His Choice to Love, His Kin to Kill

The hospital hadn’t said I couldn’t raise the money myself. I called my family lawyer first, then bolted for the bank.

Before I even got there, my phone rang. It was Ryan’s cousin, Jake Mitchell, an FBI agent.

“Well, well,” Jake’s voice oozed smugness. “Pulling another stunt, Lidia? Whose attention are you after this time? Ryan’s?”

None of Ryan’s family ever respected me.

Only his parents had been genuinely kind. I had to save them.

I swallowed my anger. “Jake, did Ryan tell you I was putting on a show?”

The silence on the other end of the line was all the confirmation I needed.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

“Jake, you’re an FBI agent, and your only response to my call for help is mockery. If you don’t use your position to help, I will be filing a complaint with Internal Affairs.”

Jake’s playful tone vanished.

His voice exploded through the phone. “You think marrying a Mitchell makes you one of us? Let me be clear. You’re nothing but a gold-digging nobody from the sticks! If Madison hadn’t gone abroad, Ryan would have never given you a second look.”

I hung up without a word and immediately sent an email to the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

When I arrived at the bank, I tried to access our joint account.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Mitchell,” the bank manager said, looking pained. “Your credit cards have been canceled, and the joint account has been frozen by Mr. Ryan Mitchell.”

To make matters worse, my lawyer called to inform me that the family trust fund was also temporarily frozen by a court order, thanks to an internal family dispute.

I took a deep breath and dialed my secretary.

“Mortgage all my coffee shops and liquidate my entire investment portfolio. I need one and a half million dollars in cash within the hour.”

“Right away, Lidia.”

That left a million to go. I dialed Ryan’s uncle, Thomas Mitchell.

“Uncle Thomas, Ryan’s parents were in a car crash. They need an urgent transfer, and I’m short one million dollars. Can you lend it to me? I’ll pay you back as soon as the fund is unfrozen.”

Thomas sounded shocked. “My brother was in an accident? Does Ryan know?”

I sighed. “I told him, but he doesn’t believe me. He’s at a private hospital with Madison right now. You’re the only one who can help.”

“You wait right there. I’ll transfer it from my personal account immediately!”

The moment Thomas hung up, the specialty hospital called back.

“Have you arranged for the funds? We’re running out of time.”

My heart sank, but my voice was steady. “Almost. Just give me a little more time. You’ll get every penny.”

The doctor’s voice was grim. “Mrs. Mitchell, I need to be clear: the window for this experimental treatment is closing fast.”

I tried to keep my voice from shaking. “Give me one more hour! As long as my in-laws are still breathing, I swear I’ll get the money!”

Just as I said it, I heard the faint sound of a monitor alarm in the background.

The doctor’s voice was cold, final. “If the fee isn’t paid within four hours, we can’t proceed with the life-saving experimental treatment. We’ll be forced to switch to basic life support only.”