Chapter 558 No Credit, No Mercy


    Too bad Tessa was too stunned to catch the implication.


    “You… you wantpensation?<b>” </b>


    <i>Wait</i>, hold on…


    Didn’t she ask Ste for help?


    1


    Ste probably went to Abraham, and Abraham must’ve passed it down to Victor.


    So if Victor was demanding payment now, didn’t that mean he was… pocketing a side deal?


    Tessa’s brain started spinning at top speed.


    “Does Abraham know you’re doing this?” she mumbled.


    This wasn’t exactly an honorable move. If Abraham found out, Victor might really be in trouble.


    <i>He </i><i>actually </i><i>dares </i><i>to </i><i>pull </i><i>this</i><i>? </i>


    Victor let out a dryugh. “Is that a threat?”


    “Ah? No, no, not at all!” Tessa shook her head quickly.


    What a joke. Threaten him? Did she have a death wish?


    If he decided to pin the spy charge on her out of spite, even Ste wouldn’t be able to save her.


    “I’m not, I just… I just…” She trailed off, lowering her head miserably.


    <i>This </i>is what <i>helplessness </i><i>looks </i>like.


    Victor nced at her curled–up posture and smirked. “You just what?”


    “I just… don’t have any money…”


    The words “don’t have money” were practically a whisper.


    But it was true–she really didn’t have any.


    Finished


    She’d left Rivermount with nothing. When she finally made it to Falvaria, she’d been chased down, lost her bag… everything had gone wrong.


    This whole stretch of time had been nothing but bad luck.


    When Victor heard her say “no money,” the smile on his lips stiffened for just a second.


    Then he said, with pointed calm, “Looks like you owe me quite a bit already.”


    Chapter 558 No Credit, No Mercy


    Quite a bit?


    70%


    X


    Finished


    <i>Wait</i>–what <i>if </i>I <i>can’t </i>ever <i>pay </i><i>it </i><i>back</i><i>? </i>


    Given how things were going, there was no guarantee her mother would even survive whatever was happening with Ashen Pact.


    If things kept spiraling, then when she returned to Rivermount… she might very well be a second- generation debtor.


    She’d already ruined Victor’s reputation, and now she needed his help too.


    No matter how you looked at it-


    Victor didn’t seem to notice her racing thoughts. His tone deepened. “Not all debts have to be paid in cash.”


    That unexpected line snapped her out of it.


    Tessa’s head jerked up. “Huh? Then what do I pay with? I don’t have anything at all!”


    Victor leaned his head against one hand, his eyes locked on hers.


    She felt like his entire expression was soaked in amusement, but there was something else in it too- something she couldn’t read clearly.


    Victor narrowed his eyes. “Think about what you <i>do </i>have that’s worth paying with. Once you’ve figured it out, that’s when you’ll see your mother. Deal?”


    “What? Can’t I just see her first?”


    How <i>am </i>I <i>supposed </i><i>to </i><i>guess </i>what <i>he </i><i>wants </i><i>and </i><i>also </i><i>wait </i><i>to </i><i>see </i><i>my </i><i>mom</i>? <i>That’s </i>too <i>much</i><i>! </i>


    Right now, her whole mind was focused on her mother.


    Victor looked her way and smiled faintly. “I don’t ept IOUS.”


    Meanwhile, back with Ste-


    She was just about to drift off when a call came through, half waking her. It was Ethan.


    “Ste, I’m in Falvaria. Can we meet?”


    Hearing his voice, Ste froze.


    She’d thought that once she returned to Falvaria, she’d never cross paths with Ethan again.


    Now this?


    “What did you say?” Falvaria?