Hailey was lounging in the master bedroom of the seaside villa, fresh from a soak in the whirlpool tub.
She looked nothing like a woman with terminal cancer.
Suddenly, a sharp, insistent knock echoed through the villa.
Thinking it was a delivery, she opened the door, only for a man in a black suit to barge in.
His expression was icy, his eyes like a viper’s. A malicious smile played on his lips.
he color drained from Hailey’s face.
“What are you doing here?” she stammered, a flicker of fear in her eyes.
The man sneered as he sank onto the sofa, crossing one leg casually over the other.
“So, how’s it feel playing sick? Enjoying the mansion?”
“Let’s cut the crap. Where’s my money? I need that five hundred thousand.”
Hailey, clutching her bathrobe, leapt to her feet. “What are you talking about?” she snapped. “I don’t owe you that much! We agreed on two hundred and fifty thousand!”
The man glanced around the opulent villa with disdain.
“The price just went up. Today’s the deadline. You didn’t really think you had a choice, did you?”
“I know all about your little scheme. Stealing medical credentials, blackmailing a lab tech, forging medical records. Oh, and the plagiarism. Compared to all this, the plagiarism hardly seems to matter anymore.”
“Either you pay up today, or I take this evidence to the cops. Your choice.”
Hailey’s fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms.
After a long moment, she bit out, “Give me some time. I can’t get the money until I’ve ‘finished‘ my treatment.”
“This time, I promise. Five hundred thousand, not a penny less, all at once.”
The man stood up, adjusting his tie.
