Chapter 86

Alex stood over the grieving figure of the man who would one day be a titan in the solar and logistics industry with an unreadable expression on his handsome face.

To any other person right now, Alex this moment looked more like a concerned friend, but in reality, he was more like an apex predator who had just found the exact moment his prey was most vulnerable.

So instead of offering a hand to help Andre up, or persuading him with words like; she might still get well or the doctors might figure something out sooner or later, he just let the thick silence stretch for a while, thereby making Andre feel the full weight of his despair before offering something remotely close to a light.

After waiting for a minute or two, Alex decided to finally speak. Just watching a grown man cry was starting to get super uncomfortable.

"Get up from the ground, Andre. Crying on the hospital floor isn’t exactly going to save your daughter. Besides what would she think about if she sees her dad crying like a baby."

Andre looked up at him with his grey eyes red rimmed and filled with a mixture of confusion and grief. He had almost forgotten that the young man who had driven him here was even there.

"Mr Walker... You should just leave. You’ve already done a lot for me, for that I’m grateful. But my precious angel is dying and there’s nothing anyone can do, so just let me be."

"What if I say there’s still a slight chance of saving her life?"

Andre blinked in disbelief before letting out a dry, hollow laugh.

"Help? With all due respect, sir, you’re just a rich kid with a really nice car. This is not a problem where you can just throw money at! For Christ sake my daughter is already riddled with stage four tumors, Mr Walker! The doctors and all those fancy experts or whatnot just told me that she’s only a month away from a casket. So unless you have something like a time machine or you’re God himself, then there’s no help left for my Lily, so please I beg you, don’t give me fake hope that’ll just shatter my heart in the end."

"I’m not God, and I sure as hell don’t have a time machine, but I can assure you that I have a way to make your daughter well again."

"...Sir," Andre said weakly while pushing himself slightly off the wall, "I... I appreciate what you’re trying to do, I really do... But this isn’t something you can just joke about."

"And who said I was even joking in the first place? I really do have a way to save your daughter. But you have to promise me something in return." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Andre’s brow furrowed.

"...What?" He asked cautiously.

Alex met his gaze directly.

"If I save your daughter, you will work for me."

Andre blinked in surprise. For a second, he didn’t even know how to react.

"Work for you?" He repeated slowly.

"Yes."

Andre stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a joke. But there was none whatsoever.

"You’re really serious?" He asked uncertainly.

"I don’t joke about things like this, Andre. I will save your daughter but you must work for me wholeheartedly."

Andre’s mind raced. This was insane. Completely insane. A stranger, or more accurately, a man who he had met just less than an hour ago was now claiming that he could do what the doctors and thousands of dollars he had spent, couldn’t.

And the crazy part was that all he was asking for in return was only loyalty. The whole thing sounded really ridiculous and damn unreal.

But then... His thoughts suddenly shifted. The face of his precious daughter appeared in his mind. He remembered her weak smile, her fragile voice and the way she would always try to act strong even when she was in pain.

The doctors had said that she only had a month left. One fucking month! Andre’s hands clenched into fists as his body trembled once again. Because deep down, even if it sounded impossible, even if it didn’t make any sense, he was willing to take any chances as long as his little girl didn’t die!

Heck! he would not even hesitate to sell his soul if there was a chance that his baby could turn normal again.

Alex watched the ongoing conflict play out behind Andre’s eyes. Finally after a long time Andre finally spoke, but his voice more or less sounded like a man who was forced to sign a contract with a demon.

"If what you’re saying is really true, and you’re not messing with me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "then I would give you anything. Even if it’s my damn life."

"Rest assured, I don’t need your life, Andre. All I just need is your talent and unwavering loyalty. Now wait here. I’m going inside to see her now."

Andre’s grief stricken expression instantly sharpened into one of suspicion. He looked at the doors of the ICU before looking back at Alex.

"Wait what? Just like that? You’re just going to go there all alone with no equipment? Sorry I don’t think I can let you do that. The doctor’s said she’s in a fragile state. Besides, no offence but you have to understand the thought of a father watching a young man go alone into his daughter’s room."

"And none taken. I understand where you’re going at, but I can assure you that I won’t do anything bad to your daughter. And if you still want to stop me from going in then I hope you realize that you’re just prolonging your daughter’s situation." Alex countered, before giving out a small sigh.

"Look, If you still don’t trust me, at least just give me five minutes alone. With no interruptions, no nurses, and especially no doctors. If you can’t even give me that, then all I just have to say is that you better turn around and go back to planning her funeral."

Andre flinched as if he’d just been slapped. He looked at the floor, tightly gripping his arms until his knuckles turned white, before choking out.

"Five minutes. I’ll give you only five minutes. If you aren’t out by then, then I’ll forget that you’re a rich person and storm in there with the security."

"Fair enough," Alex said. Then he turned and pushed through the double doors.

Inside, the room was filled with the sounds of beeping noise from the life support machine and the thick hospital scent of drugs and cleaning detergent. Lying in the center of the bed was a beautiful girl who despite being ravaged by cancer was a solid nine out of ten.

She had high cheekbones and a delicate facial structure that could easily turn heads under normal circumstances, but now, they were overshadowed by the toll her illness had taken.

For starters, her skin now had a sickly pale pallor, her body was thin and frail beneath the hospital gown , and finally her head was completely bald from the harsh effects of those damn meds they had been pumping into her body 24/7 to save her.

’System, open the shop,’ Alex commanded mentally.

A translucent screen instantly popped into existence before his very eyes, visible only to him.

[Desire Shop: Status Opened]

• Minor Luck Boost for twenty four hours — 50 Desire Points

• Body Recovery Water (Heals injuries/ illness) — 50 Desire Points

• Charm Amplifier Lvl.1 (Temporary increases attraction towards the opposite sex) — 80 Desire Points

• Sleeping potion (within two hours) — 80 Desire Points

• Random Gacha spin — 100 Desire Points

• Aura Of Seduction Lv.2 — 500 Desire Points

• X-ray Vision — 500 Desire Points

• Time rewind (Only within one minute) — 700 Desire points

[Total Desire Points: 865 DP]

’I’ll buy the Body Recovery Water,’

[Ding! 50 Desire Points Deducted.

Remaining Balance: 815 DP]

In that instant a familiar bottle the size of a tea cup with intricate design appeared in Alex’s palm. It felt cool to the touch and the liquid inside pulsed with a soft, translucent glow that seemed to hum with the very essence of life itself.

Alex moved toward the bed. He looked at the frail girl who was currently facing something so painful and felt genuine pity for her. She might have been the catalyst for Andre’s future greatness but in this timeline, she wouldn’t have to be a martyr for it. He would make sure that she enjoyed her life like any other normal teenager out there.

He reached out, and gently lifted the back of her head with one hand, making sure to support her neck with great care, before bringing the bottle to her pale lips.

"Drink," he said softly, tilting the bottle. And watched as the liquid flowed into her mouth slowly.

For the first thirty seconds, nothing happened. Then it reached two whole minutes, still nothing happened. Alex forced himself to stay calm despite the fact that his heart was constantly running at a speed that could match that of a freight train.

Wasn’t the Body Recovery Water supposed to begin its work by now? Or did the body recovery water only work on injuries? At that moment three minutes soon passed, causing cold sweat to drip down Alex’s forehead.