Adam arrived at the Danforth Logistics building just before noon, the envelope clutched in his hand like a death warrant. The glass facade towered above him, a reminder of the career he had once built and lost.
Inside, the receptionist barely glanced at him before directing him to a conference room.
"Mr. Dared."
The voice came from across the long mahogany table. Mr. Roland, one of the senior executives Adam had once reported to, sat with a cold smile. His suit was immaculate, his gaze sharp as a scalpel.
Adam sat, keeping his shoulders squared. "You called me."
Roland slid a file across the table. "Your accident left us in a difficult position. Projects collapsed, deadlines failed, clients pulled out. The company suffered because of you."
Adam's jaw tightened. "I was fighting for my life."
Roland's smile didn't falter. "Business doesn't pause for personal tragedies."
He tapped the file. "Outstanding debts, unpaid advances, medical bills we covered during your employment. We could press charges. We could blacklist you permanently."
Adam leaned forward, voice low. "Then why am I here? If you wanted to bury me, you wouldn't have called me in."
Roland's smile widened faintly. "Because despite your flaws, you have a talent no one can deny. You see opportunities others miss. You build strategies that turn losses into profit. I don't want to destroy you, Adam. I want to use you."
Adam narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?"
Roland's tone sharpened. "There's a new oil company from Europe looking to penetrate the African market. They want innovative strategies, local insight, and someone with your… unconventional mind. Help us secure the deal, and your debts disappear. Fail, and you won't work in this industry again."
The room fell silent. Adam stared at the man across from him, weighing the impossible choice.
Take the deal, and he risked being used, thrown aside if he failed. Refuse, and his career was dead before it could begin again.
---
Back at the hospital, Mina sat with Mariam, worry etched on her face. Adam hadn't shown up that morning.
She tried not to think about it, but the absence gnawed at her. He had promised he wouldn't leave her alone. Yet here she was, alone again, gripping her sister's frail hand.
Was I foolish to trust him so quickly?
Mariam stirred, her lips moving faintly. "Where… Adam?"
Mina blinked, startled. "You know his name?"
Her sister's eyes fluttered open just enough to catch her gaze. "He… promised. Don't let him go."
Mina's heart twisted. But how could she hold on to someone who had already disappeared?
---
In the boardroom, Adam's fingers drummed against the table. He could feel Mina's eyes in his mind, her quiet gratitude, her fragile laughter. And her sister's whisper—Don't leave her.
Roland pushed the file closer. "What will it be, Adam?"
Adam clenched his fists. This wasn't just about debts anymore. This was about survival. About proving he still had a place in a world that had written him off.
But accepting meant walking a path that could consume him—and possibly pull Mina into storms she wasn't ready for.
Adam exhaled slowly, staring at the contract before him.
His next words would change everything.