Bert cast a cold glance at Tracy's humiliatingly submissive posture and spoke indifferently.
"I can spare your lives," he said. "On the condition that you agree to mine."
Tracy asked in terror,
"What condition?"
Bert took out a check and handed it to her.
"Channing needs someone to take care of him now. I want you to stay by his side and look after him personally. This money will be your wages."
The moment Tracy heard she would have to care for Channing after his stroke, her instinctive reaction was resistance. But when she saw the amount written on the check, she hesitated.
It wasn't an eye-watering sum—back when she had lived extravagantly, it would have been nothing more than pocket change. But now, with no income and no one to rely on, it was no small amount at all.
Bert raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh.
"Your entire family has lost the ability to make a living. Do you really think you still have the luxury of refusing?"
