Five

I arrived at the police station the next morning, clutching the cheque Theo had written. My heart was pounding as I approached the front desk, where the same officer from yesterday greeted me with a weary expression.

“I’m here to see my brother, Theo Montrose,” I said, my voice tense.

She gave a small nod and buzzed someone to bring him out. Moments later, Theo appeared, looking worse than he had the day before. His hair was disheveled, his usually neat suit rumpled, and dark shadows framed his eyes. He was usually so meticulous about his appearance; seeing him like this made my chest ache.

“Ella,” he said, his voice rough as he walked toward me. “Thank God you came.”

I didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “Theo, the cheque you gave me bounced. I tried to use it to pay the lawyer, but the bank called and said there’s no money in your account.” My voice was sharp, frustration barely contained.

Theo winced, running a hand over his face. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen like that.”

“Didn’t mean for it to happen?” I snapped, keeping my voice low but firm. “Theo, this is serious. I told you to help with Grandpa’s bills. How could you write a cheque you couldn’t cover?”

He looked away, shame flickering in his tired eyes. “I don’t have any money right now. Everything I had went toward the down payment on a condo.”

I stared at him, stunned. “A condo? You’re telling me you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars on a fancy apartment while you’re stuck in here, accused of embezzlement?”

Theo’s jaw tightened, his defensive side flaring. “I had to, Ella. You don’t understand. My job requires me to network with wealthy people, to fit in. If I live in some dump, they’ll think I’m not worth their time.”

“Impressing rich, snobby people isn’t going to help you now, Theo!” I shot back, my voice rising slightly. “Do you even realize what’s at stake? You’re in jail, and you’ve left Grandpa and me to clean up the mess!”

Theo pinched the bridge of his nose. “This isn’t the time to argue, Ella. What’s done is done. We need to focus on getting me out of here.”

“How, Theo?” I demanded, throwing my hands up. “I already tried to hire a lawyer, but he’s too expensive. And now you’ve put us even deeper in a hole by writing that worthless cheque.”

He hesitated, then pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me.

“Here,” he said. “This is my boss’s number. His name is Mr. Harrington. He’s the one who gave me those papers to sign. Maybe you can talk to him, explain the situation. He might be able to help.”

I looked at the number, then back at Theo, my frustration boiling over. “You want me to go talk to the man who got you into this mess in the first place? The same man who’s probably trying to save his own skin while you take the fall?”

Theo met my glare with a look of desperation.

“Ella, please. He’s the only person who might be able to help. If anyone can clear this up, it’s him.”

I wanted to scream at him, to shake him and make him see how reckless and selfish he’d been. But the defeated look in his eyes stopped me. He wasn’t just being selfish—he was scared. And as much as I hated the situation, I couldn’t abandon him now.

“Fine,” I said through clenched teeth, slipping the number into my pocket. “I’ll talk to him. But if this doesn’t work, Theo, I don’t know what else to do.”

“Thank you,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “I owe you, Ella. I really do.”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I turned and walked out of the station, my emotions swirling like a storm. Part of me wanted to leave Theo to figure this out on his own—to let him deal with the consequences of his actions. But another part of me knew I couldn’t do that. No matter how much he frustrated me, he was still my brother. And family was family.

The second I stepped out of the police station, I dialed the number Theo had given me. As the phone rang, I flagged down a taxi, my hands shaking with frustration. This entire situation was spiraling out of control, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was walking a tightrope with no safety net.

“Come on, pick up,” I muttered under my breath as the taxi driver pulled up to the curb. Sliding into the back seat, I gave him the address Theo had scribbled down for his boss’s office. The phone rang several more times before the line went dead. No answer.

Great. Just perfect.

I clenched my jaw, dialing the number again as the cab weaved through the city streets. This time, it went straight to voicemail. “Hi, this is Ella Montrose, Theo’s sister,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm and professional. “I need to speak with you urgently about his case. Please call me back as soon as possible.”

Hanging up, I stared out the window, my stomach churning. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that Mr. Harrington wouldn’t be much help even if he did call back. But what choice did I have? Theo’s freedom—and our family’s stability—hung in the balance.

When the taxi pulled up to the gleaming skyscraper that housed Calvary Enterprises, I paid the fare and stepped into the building. The lobby was cold and imposing, with marble floors that echoed under my hurried footsteps. Approaching the receptionist’s desk, I took a deep breath and plastered on my most polite smile.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m here to see Mr. Harrington.

“What is your name and do you have an appointment?”, she asked.

“I don’t have an appointment, but it’s extremely urgent.”

The receptionist, a young woman with sleek black hair and an impeccably tailored suit, barely glanced up from her computer. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but Mr. Harrington doesn’t take walk-ins. You’ll need to schedule an appointment.”

“Please,” I said, leaning forward slightly. “I’m Theo Montrose’s sister. It’s about his legal situation. I just need five minutes of Mr. Harrington’s time.”

She sighed, finally looking at me with an expression that suggested she dealt with frantic people like me all the time. “I understand your urgency, but Mr. Harrington’s schedule is completely booked today. The earliest I could get you in is next week.”

“Next week?” I repeated, my voice rising slightly. “My brother could lose everything by then!”

“I’m sorry,” she said again, her tone clipped. “That’s the best I can do.”

I felt a wave of helplessness wash over me. “Can’t you at least call him? Tell him it’s about Theo?”

Her expression softened slightly, but she shook her head. “I can leave a message for his assistant, but I can’t guarantee he’ll get back to you today.”

Before I could argue further, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, hoping against hope it was Mr. Harrington returning my call. But when I saw Magrete's name on the screen, my stomach dropped.

“Hello?” I said, my voice tight.

“Ella,” then she said, her voice trembling. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but I’ve taken your grandfather to the hospital.”

“What?” I froze, gripping the edge of the desk for support. “What happened? Is he okay?”

She hesitated, and I could hear the tension in her voice. “He collapsed after seeing something on the news about Theo. I gave him CPR until the paramedics arrived, and they rushed him here. I just thought you should know.”

My heart felt like it had stopped. “Which hospital?” I asked, already turning toward the door

.

She told me, and I ended the call without another word, rushing out of the building and flagging down another taxi.

The hospital was a blur of sterile white walls and fluorescent lights as I raced toward the emergency room. I found the Magrete near the waiting area, her face lined with worry. “Where is he?” I asked, breathless.

“The doctors are still working on him,” she said, her voice low. “They’re trying to resuscitate him.”

I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. “Resuscitate?” The word came out in a whisper, barely audible. “He… he stopped breathing?”

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Ella. I did everything I could until the paramedics arrived.”

I sank into a nearby chair, my hands covering my face. My grandfather—our rock, our anchor—was fighting for his life because of all the stress we’d dumped on him. And Theo… Theo didn’t even know. He was sitting in a cold cell, oblivious to the fact that his actions had pushed Grandpa to the brink.

Margret sat down beside me, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “It’s not your fault,” she said softly, as if reading my thoughts.

“Your grandfather loves you and Theo more than anything. The news was just too stressful for him.”

I nodded, but her words did little to ease the guilt pressing down on me like a weight. I thought about the news broadcast that had triggered his collapse—Theo’s name plastered across the screen, accused of embezzling funds. Had Grandpa seen it and thought we’d lost everything? That his grandson was a criminal?

Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them away, determined to hold it together. I couldn’t afford to fall apart now—not when Grandpa needed me.

Minutes felt like hours as I waited for any news. Every time a doctor or nurse walked by, I jumped, hoping they’d tell me he was okay. But no one came.

Finally, a doctor approached, her face solemn. My heart clenched as I stood to meet her. “How is he?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“We managed to stabilize him,” she said, her tone cautious. “But his condition is critical. He’s in the ICU now, and we’ll need to monitor him closely over the next 24 hours.”

Relief and fear washed over me in equal measure. He was alive—for now. But the way she said “critical” made my chest tighten.

“Can I see him?” I asked.

“Not yet,” the doctor said gently. “We’ll let you know as soon as he’s ready for visitors.”

I nodded, swallowing hard as I returned to the waiting area. Margaret gave me a small, reassuring smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

As I sat in that cold, impersonal waiting room, the weight of everything pressed down on me—Theo’s arrest, Grandpa’s health, the financial strain that threatened to crush us. I wanted to scream, to cry, to demand that someone tell me how I was supposed to fix all of this.

But instead, I sat quietly, staring at the floor and praying for strength. Because no matter how impossible things seemed, I couldn’t give up. Not on Grandpa, not on Theo, and not on the family we were desperately trying to hold together.