— “Be her father. Earn the right. Not with money, but with action.”
Andrew left in a daze. But he couldn’t just sit by. The next morning, he called his head of security, a former detective named Frank.
— “I need some information,” Andrew said. — “Keep it quiet. Taylor Miller, nurse at St. Jude’s. Find out who’s leaning on her.”
By evening, a folder was on his desk. Taylor lived in a small apartment on the edge of town, working double shifts. The debt was held by a shady outfit called ‘Apex Recovery.’ The collectors were led by a man with a long rap sheet.
Andrew looked at the facts, his anger boiling over. Some thugs were trying to intimidate his daughter.
— “Frank,” he called his security chief. — “Make sure this Apex group disappears from her life. Buy the debt. But do it through a shell company. She can never know my name is attached to it.”
Two days later, it was done. The debt was bought, the collectors were paid off, and the case was closed. Taylor was free.
But Andrew still couldn’t rest. He found himself driving past her apartment, watching from his car. He saw her coming home from work in a worn-out jacket, getting off the bus. His daughter, the heir to a fortune, was counting pennies. It felt like a crime.
One afternoon, he followed her to the assisted living facility. Taylor was visiting Zelda. When she came out, she looked like she’d been crying. Andrew couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped out of his car.
— “Taylor!”
She turned and recognized him immediately.
— “You? Again? What do you want? Why are you following me? I’ve seen your car near my place!”
Andrew stood his ground, knowing there was no more hiding.
— “If you’re with the collectors—get lost! The debt is settled!” she shouted.
— “I’m not with them,” Andrew said quietly. — “Taylor, I need to tell you something important. About your mother. And about you. Please, just listen.”
The suspicion in her eyes turned to shock.
— “You knew my mom?”
