Chapter 42

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Elenora’s heart hammered relentlessly in her chest, the jarring sensation echoing the onset of a heart attack as she wrestled with yet another rejection. Even though she had anticipated the possibility of this outcome, its brutal reality was a painful blow. A blow to her ego, her social status, her carefully curated image.

'How can this be happening to me? This cannot be real, it just can't be!'

"Surely you cannot be serious, Mister Thorne! My late husband was your loyal client since he launched his business, a venture that filled your bank's coffers quite handsomely. The very same business you now blatantly refuse to extend a loan to."

Mister Thorne interjected, "It was out of respect and sympathy for your late husband, an old friend of mine, that I chose not to report your outstanding debts to the authorities. It was in honor of Ethan Carter that you aren't facing legal charges this very moment."

Feeling the gravity of her situation, she swallowed the