Chapter 296 How Much More

Chapter 296: Chapter 296 How Much More

After dinner, Serena mentioned that she had been spending most of her time at the hospital with her grandfather.

Vincent glanced at her. "You’ve been there every day?"

"Pretty much."

"Then I’m coming with you."

He turned toward the hospital, then pulled into a small pharmacy near the entrance.

A few minutes later, he returned with a modest bouquet, a get-well card, and a gift bag filled with sealed snacks and bottled water.

Serena watched him place everything on the back seat.

"The decent gift baskets were all gone," he said, holding up the one he’d managed to find. "Holiday shopping is brutal."

The flowers were inexpensive, but the gesture landed exactly where he intended.

"They’re sweet," she said.

More important, he was going inside with her.

Sullivan Group could wait. She had never planned to go there.

She had only mentioned it so Alpha Victor would believe she still had options, that she wasn’t a lost cause everyone had abandoned.

Vincent pulled back into traffic.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

Serena turned toward the window and let her expression fall.

"You shouldn’t have gone against your father tonight. I’m fine. You don’t have to get involved."

"I’m already involved."

"I made my own choices. I should deal with the fallout without dragging you down with me."

Serena couldn’t play helpless with Vincent the way she had with Sebastian.

Vincent was drawn to women who appeared self-sufficient, and he knew enough about her history to recognize a convenient excuse.

"Everyone deserves a second chance," he said. "You made mistakes. That doesn’t mean I’m going to watch you get buried under them."

"Your family just cut you loose."

"They didn’t throw me out on the street." He glanced at her. "They told me to manage my own life. I can handle that."

"They’re hard on you because they expect more from you."

"The Crawfords have plenty of people to worry about."

"But in your branch, it’s just you and Lainey."

"And they’ve done a pretty good job raising her."

Serena nearly rolled her eyes. He was thirty and still talked about independence like a college kid planning a cross-country road trip.

"I don’t want to be the reason you lose everything," she said.

"You’re not."

He pulled into the hospital drop-off lane, where the valet opened the passenger door. Vincent took the flowers and gift bag from the back seat.

"Stay here," he told Serena. "I’ll get the visitor pass."

--

Alpha Victor looked up when Vincent entered the room.

He hadn’t expected the Crawford heir to show up after Serena’s reputation had taken such a public beating.

The young man had more backbone than Alpha Victor had given him credit for.

Vincent kept the visit brief. He asked about Alpha Victor’s recovery, set the flowers and gift bag on the side table, and didn’t bring up the hearing.

When he finally stood, Alpha Victor glanced at Serena.

"Walk him out."

Outside, Serena followed Vincent to the curb. The evening air was cool, and the hospital entrance glowed behind them.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said.

"Showing up for someone’s grandfather is basic courtesy." Vincent reached into his wallet and pulled out a personal check. "This is from my own account. Nothing connected to the Crawford family."

Serena stared at the check.

"Use it for whatever you need."

Her eyes filled. "Vincent, you shouldn’t."

He took her hand and folded her fingers over the check.

"If accepting it makes you uncomfortable, call it a loan. Pay me back when you’re in a position to do that."

Serena didn’t promise. If she agreed too quickly, he might actually expect repayment. Instead, she lowered her eyes and let her silence speak for her.

"It’s not a fortune," Vincent added. "Nine hundred thousand."

Her stomach sank.

The Crawford heir had only nine hundred thousand dollars in liquid personal funds.

Not a fortune.

It was still better than nothing, but it barely made a dent.

Her parents had already told her that Eira had accepted the initial fifty million dollars but had not agreed to delay enforcement.

Serena still needed to cover the remaining balance.

Vincent’s check brought in nine hundred thousand. Ryan had promised another five hundred thousand.

A few admirers had contributed roughly four hundred thousand, and Serena had added her own savings.

Altogether, she had less than twenty million.

She was still short by nearly fifty million.

That left Alpha Victor.

Her grandfather had the money.

--

Back in the room, Alpha Victor rested against the pillows as Serena returned. Her clothes were immaculate, but she kept her eyes lowered.

"Did Vincent leave?"

"He did." She forced a small smile. "You look tired. I’ll get you a warm washcloth."

She ran the bathroom tap until the water was hot, soaked a clean cloth, and wrung it out. Back at the bedside, she handed it to him.

Alpha Victor wiped his face, then held the cloth out.

"How much do you still owe?"

Serena froze. "What?"

"How much?"

The exact number rose to her lips: fifty million. Too round. Too obvious.

"I’d have to check everything."

"Give me an estimate."

"Let me run the numbers first."

She sat beside the bed and opened the calculator on her phone.

For the next ten minutes, she added and subtracted carefully, making sure the figure looked precise without sounding inflated.

Finally, she looked up.

"Forty-eight million, eight hundred and twenty thousand," she said softly. "Give or take."

Alpha Victor’s brow furrowed.

"How long do you have?"

"Less than a week."

Serena twisted her fingers in her lap, her head bowed like a child waiting for a reprimand.

Alpha Victor studied her in silence.

This was the granddaughter he had raised, protected, and funded for most of her life. She had humiliated the family, ignored every warning, and pushed his heart to the limit.

But he still couldn’t watch her go under.

Just once more.

He would pull her out.

One last time.