Chapter 6

Max was yanked out of the bedroom by his collar, his feet barely touching the ground, while Evan, clearly pretending to be clueless, rushed to my side.

"Mom, who are these people?" he asked, feigning innocence.

I didn't bother responding. Instead, I stood back, watching the unfolding drama with quiet detachment.

In my previous life, it had been these very same thugs who had come to collect the debt.

Back then, I had been alone with Evan, always worrying about shielding him from the harsh realities while dealing with these lowlife debt collectors. I spent months in a constant state of mental and physical exhaustion, battling them off one by one.

"Max, you owe our boss 1.5 million. Out of the kindness of his heart, he's willing to settle for 1.7 million, interest included," the leader of the group said, his voice dripping with mock generosity. "When will you have it? Give us a real answer."

These men were the real deal—ruthless and cold-blooded. Even Max looked terrified, a s