I could barely keep myself from shaking as I pulled up to Vanessa's mansion in Beverly Hills. The last few days had been a complete disaster. My entire crowdfunding campaign had been torn down, my business labeled as fraud, and all of it was gone. Every bit of progress I'd made—vanished in a matter of days. I had nowhere else to turn. My last dollar had gone to that TikTok influencer, and now it was all wasted.
I sat in my car outside her mansion, trying to gather my thoughts. Part of me didn't want to tell her about the failure. I had promised her I'd do it on my own, that I wouldn't rely on her money or her influence. I didn't want to admit defeat. But here I was, sitting outside her house, knowing I needed her help.
With a deep breath, I got out of the car and walked to the door. The mansion loomed above me, just as intimidating as the first time I'd seen it. But this time, I didn't feel like the man I was back then. I felt... smaller, beaten down by failure.
I rang the doorbell, and after a few moments, one of the butlers—Lorenzo—answered. He greeted me with a nod and stepped aside to let me in.
"Vanessa is in the study," he said, motioning down the hallway.
I thanked him and made my way through the grand house, each step heavier than the last. When I reached the study, I found Vanessa sitting at her desk, scrolling through her tablet. She looked up when she heard me enter, her expression softening into a smile.
"Tristan," she said warmly, setting the tablet aside. "You look... stressed."
I let out a long, exhausted sigh, running a hand through my hair. "That's because I am. I'm... I'm fucking exhausted."
Her smile faded, concern flickering in her dark eyes. "What happened? Tell me."
I slumped into one of the chairs in front of her desk, feeling the weight of the past week pressing down on me. "It's over," I said quietly, staring down at the floor. "The crowdfunding campaign. The TikTok ad. Everything. It all got reported as fraud, and they shut everything down. My page is gone, my business idea is... it's dead."
Vanessa frowned, leaning forward in her chair. "How did that happen?"
I shook my head, my hands clenching into fists in my lap. "A few people reported it as a scam, and Patreon and TikTok just... shut everything down. I didn't even get a chance to explain. They didn't even look into it."
I could feel the frustration building up in my chest again, but this time, it wasn't just anger—it was defeat. I had tried to do it on my own, tried to prove that I could build something without relying on her, and now it felt like I'd failed on every front.
Vanessa stood up from her desk and walked over to me, sitting on the arm of the chair. She reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch warm and reassuring. "Tristan," she said softly, "you didn't fail."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "Didn't I? I'm right back where I started—worse, even. I don't have anything left. My savings are gone. The campaign's gone. I'm out of options."
Vanessa tilted her head, looking at me with an understanding I hadn't expected. "You're not out of options. You have me."
I looked up at her, confusion creasing my brow. "Vanessa, I told you I wanted to do this on my own."
"And you tried," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "You gave it everything you had. But Tristan, sometimes doing it on your own doesn't mean you have to do it without help."
I frowned, trying to process what she was saying. "But I don't want to just rely on your money. I don't want to take advantage of you."
Vanessa smiled softly, shaking her head. "You're not taking advantage of me. You're asking for help. There's a difference. I believe in you, Tristan. I believe in your idea. And I want to help you make it happen."
She stood up, crossing her arms as she paced the room. "Let me help you. I have the resources, the connections. I can get you the best staff—the best developers, designers, marketers. People who can take your vision and turn it into reality."
My heart skipped a beat at her words. The idea of having access to the kind of resources Vanessa could provide... it was almost overwhelming. But there was something else too—hope. The idea that maybe, just maybe, I could still make this work.
"You'd do that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "You'd really help me like that?"
Vanessa stopped pacing and turned to face me, her eyes locked onto mine. "Of course. I've always believed in you, Tristan. You have the talent, the drive. All you need is the right team behind you. And I can give you that."
I felt a surge of excitement run through me, the exhaustion of the past week melting away as a new possibility took shape in my mind. With Vanessa's resources, I could rebuild. I could make the platform better than I ever imagined.
My eyes lit up as I stood, the weight of failure finally lifting from my shoulders. "Holy shit," I muttered, a grin spreading across my face. "I can't believe this. I thought I was done."
Vanessa smiled, stepping closer to me. "You're far from done, darling. This is just the beginning. With the right people behind you, there's nothing you can't do."
I let out a breath, shaking my head in disbelief. "I don't know how to thank you. I mean... I was ready to give up."
She placed a hand on my cheek, her smile soft and reassuring. "You don't need to thank me. You just need to believe in yourself as much as I believe in you."
I felt a warmth spread through my chest, the kind of warmth that comes from knowing you're not alone, that someone has your back. Vanessa had always been there for me, even when I didn't realize it. And now, she was offering me the chance to rebuild, to make something real.
I pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close. "I won't let you down," I whispered. "I'll make this work."
Vanessa hugged me back, her voice soft in my ear. "I know you will."
As I pulled back, I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. For the first time in weeks, I felt like things were looking up. With Vanessa's help, I could turn this disaster into a success. I wasn't done—not by a long shot.
Q: Would you ask for help from Vanessa in this case?