Chapter 13
Chapter 13
“Kind people, thank you!” the old man said with a smile, even though there was still blood at the corner of his mouth. He stood up and bowed deeply to Robert and Yvonne, as if all the coughing blood had just been an illusion.
“But-” Robert and Yvonne looked down at the house keys and deed in their hands, still feeling like they were in a dream.
“Please don’t say no,” the old man said, looking sad now. “I truly want to break this curse and make it up to the woman I love. Please, help me.”
“But we really don’t-” Yvonne hesitated, but before she could finish, the old man coughed up blood again.
“Mom, I don’t think he’s faking,” Nina said seriously. “He’s old, and coughing blood like that is dangerous. Why don’t we try to do good deeds every day too? That way, we’re honoring his gift, right?”
“Young lady, y-you’re right!” the old man said, giving her a shaky thumbs-up.
“The address is 901 Starlight Avenue, Unit 201. You should go with your parents and-” He suddenly coughed up and passed out.
“Mr. Arden!” Chris looked panicked. “Please, I beg you-just accept his kindness.”
Then he scooped the old man up in his arms and rushed back into the ER. “Doctor! Help!”
blood again
The two notaries snapped their folders shut. “The house deed is now officially notarized. Goodbye.” With that, they turned and walked away.
Nina looked toward the ER, where the old man had just been wheeled onto a stretcher. She let out a small sigh.
But she didn’t say anything more. If she did, her parents might think she just wanted a place to live in the city. In truth, she was the one who had bought that apartment for them.
After a moment, Robert let out a long sigh and made his decision. “Let’s go check out the house.”
Yvonne looked at him, about to say something, but stopped.
“Nina’s name is on the deed,” Robert went on. “If there’s something wrong with the place, we should find out right away. And if it’s all legit-”
He gave the ER building one last complicated look, still clearly unsure. “Then maybe this really was a miracle. Let’s do what Nina said-one good deed a day.”
Yvonne nodded. “Alright. I’ll listen to you.”
In the hallway on the second floor of the ER building, Chris stood with his arms crossed, watching Robert’s van pull away from the hospital. He smiled and said, “You did well.”
“Thanks for the praise. If you’ve got more gigs like this in the future, don’t forget about me,” the old man said behind Chris, face full of flattery.
“You can ask around-me, Louis Jordan, I’m the top extra at the biggest filming base in town,” he continued. “I work year- round, no days off, always ready to go. And you saw how dedicated I was. Your money was well spent.”
“Okay” Chris held a bank card between his fingers, his tone nonchalant. “There’s 30 thousand dollars on this card. Watch
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Chapter 13
your mouth.”
“Alright!” Louis’s eyes lit up. He reached out eagerly to grab the card.
But Chris pulled it back at the last second. He turned to look at Louis, his brown eyes flashing with a cold glint as he spoke with a threatening tone. “If you ever go to that address and bother them-”
Louis froze, a chill crawling up his back.
He waved his hands fast and said, “I wouldn’t dare! Don’t worry, I’ve already forgotten everything.”
Chris gave a quiet, noncommittal laugh and tossed the card to him. “Now get out of my sight.”
“Okay!” Louis grinned from ear to ear. He backed away for a while before turning happily and stepping into the elevator.
Chris kept his eyes on the hospital’s front exit, and slowly, his expression softened.
