The premium taxi screeched to a halt in front of St. Jude's Hospital. Aryan didn't wait for the driver to finish the transaction; he threw a hundred-dollar bill at him and sprinted toward the entrance. His wet clothes were still dripping, but the cold didn't bother him anymore. Inside his chest, a fire was burning—a mixture of desperate hope and cold, hard rage.
He burst through the sliding doors of the ICU wing. The sterile smell of disinfectant hit him, but his eyes were locked on the reception desk.
"Mia... Mia Sharma! Where is she?" Aryan gasped, slamming his hands on the counter.
The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with sharp glasses, looked up. Her eyes raked over Aryan's drenched delivery jacket and his muddy sneakers. "Sir, this is a private wing. You can't just barge in here. And look at the floor, you're making a mess!"
"I don't give a damn about the floor!" Aryan roared, his voice echoing in the quiet hallway. "My sister needs surgery. Where is Nurse Sarah?"
Just then, Nurse Sarah emerged from the swinging doors, her face pale. When she saw Aryan, she ran over. "Aryan! You're finally here. But... the deposit. It's 11:45 PM. We have fifteen minutes before the surgical team stands down. Did you get the money?"
"I have it," Aryan said, his voice trembling as he pulled out his card.
The receptionist let out a dry, mocking snort.
"Nurse Sarah, look at him. He looks like he hasn't eaten in days. Our deposit is $5,000. This isn't a charity ward."
Aryan ignored her. He looked Sarah in the eye. "Swipe it. Now."
Sarah took the card, her hands shaking. She swiped it through the hospital's terminal. The receptionist watched with a bored, cynical expression, waiting for the 'Declined' message to flash on the screen.
Beep.
[Transaction Approved.]
The machine began to hum, printing out the receipt. The receptionist's jaw dropped. She adjusted her glasses, staring at the paper as if it were a ghost. "Five thousand... approved?"
[Ding!]
The mechanical voice in Aryan's head vibrated with a strange, metallic satisfaction.
[Large Purchase Detected: $5,000.00]
[Calculating 10x Cashback...]
[Successfully Credited: $50,000.00 to Host's Account!]
Aryan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He didn't even need to look. He felt the power of that notification. He wasn't a beggar anymore. He was a predator in a world of sheep.
"Prepare the surgery," Aryan commanded. It wasn't a request; it was an order that carried the weight of a king.
"Right away!" Sarah scrambled toward the intercom.
As the surgical team rushed into Mia's room, a tall, balding man in an expensive white coat stepped out. It was Dr. Hitesh, the Chief Surgeon, known for his skill and his extreme greed.
"Wait," Dr. Hitesh said, checking his clipboard. "The $5,000 is just the deposit for the basic procedure. Given the spread of the infection, we need the 'Advanced Bio-Seal' kit from Germany. That's another $15,000. Without it, the survival rate is less than 30%."
Sarah gasped. "But Doctor, he just paid the deposit! You can't change the price now!"
Dr. Hitesh shrugged, his eyes cold. "Survival costs money, Nurse. If he can't pay the extra $15,000, we proceed with the basic tools. Results not guaranteed."
He looked at Aryan with disdain, clearly expecting the young man to break down in tears. Instead, Aryan let out a low, dark laugh. The kind of laugh that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
"Fifteen thousand?" Aryan stepped closer to the doctor, the smell of rain and grit surrounding him. "Is that the price of my sister's safety? Fine. But I don't want the 'basic' kit. I want the best surgeons in the city, the best recovery suite, and the most expensive medicine you have."
He slammed his card back onto the counter. "Charge me $40,000. Right now. If my sister so much as feels a moment of discomfort, I will buy this entire hospital just to fire you personally."
The lobby went silent. Dr. Hitesh's eyes widened. He grabbed the card and ran it himself.
Beep.
[Transaction Approved: $40,000.00]
[Ding!]
[Critical Expenditure Detected! Total Spent: $45,000.00]
[Special Multiplier Triggered: 20x Cashback for 'Life-Saving' Category!]
[Successfully Credited: $900,000.00 to Host's Account!]
Aryan's phone screen lit up.
Balance: $915,012.45.
In less than an hour, Aryan had gone from a delivery boy with a broken heart to a man nearly reaching a million dollars.
Dr. Hitesh's attitude flipped instantly. He bowed slightly, his voice now dripping with honey. "Of course, Mr. Aryan! Only the best for your sister. I will lead the surgery personally. Nurse, get him a robe, some hot coffee, and move him to the VIP lounge!"
Aryan watched them wheel Mia into the theater. He sat down on the expensive leather sofa in the VIP lounge, staring at his bruised knuckles.
"Steve... Maya..." he whispered. "You told me a silver ring was trash. You told me I'd never be anyone."
He looked at his phone. Almost a million dollars. And he was just getting started.
"Tomorrow, Haddon City will wake up to a new nightmare. And I'm the one who's going to buy it."
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Author's Note:💖
"Aryan has the money, but can he save his sister in time? The 'God-Level Cashback' is just warming up. From a delivery bike to a billionaire's throne—the revenge is going to be brutal!
> Support the Journey:🙏
* Add to Library (Collection): If you want to see Steve and Maya crawl in the dirt, save this story NOW!
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* Comment below: What should Aryan buy first to destroy Steve? A sports car or Steve's father's company? Let me know!"