Chapter 0005

“C-can you operate on her while I look for the money? I don’t have right-”

Tessa began to negotiate, however, she was quickly cut off before she could finish her sentence. 

“It doesn’t work like that, Miss,” the doctor shook her head. Almost every day, she had to deal with such cases. But it was just impossible to do surgery minus the payment. “The surgery will be done as soon as you pay.” 

Tessa’s stomach twisted when the doctor left. She had nowhere to get money. 

She suddenly thought of someone who could help her. He was not just anyone. But a billionaire who could get access to anything in Ashford city including the best health services available. 

With bated breath, she took out her phone and typed him a message since she knew calling him was futile. 

[Aaron, my mother has cancer and she needs to undergo surgery right now. I really need your help this time.]

She thought about something for a few seconds and edited Aaron to Mr Wentworth. She didn’t want him to think she was trying to cling to him. 

Her heart sank deeper and deeper when five minutes passed but there was no response from Aaron. 

'Are you that cruel to not help me out when I’m in such a dire situation?'

Tessa could only feel sorry for herself, coupled with the pain in her chest. Turns out the man she had thought was kind-hearted was the exact opposite instead. 

He was ruthless and heartless. 

She clenched her fists at her sides and took in a sharp breath. 

Since Aaron didn’t want to pick up the call, she decided to go to the Wentworth group and ask for his help directly. 

It did not take long for Tessa to arrive at the Wentworth group but she was denied entry. 

“I’m sorry, Miss Hilton but Mr Wentworth has given out the order not to allow you into the company premises,” Lydia, the receptionist at the entrance said, her eyes flitting with guilt. 

A pang of pain shot threw Tessa but she wasn’t surprised anymore. Aaron had made sure she got the memo. The love of his life had returned so she needed to back off. 

“I want to talk to him about a serious matter. At least call him and let him know I’m here.” 

The receptionist felt awkward. Actually, the CEO had instructed her to stop Tessa from going up to his office because he didn’t want Serena and Tessa to meet. 

Serena had been frequenting the company lately and right at that moment, she was with Aaron in his office. So there was no way Tessa would be allowed to go up.  

It would be disastrous if Serena found out about his mistress. She might refuse to marry him again and leave. 

Lydia forced a smile at Tessa. “I’m sorry. He doesn’t want to hear any news about you.” 

Tessa’s stomach churned and she took a step back. ‘Does he hate me that much?’

It felt like someone had brutally cut her heart with a blunt saw. 

She left the company and decided to wait outside. It was almost lunch time and he would be going out soon. 

A few minutes later, Nora walked out of the company, going for her lunch break and she spotted Tessa outside. 

“Tessa? What are you doing sitting outside?” She asked, approaching her. 

Hearing the familiar voice, Tessa’s heart leaped to her throat. She quickly turned around and rushed towards her. 

“Nora, is Mr Wentworth going out for lunch?” 

Nora nodded. “Yes, he will be out soon I guess.” 

Tessa looked at Nora and asked her anxiously, “Did you give him the envelope?”

She was referring to the envelope that contained the cheques she had returned. At that moment, Tessa regretted giving back those cheques. She wouldn’t be so desperate right now if she had kept them. 

Nora paused for a moment and then nodded, “Yes, I did.” 

She didn’t think much about it, since Serena was the CEO’s girlfriend, giving her the envelope was akin to giving it to him. 

“Is something the matter?” She asked, her eyebrows creasing. Tessa looked pale and her hair was disheveled. She wondered what had happened to her. 

She had heard the rumours about how she was fired because she was the CEO’s mistress but Nora didn’t believe them. There were always two sides to every story after all. It was not her place to judge and none of her business anyway. 

Tessa shook her head, her mood deflating. “I’ll wait for the CEO here. You can go and have your lunch.” 

Nora hesitated but she left in the end after telling Tessa to keep in touch. 

Tessa didn’t know how long she had been waiting for Aaron. When he finally showed up, her legs were numb from squatting for too long. 

She was about to rush towards him when she paused in her tracks. 

That woman called Serena Winston was with him. Her slender arm was hooked around his arm while she blushed occasionally and tucked her hair behind her ear shyly. 

They looked like a match made in heaven. The man oozed a dominant aura while the woman gave off an elegant gentle feeling with an air of nobility. 

Tessa swallowed painfully, knowing if she called for him, he might ignore her but she did it anyway.

“Mr Wentworth.”

Hearing his name being called, Aaron glanced in her direction but his face did not betray any of his emotions. 

Seeing that he had looked at her, Tessa decided to ask now, “I’m kindly asking-”

The man withdrew his gaze from her before she could finish her sentence and proceeded to his car. 

His icy attitude towards Tessa made her heart sink to the depths of hell. 

Tessa’s words were stuck in her throat. She didn’t know how to ask him for help. He had openly ignored her so how could she openly ask him for help? 

Her stomach turned as she watched the couple approach the silver Bently parked by the roadside. 

“Aaron, who’s that? She was looking at you just now,” Tessa could hear a soft voice asking Aaron and her breathing got caught in her throat as she waited for his answer. 

But his next words made her feel like someone was squeezing her heart painfully. 

“She’s nobody.” 

At that moment, all the feelings that Tessa had for Aaron shattered to pieces. Why should she hold on to someone who clearly didn’t value her?

Her heart grew cold and hatred brewed within her. She turned and rushed to the hospital. She would have to borrow money but for now, she had to check on how her mother was doing. 

It didn’t take long for Tessa to arrive at the hospital. With a knot in her stomach, she rushed to the theatre and asked to see her mother. 

“Your mother is being operated on right now. Please be patient.” 

A nurse told her when she saw that she wanted to barge into the operating room. 

Tessa's heart jumped to her throat as she thought. ‘Did the hospital have a change of heart?’

She looked at the nurse and asked, “Was she allowed to have the surgery without the money?” 

The nurse frowned. “No. A gentleman paid her bills. I think you just missed him, if you go down the hallway on your left right now, you might meet him.”

Tessa didn’t know what to think of this turn of events but she was grateful anyway. She turned and rushed in that direction, only to see a silhouette of a man in the hallway. 

He was tall. Almost at the height of Aaron who was six foot. She quickly rushed towards him, shouting, “Sir! Sir! Wait!” 

The man paused in his tracks and turned to look back when he heard a female voice calling for him. He had curly dark hair that fell to his shoulders, an angular jaw and a light stubble on his chin. 

Tessa frowned when she got closer. The man didn’t look like a simple guy at all. In fact, he oozed a similar aura to Aaron. Dominant and cold. 

“Sir, I’m sorry to disturb you but did you pay the bills for the patient in room 027?” She asked, breathing heavily from all that running. 

The man stared down at her and something flashed through his eyes for a split second. He shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded. 

“Yep. I did.”

Tessa’s eyes blurred with tears. She was so desperate but a stranger came through for her mother at the last minute. 

“Thank you very much, Sir. I’ll pay you back-”

“I didn’t do that for you to pay back.”

The man said and Tessa frowned, a bad feeling creeping into her. 

“What do you mean?” She sought. 

The man chuckled and shook his head, arching an eyebrow. “Why do you look so shocked? Did you think I would ask you to do something untoward?” 

He then took out a card and gave it to Tessa. 

“I’m Harry. I own a pharmaceutical company and we do clinical trials as we try to find a cure for cancer. Your mother just signed up for the program so I paid for the surgery so that she can take part in the trials. It’s part of the package. The family gets a certain amount of money for participating.” 

Tessa’s brows furrowed deeply as she stared at the card in her hand. 'Why did my mother agree to this? Did she think I couldn't manage to find the money?'

After all, clinical trials weren’t always successful. There was always a risk involved. What if something happened to her mother in the process?

Seeing her doubtful expression, the man decided to clarify. 

“Our clinical trials are actually safe. Would you deprive your mother of a chance to be rid of cancer forever?” 

Tessa bit her bottom lip and mulled over it. Her mother had already made the decision, perhaps she wanted to do whatever was possible to get cured. 

“I guess we can try it out,” she said reluctantly. 

The man smiled. “That’s good. The trials will be done in Whitpalm City. We shall leave the moment your mother recovers from the surgery.”

The man was none other than Harry Winston, Serena’s brother. Together they had come up with a scheme to get rid of Tessa forever. 

He had dug into her background and found out about her mother’s condition, hence he came up with the idea of taking Tessa and her mother out of the City for treatment. 

Luckily they were a group of companies and didn’t always deal with tech stuff so he could use it to his advantage.  

Tessa was a little uncomfortable with the idea of leaving but since they were close to the reception, she suddenly saw Aaron and Serena on the TV hanging on the wall. 

They looked at each other lovingly as reporters surrounded them for an interview. Her heart squeezed as she realised that Aaron had never looked at her that way. He was holding her in his arms for the whole world to see.

Indeed, she was a fool for him. But that was going to end now. If leaving would help her mother and herself to heal, then she was more than willing. 

She looked up at the kind stranger that she had just met and nodded. “We shall leave the City.”