On the other end of the phone, Grace was overjoyed, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Young Master Carter?"
Chloe looked at the ring on the table and suddenly remembered that this ring was the same one she had seen in a photo of Young Master Carter at a socialite gathering. It was the heirloom diamond ring of the Carter Family.
Connecting the dots with what happened at the hospital yesterday, Chloe instantly understood. Toria had saved Leo Carter and taken him to the hospital! And because Toria had given her name at the hospital, Leo thought it was Chloe who had saved him.
She had accidentally become the 'savior' of the Young Master Carter of the Empire City! This was even more thrilling than winning the lottery.
"Mom, I have something to take care of right now. I'll talk to you later." Suppressing her overwhelming joy, Chloe discreetly pocketed the ring from the table while Toria wasn't looking. She then walked up to Toria with a self-righteous air and said, "If you mess up again, you can prepare to bury your foster parents."
With that, she stormed out angrily.
Toria had come home early in the morning, intending to get some sleep, but she had overslept. She had no time to argue with Chloe now. She grabbed a mask to cover her face and rushed to the hospital to find that man.
The ten million-dollars reward. That was something she had risked her life for. But heaven knows, when she went to the hospital to check, the nurse told her that the man had woken up in the middle of the night and left without a trace.
He didn't even leave any contact information.
"Liar! Jerk!"
Toria exploded on the spot, stomping her feet in anger. "That five thousand bucks was my two months' living expenses!"
As expected, a man's words are nothing but lies.
Not only did she lose five thousand dollars, but she also got fined over a hundred dollars by the delivery platform for losing an order.
She was already working part-time as a delivery driver, and now her two days' earnings from deliveries were all gone to the platform.
Toria's heart bled. The world was harsh, and she was still too naive.
In the following days, she worked even harder, taking on extra shifts and delivering food part-time, while also bringing meals to her adoptive parents in the hospital.
At Velvet Club.
Dressed in her security uniform, Toria sat in the surveillance room with her colleagues from the security team, venting her frustrations. "If I hadn't saved that ungrateful jerk, I wouldn't be eating only two meals a day this week. I've lost weight from hunger." After the car accident, her father remained in a coma, and her mother stayed by his side in the hospital every day
.
Although Chloe's parents covered the medical expenses, Toria still had important daily expenses.
She had given her last five thousand dollars to that jerk for his surgery, leaving her struggling to make ends meet.
"Toria, from what you've told us, you don't even know his name or what he looks like?"
"Do you remember what he looked like?" Jack asked.
Toria shook her head. "I remember his face, but he was unconscious at the time. How would I know his name... Wait, wait, wait... Do you see that?"
Suddenly, Toria pointed at someone on the surveillance video.
"That's him! That's the guy!"
She slammed her hand on the table in anger. "You bastard, I finally found you." She stood up and started heading out.
"Toria, wait."
Jack grabbed Toria's wrist, pointing incredulously at the person on the screen. "Are you sure it's him?"
"I'd recognize that scumbag even if he turned to ashes."
Toria tried to walk away, but Jack quickly stood in her path.
"Toria, calm down. His name is Leo Carter, the heir to the Carter Family, one of the four major families in New Orleans. He's known to be ruthless and cold-blooded... a man with blood on his hands."
"Leo Carter?" Toria took a sharp breath. Leo Carter... of course she knew that name. Her workplace was the place in New Orleans for the rich to blow their cash. You couldn't work there without hearing about the Carter family.
"He's a powerful man. If he wanted to thank you, he would have already. Since he hasn't, it's clear he doesn't plan to. Toria, your life is worth more than that. It's just five thousand. Think of it as money well lost."
"I..."
Toria was momentarily speechless, realizing that Jack made a lot of sense.
But still, she couldn't let it go.
After leaving the surveillance room and asking around, Toria finally learned that Leo was in private room 908.
Toria decided to wait for him. It wasn't until 1 AM. that she saw Leo, dressed in a black shirt, exit the room and head towards the elevator.
She quickly followed him in. The Velvet Club had eight floors of bars below and hotel suites above.
In the elevator, Toria glanced sideways at Leo, who was half a head taller than her. He reeked of alcohol, and his strikingly handsome face was flushed unnaturally. His long fingers occasionally tugged at his collar, showing signs of post-drinking discomfort.
"Which floor are you going to?" Leo's cold voice suddenly broke the silence.
Toria glanced at the illuminated number on the panel and replied, "38th floor."
Leo said nothing more.
Ding—
The elevator doors opened on the 38th floor.
Leo stepped out, and Toria followed closely behind.
But after only a few steps, Leo suddenly stopped. Toria, caught off guard, bumped right into his back. "Oh, I'm sor—"
Before she could finish her apology, Leo spun around and grabbed her neck with his large hand. His voice was icy as he demanded,
"Who are you, really?"
"It hurts..." Toria gasped.
Toria struggled to breathe, her brain deprived of oxygen as she desperately slapped at Leo's hand. "Let me go... I can't breathe..."
Hearing her plea, Leo frowned slightly and yanked off the security cap she was wearing. "You're a woman?"
Toria had been working at the club, disguising herself with a male voice and makeup to avoid unwanted attention. Only the manager and a few security members knew her true identity. "Yes, yes," she gasped.
"Who sent you?" Leo demanded.
"I... I just wanted to..."
Before Toria could finish her sentence, Leo interrupted her.
"Wanted to be my woman?"
He had noticed the suspicious behavior of the small security guard earlier and knew that his drink had been tampered with. It was clear to him another woman trying to drug him and climb into his bed.
Toria was on the verge of passing out from his grip.
This bastard! Repaying kindness with cruelty!
She tried to curse him, "To be your..." but before any curse could escape her lips, Leo released her neck.
Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, supporting herself with her hands as she gasped for air, coughing uncontrollably.
It was then that she realized the entire 38th floor was private residences.
The room was decorated in a luxurious, high-end style with cool tones of silver and gray, exuding an air of sophistication.
It seemed that Leo had already noticed something was off about her.