Even the woman beside him appeared too stunned to speak or move.
Such amount!! They settled it all at once!!
"But they shouldn't be able to afford it. Are you sure you haven't made any mistake confirming the payment?" Alex asked, tightly gripping the store employee's shoulders and shaking her.
The store employee's eyes couldn't help but wince in pain, "Mr Alex, you are hurting me," she responded.
Recognizing his actions, Alex quickly withdrew his hand and abruptly turned to face the woman beside him, "Let's go, we are leaving," he said, turning around to walk out of the store, leaving the woman no time to respond.
Witnessing this scene, the store employee clicked her tongue in annoyance, hoping she wouldn't get in trouble for what had just happened.
...
After exiting the Luxe Haven Mall, Elias swiftly called a taxi for Sofia to board all the items he had purchased for her. He also paid for her taxi fare.
Witnessing this scene, Sofia entered a daze again, trying to merge the Elias she knew now with the one she previously knew.
┏━━━━━━༻✾༺━━━━━━┓
Amount Spent: [ $28 ]
Cashback Reward: [ $112]
Affection Multiplier: [ x4 ]
┗━━━━━━༻✾༺━━━━━━┛
Elias observed the system's alert with a smile for a few seconds before dismissing it from his line of sight. He waved at Sofia as she was driven away.
"I'll see you later," Elias called, noticing Sofia waving back, still somewhat dazed.
He was too elated by the cashback reward he had gained today to let Alex's actions bother him. In fact, he was happy about the encounter, as he was sure that Sofia would no longer doubt his source of income.
Now, she wouldn't refuse his offers to spend on her, easing her financial burdens while he reaped the cashback rewards.
This was definitely a win-win situation!
Just as Elias was about to step forward, his phone vibrated fiercely. He quickly pulled it from his pocket and answered the call.
"Hello, is this Mr. Elias?"
"Yes, it's me," Elias responded. "What happened? Did something happen to my brother?"
"No, your brother is still alive and not currently in critical condition. I am simply calling to inform you that the payment for Mr Ryan Benjamin's treatment needs to be made today, or else we'll have no choice but to discharge him. "
Hearing the woman's response, Elias exhaled tiredly. Initially, he was worried something terrible had happened to his brother, but now he felt relieved knowing Ryan was okay.
"Alright. I will be there promptly to settle the payment," Elias replied. Thanks to the cashback rewards he had acquired with Sofia's help, he no longer had to worry about gathering money for his brother's treatment.
"Okay. Please ensure to arrive today," the female voice said.
The call was swiftly disconnected.
Elias placed his phone back in his pocket. He swiftly withdrew money for the treatment before calling a taxi to take him to the hospital.
…....…
Living Saint Hospital
"Doctor, I want to know how my brother is doing," Elias asked, his eyes fixed on the middle-aged man wearing a spectacle with a cleanly shaved chin, dressed in a white lab coat.
Despite the woman's words behind the phone, Elias didn't take it to heart. He hadn't visited the hospital for a day, so he wanted to know if anything had occurred, especially since it concerned his younger brother.
Dr Ramirez cleared his throat and responded, "As you already know, Mr Ryan suffered a severe injury to his right hand. The bullet caused significant tissue damage and fractured the humerus bone. We performed emergency surgery to remove the bullet and repair the damaged tissue. However, we must continue the orthopaedic procedure to ensure his full recovery and monitor his progress closely."
He paused, allowing the information to sink in with a sympathetic yet professional demeanour as he regarded Elias.
"I understand this is a lot to take in emotionally and financially. The total cost of Mr Ryan's treatment amounts to $36,700. Unfortunately, you don't have insurance coverage, so these expenses must be addressed immediately. Why don't you take my recommendation and meet with the billing department to explore financial assistance options to ease the burden?" he continued.
Dr. Ramirez had been briefed on the issue concerning Elias's brother, so he understood their difficult situation. Unfortunately, the young man before him was too stubborn and didn't want to go into debt, preferring to find the money himself.
"You don't––" Dr. Ramirez began. As he was about to persuade Elias to take the recommended option, he interjected, "It's okay. I've brought the money for the treatment."
Dr. Ramirez paused, looking at Elias with a stunned expression. "You've gathered the money for the payment?" he asked, his voice sceptical.
The cost to cover the treatment is about $36,700, and Elias should not be able to gather such a large amount in just a few days.
"Yes," Elias said with a nod. He brought out the stack of cash sealed within an envelope and placed it on Dr. Ramirez's table, "Unfortunately, I couldn't make it on time yesterday to make the payment. I needed time to gather the money to pay."
"Are you––" Dr Ramirez began to respond instinctively before pausing and regaining his composure. He took the envelope from the table and unsealed it, pulling out the stack of cash.
As Dr. Ramirez counted the money, his expression shifted from surprise to shock to bewilderment. He even held the bills to the light to confirm they were real.
When he was done, he placed the money back into the envelope and stared at Elias thoughtfully. "Mr Elias, I am well aware of your situation, so please forgive me for asking, but I would like to know where you got such a large amount of money?" he asked solemnly.
Upon hearing Dr. Ramirez's words, Elias maintained his composure. He knew the doctor was probably aware of his family's situation and might be watching him for the police due to his father's case.
He understood that the doctor found it suspicious that he could produce such an amount for the treatment, which was why he had suggested other payment methods.