Aiden Knight's POV
The silence stretches for what feels like an eternity. Ten million yuan. The number echoes in the medical equipment's steady beeping.
Dr. Quinn's face turns red. "This is extortion! Pure and simple extortion!"
"Nobody's forcing anyone to pay," I reply calmly.
Ethan laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Ten million to wake up a dying man? Fifty million more for a 'complete cure'? Mom, you can't seriously be considering this."
Mrs. Thorne stares at her husband's still form. Her fingers twist her wedding ring around and around.
"How long would he have?" she asks quietly.
"If I wake him up without the full treatment? Three days."
"Three days," she repeats.
"Mom, please," Olivia pleads. "I brought him here to give you hope, not to bankrupt the family."
"Your family has more money than you could spend in ten lifetimes," I observe. "What's it worth to say goodbye properly? What's it worth to hear his voice again?"
