Frozen to the spot, I prepare to fight the unknown threat I’m facing or run the other way and take flight.
I blink once, then twice, then rub my eyes.
It’s surely an error.
I close the app, reopen it, and log back in using my security pin number.
Yet again, I’m greeted with a bank balance of zero.
“What the fuck?” I exclaim, confused by what I am seeing or not seeing.
“What’s wrong?”
I didn’t hear Gregor and Jade entering.
“What’s happened?” Gregor’s voice is agitated as he storms in my direction and pulls the phone out of my hand, his eyes immediately seeing what mine do. “He didn’t?” he asks rhetorically, clearly livid.
“He did.”
15
OWEN
“What did who do? Who’she?” a befuddled Jade shrills.
Struggling for air, I clutch my chest, gulping, trying to catch my breath.
“I think he’s having a panic attack.” Gregor motions for me to sit down on the staircase while Jade runs to me, crouching down between my legs. Her features turn foggy as my vision blurs.
Cradling my face in her hands, she coaches me back from the brink of passing out, my breathing eventually returning to normal, her beautiful face coming back into sight. I nod my head, letting her know I’m fine again.
She looks up at Gregor. “Tell me what has happened. Right now,” she demands with an edge to her tone.
Gregor turns the phone so she can see for herself. “His father wiped him out. He took every penny of the trust fund his grandfather left him.”
Jade gasps. “He surely can’t do that.” Snapping her attention back to me, she soothes my anxiety with her touch.
“He did,” I say flatly. “He took everything.” Including anychoices I thought I had left. With no money, I can’t follow my heart and jumpstart my plans.
Jade shakes her head fast. “No, no, no, that’s not fair, Owen.” Her eyes turn glassy and fat tears run down her cheeks.
I pull a fake smile and brush my thumb against the skin of her cheek. “Don’t cry for me. I’m not worth your tears.”
“You are worth every one of my tears. You mean everything to me, and I never want to see you hurting, Owen.”
“You’re wrong about me. I have no home, no money, no family, except Gregor here.” I side-eye him as he lays his hand on my shoulder. “I was trying to buy a home for us in Castleview Cove because I wanted somewhere we could go together to spend time with the handful of friends I have left, because I want to move to England to be with you, Jade. I had already picked out a place to rent near your base. I wanted it to be a surprise.” I catch my breath. “Now, I can’t even do that.”
Nothing seems to be going my way and I can’t seem to catch a break.
“It doesn’t matter, Owen.” More of her tears appear at my grand gesture.
It mattered to me.
“We’ll figure it out.” Gregor gives my shoulder a squeeze. “What I want to know is how your dad found your bank login details?”
I lay my hand out flat for him to pass my phone back.
Within a few taps around my banking app, I find what I’m after. “He accessed it legitimately.” I look at the millions he siphoned from my account into one in his own name with a note on the transaction:Come home, and you’ll get it back.
