In Barrett Corporation’s spacious CEO office, Charlie handed over the investigation files to Aldrich and succinctly reported his findings. “There’s no apparent connection between Maggie and the werewolf world,” he said in a professional tone. “However, we did stumble upon something unexpected.”
As Charlie finished the first part, Aldrich furrowed his brow in confusion. Maggie had no ties to the werewolf world, so why would she have a mind link with him? It didn’t make sense. Upon hearing the second statement, he raised his gaze and asked, “What unexpected findings?”
“She happens to be your only match,” Charlie revealed, his tone carrying a hint of surprise. “Her genetics match with yours up to 99. 99%, which is highly unusual.”
Aldrich squinted his eyes, rapidly scanning the documents, then tossed them aside with a tinge of annoyance. “Where did the hospital find this woman? A spendthrift who loves buying designer bags and clothes, how could she be qualified to bear my child?”
Before Charlie could react, Aldrich continued, his tone filled with frustration. “This seems to be a complete conspiracy. She received a basketball player’s sperm, but her sister switched it with my sample. Are they trying to secure a life of luxury by bearing my child? Such a vain woman, ready to surrender her dignity for enough money. She’s nothing but a complete bitch.”
Aldrich concluded with a mocking tone. Charlie had conducted a thorough investigation, even exposing Maggie’s habit of maxing out her credit cards on luxury purchases. Coincidentally, this bank was Barrett’s own bank, and Maggie was teetering on the edge of her repayment deadline. Her credit cards were repeatedly overdrawn, used for various clothing and bag expenses. All these circumstances pointed to her being far from a genuinely kind person.
He remembered Maggie tearfully pleading for help to resolve Alisa’s dismissal. At that moment, her desperation and vulnerability had triggered his wolf’s sympathy. His wolf had surprisingly demanded he assist her through her troubles. However, she turned out to be a woman of such extravagant habits!
If Maggie had spent the money on something else, it might have been more bearable. But these were all luxury items, exposing her foolishness, vanity, and lack of self-awareness. As a shrewd businessman, Aldrich despised those who promised empty words.
Even her displays of weakness and despair might have been intended to trigger his wolf’s protective instincts. If that were the case, he had to admit that this woman was indeed quite cunning.
Seeing Aldrich’s displeasure, Charlie analyzed the situation, “Since she’s a woman after wealth, why don’t we propose a business deal with her? If we start looking for a new match, it will take too long and could jeopardize the upcoming election with adverse consequences.”
Aldrich didn’t want someone like Maggie to bear his child, but he urgently needed a child. Still, Maggie’s uncertainty had infuriated him. He coldly ordered, “Request the bank to expedite the process. A woman like her should face some hardships; otherwise, she’ll just squander other people’s kindness as her own chips. However, we can give your proposal a try.”
“Understood,” Charlie replied, accepting Aldrich’s instructions.
In order to cover her daily expenses, Maggie found a part-time job at a new restaurant.
Maggie worked with hope, looking forward to a successful pregnancy. However, she soon found herself under immense stress. She could hardly keep up with the restaurant’s bustling pace, and her body was beginning to show signs of fatigue.
Living on a tight budget left Maggie physically weakened, and she even received a call from the bank’s debt collection department. The voice on the other end was cold and mechanical, sending shivers down Maggie’s spine. “If you don’t pay off your credit card within three days, we will charge you with credit card fraud, and you could face imprisonment.”
That statement hit her like a bomb, engulfing her in panic. Her heart raced, and her mind was filled with terrifying scenarios that threatened to buckle her knees.
“Please, I don’t have that much money right now. Can the due date be extended?” Maggie pleaded, her voice trembling.
This call was not just about credit card repayment; it was a directive from higher-ups. After dealing with countless debtors who couldn’t pay, they rudely interrupted her and said, “I’m sorry, we’ll follow the procedure.”
After the call ended, Maggie felt dizzy, the words echoing in her ears, almost causing her to collapse. But she clung to the edge of the table, refusing to let herself fall.
Just then, a caring colleague noticed the fear on her face and approached her. “Maggie, are you okay?”
Maggie’s mind was spinning, and she clung tightly to the table, struggling to find the right words. After several attempts, her trembling lips finally managed to say, “The bank wants me to pay my credit card debt. I don’t have that much money in such a short time. If I don’t pay within three days, they’ll sue me.”
Her colleague widened her eyes in surprise. “You owe a lot of money?”
Tears streamed down Maggie’s cheeks, leaving two glistening trails. She held back sobs and replied, “It’s for some luxury items. I had planned to pay it off with this month’s paycheck, but the bank doesn’t seem willing to budge.”
“What?!” Her colleague was taken aback by Maggie’s purchase of luxury items. “How did you suddenly get into these vanity things?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose, and the money wasn’t spent by me,” Maggie said, wiping her tears with her hand, her voice filled with pain. “It’s just…”
She hoped to share her misfortune with her colleague, but what good would it do? It wouldn’t solve her problems.
Her colleague offered a few comforting words and suggested, “If you can’t return the items, you can try negotiating with the bank, explaining that the original buyer wasn’t you, and see if they can show some leniency.”
Maggie nodded.