Chapter 10. Small Contributions

Vanessa's POV

THREE DAYS LATER

I finished work early, and then Ms. Emily permitted me to go home early.

On my way home, I got a quick notification on my phone, knowing who it was, I didn't bother to open it. He made it a habit to text and flash-call me endlessly over the last few days.

On getting home, the house was empty and I remembered Victor informed me that he was taking our mother to the hospital for her routine check. I threw my bag on the chair and went to the kitchen to prepare a meal. After preparing the meal, I took mine to my room to eat. My phone flashed twice before I decided to pick it up but he hung up immediately.

I stared at the screen, my heart racing with a mix of fear and curiosity. My fingers hovered over the keys as I typed out the message, my pulse quickening with every tap. "Can you provide your account details for the first payment?"

The reply came in, swift and unexpected. A shiver ran down my spine as I