supervisor by his expensive suit jacket.
"You son of a –"
His fist connected with the supervisor's jaw. Once, twice, three times. The man stumbled backward, crashing against the wall.
The supervisor's face was a mess.
His lip was split wide open, blood pouring down his chin and dripping onto his expensive white shirt. His left eye was already swelling shut, the skin around it turning purple.
His nose was bleeding, red streaks running over his mouth. He clutched his face with both hands, his fingers coming away covered in blood.
"You're insane!" he shouted, but his voice was weak and trembling now. He spat blood onto the floor. "You just assaulted me! You're finished!"
"Don't just stand there!" he screamed at the security guards. "Grab him! Teach this psycho a lesson!"
The two guards moved toward Duane, reaching for his arms.
"Stop! Everyone stop right now!"
The voice rang out from the end of the corridor and everyone went still.
Duane turned, his chest heaving, his fists still clenched.
A young man stood at the entrance to the ICU wing. He was tall and well-dressed, wearing a tailored charcoal suit that probably cost more than most people's monthly salary.
His dark hair was perfectly styled, and he carried himself with the easy confidence of someone who was used to affluence.
But it wasn't just his appearance that made everyone stare.
It was the five men in black suits flanking him and the hospital administrator hurrying alongside him, looking nervous and deferential.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd gasped.
"Wait, Morrison? As in Morrison Pharmaceuticals?"
Another voice, trembling with
disbelief: "That's Daniel Morrison. The heir to the city's biggest pharmaceutical conglomerate."
Latest Chapter
Chapter Seventeen - The Real Card
Thomas took a deep breath, trying to calm the fury still coursing through him.He turned away from the sales associate and James, forcing himself to focus on what truly mattered.He turned to face Duane.His entire demeanor changed immediately. The rage melted away, replaced by something close to fear. His shoulders hunched slightly. His voice, which had been booming with anger moments ago, became soft and cautious."Sir," Thomas said carefully, almost timidly. "I... I hope you can forgive me for what has happened here today. What you've experienced is completely beyond my expectations. This is not how we treat our valued guests. This is not the standard of service Belmont & Sterling is known for."He paused, swallowing hard."I take full responsibility for the failures of my staff. But before we proceed, I need to confirm your identity properly." His voice shook slightly. "Would you please show me your Black Gold Card?"Duane reached into his pocket without a word.He pulled out the
Chapter Sixteen - The Wrong Card
Thomas Phillips stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing.The phone number had been given to him directly by Catherine Hartwell herself. Catherine Hartwell didn't make mistakes.But still, looking at the scene before him, doubt crept in.He narrowed his eyes and studied both men carefully.Duane stood quietly, his clothes simple and plain. A basic shirt, ordinary pants, worn shoes. Nothing about his appearance suggested wealth or status.Thomas could understand a valued guest dressing in middle-class attire to maintain a low profile. Wealthy people did that sometimes, in order to blend in. But dressed the way Duane was? That wasn't middle-class discretion. That was genuinely poor.Thomas's gaze shifted to James, who stood straighter now despite his injuries. James wore a pressed shirt, decent slacks, a watch that looked relatively expensive. He looked presentable. Respectable, even.The sales associate and Sarah both watched Thomas hopefully, waiting for him to make the right deci
Chapter Fifteen - Reckoning
Duane's eyes locked onto James.His voice came out cold and deadly calm."You treated my mother with cruelty," he said quietly. "You tried to have her thrown out of the hospital while she was dying. You slapped the doctor who tried to save her life."James's smirk faltered slightly."And now," Duane continued, his voice dropping lower, "you're provoking me again. Calling me a fraud. A scammer. Trying to have me beaten."He took a step forward."You're going to pay for what you've done."Before anyone could react, Duane’s fist connected with James's jaw with a sickening crack. James stumbled backward, shock flashing across his face.Duane didn't stop. He grabbed James by the collar and hit him again. And again."Stop!" Sarah screamed. "Somebody stop him!"James tried to fight back. He tried to push Duane away, but Duane was fueled by rage. He drove his fist into James's stomach. James doubled over, gasping."Security!" the sales associate shrieked. "Do something!"The two security gua
Chapter Fourteen - Last Chance
She turned slowly toward Duane, her mouth opening to beg for forgiveness, to plead for him to talk to the manager on her behalf.But before she could say a word, James grabbed her arm roughly."Wait," he said urgently. "Don't fall for it."The sales associate looked at him, confused. "What?""Don't you see?" James's voice rose with desperate conviction. "This is all part of his trick! He's scamming you just like he scammed the hospital!""I don't understand –""Listen to me!" James stepped closer, his face flushed. "Yesterday, this man showed up at the hospital where I worked. His mother needed surgery. He didn't have any money. Not a single cent. I saw him myself –broke, desperate, covered in blood."He pointed at Duane with a shaking finger."Then suddenly, out of nowhere, he produces a Black Gold Card. Claims he can pay for everything. The payment goes through. Who would believe that? How does someone go from having nothing to having a Black Gold Card in a matter of hours?"The sal
Chapter Thirteen - The Phone Call
James stared at Duane's phone screen, his face going pale.The name was right there, clear as day: THOMAS PHILLIPS - BELMONT & STERLING MANAGERHis mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.Duane didn't say anything. He simply tapped the green button and put the call on speakerphone.The manager's voice came through immediately, his tone smooth and apologetic. "Mr. Wordsworth! I'm so terribly sorry I haven't arrived yet. Traffic was worse than I expected, but I'm only a few blocks away now. Please forgive the delay."James felt his knees go weak. Sarah grabbed his arm, her face draining of color."That's alright," Duane said calmly into the phone. "But I need to tell you something about my experience at your store so far.""Of course, please. How has everything been? I hope my staff has been taking excellent care of you."Duane's jaw tightened. "Actually, my experience has been terrible."There was a pause on the other end. "I'm sorry? Terrible?""Yes. From the moment I arrived
Chapter Twelve - Mistaken Identity
The sales associate's phone rang.She pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen. Her expression immediately changed from smug superiority to nervous professionalism."Excuse me one moment," she said, stepping away from the group. "Hello, Mr. Phillips?"The voice on the other end was crisp and urgent. "Has the distinguished guest arrived yet?"The sales associate glanced around uncertainly. "I'm not sure, sir. There are several customers here right now.""Listen carefully," the manager said. "This guest is extremely important. He was personally recommended by Catherine Hartwell from Pinnacle Reserve Bank. Do you understand what that means?"The sales associate's eyes went wide. "Yes, sir.""Good. Now, this is critical – his appearance might not match our usual wealthy clientele. Don't judge by clothing or first impressions. Just look for someone who seems out of place or different from the normal customers. Has anyone like that arrived?"The sales associate turned and looked
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