The Rise of James Winslow

CHAPTER FIVE

James rushed back home with his heart pounding. He banged on the door, demanding to see Melissa. After a moment, Seth, Alice's older brother opened the door halfway, preventing James from entering the house.

Seth's eyes narrowed as he glared at James. "What in the world do you think you're doing back here?"

"Seth, please I need to talk to Melissa. It's about the money for Maureen's surgery."

Seth scoffed at James, "You've got some nerve coming back here. Whatever your problems are, they're not our concern."

"Seth, Melissa tricked me. She didn't transfer the money. Maureen's life is at stake. I just need to talk to her"

Seth's nostrils flared with anger as he scowled at James, "Are you calling my mother a liar?"

"Of course not..." James spotted Melissa from behind the gate and immediately called out to her "Melissa! We need to talk!"

Melissa glared at James with a cold expression and turned to Seth. "Close the gate immediately! Don't let that miserable beggar into this house"

Seth, following Melissa's order, began to close the gate. Panic surged through James, and he tried to force his way in, pleading, "Melissa, please! Maureen's life is on the line."

Seth, angered by James's persistence, pushed James away. James stumbled backward, hitting the ground hard. Seth stared at James on the floor with disdain "You're no longer a part of this family, next time I see you, I will break your legs!" Seth said and slammed the gate shut on James' face.

James felt a wave of humiliation and despair as he stumbled away from the gate. He roamed the streets consumed by a sense of hopelessness as he had nowhere to go, nobody to turn to.

Finding himself near a deserted playground, James staggered to a bench, sinking onto it, the vivid memories of the rejection still haunting his mind. Memories of betrayal lingered, mingled with the worry for Maureen's life. He didn't know where to turn or what to do next. 

Maureen's surgery seemed impossible.

As James sat on the bench, enveloped in the darkness of his thoughts, his phone rang and James brought out his phone from his pocket, he glanced at the screen the number calling him ended with 888, the same number had been trying to call him for the past two days, James thought it was probably scammers, recently there were a lot of cases of people receiving calls from people trying to scam them, James declined the call wanting to be left alone with his misery, but the number called repeatedly after the 15th time James decided to pick the call.

"Hello? Do you have any idea what time it is now? Why on earth are you disturbing me?" James spoke angrily into the phone, not caring who the caller was.

"Hello, am I speaking with James Winslow?" The male voice at the end of the call asked in an authoritative tone ignoring how annoyed James sounded.

James was reluctant to answer at first, how did this person know his name?

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"Pardon my imprudence, young master Winslow"

James became confused "Young master Winslow?"

"Yes, young master Winslow I apologize for my imprudence once again, I have a lot to tell you that I cannot say over the phone, can you please tell me your location? I will arrive there to pick you up"

Suspicion was written all over James' face, he didn't know what to say, how could he just reveal his location to a strange caller, what if he was a kidnapper who was looking to kidnap him?

James suddenly laughed at himself, who on earth would want to kidnap a pauper like him, they would even be doing him a favor because he had nowhere to go. Kidnappers usually did their research and they should know no single person on this earth would want to pay a dime for his release.

James let out a sigh before deciding to give the caller his location, he had nothing to lose anyway.

"Alright young master Winslow, please don't go anywhere, I'll be there very soon," the caller said before disconnecting the call.

James let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes as he rested his head against the bench, it did not matter if the caller was a prank or not, what occupied his mind was the money for Maureen's surgery. 

A few minutes after the phone call, James heard the sound of cars moving, he opened his eyes and his jaw dropped in shock, he had never seen anything like this.

A convoy of exotic cars, different types of black SUVs with a gold color Rolls-Royce in the middle came to a stop in front of the playground, James didn't know much about cars but he knew that a Rolls-Royce of this model was very expensive.

The door of the Rolls-Royce opened and a man stepped down from the car, he looked like he was in his early thirties and he was dressed luxuriously, his white suit had layers of expensive jewelry littered around it, and they sparkled in the night, his hair was black and was neatly styled.

James looked at the man in confusion, he wondered what an important figure like him was doing here. Everything about him screamed wealth.

When the man came closer to James, he knelt not minding his expensive suit, and placed his head on the ground "Young master Winslow, I'm so glad I finally found you"

James looked at the man in shock "Young master Winslow?"