Chapter 44

"We tracked Sean down," said Damon. "He's away from the city and hasn't run into trouble. But tell me-what do you mean 'something big happened'?"

Relief softened Sawyer's face before he answered, "Word just came in. The police rounded up everyone from the Fist Guild. The place is finished. Completely shut down."

"You're joking, right?" Damon and Carl blurted together, their disbelief hanging in the air.

"Where'd you hear that? Can you be sure?" Damon pressed,his voice steadier this time.

"It's confirmed," Sawyer replied. "I've checked. There's no mistake."

Damon fell silent for a beat, then asked, "Do you think Sean's name will come up?"

"Doesn't seem likely," Sawyer said. "He was only training there, never officially joined. And he kept clear of whatever dirty business they had going on."

Tension eased from Damon's face as he said, "Good thing Mom refused to et him sign up back then. If she had, he'd be caught up in this mess."

"I'll give him a call and tell him to come home," Sawyer suggested.

Eliana's voice cut in before he could move. "Sawyer, maybe it's smarter if Sean stays away for now. With things so tense, someone might decide to point fingers just because he spent time there at the Fist Guild."

Seated in his wheelchair, Damon spoke up. "She's right. Let him wait it out. If he's here,his temper might push him to defend the Fist Guild-and that's the last thing we need."

Sawyer gave a short nod. "Fair enough. I'll send him a message, tell him to lay low out of town until the dust clears."

That decision eased some of the weight in Eliana's chest. When dinner drew near, Stella's spirits had lifted slightly. Still, the newsabout the Fist Guild weighed on her,and worry clouded her eyes.

"He's out there all alone. I just hope he can look after himself," she murmured.

Eliana offered a gentle reassurance, saying, "He's an adult now and knows how to take care of himself.What matters most is that you focus on getting your strength back."

Stella's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Alright."

Once the meal was over, Carl and Sawyer each took an arm to help Damon up the stairs.

From the foot of the staircase, Eliana's eyes lingered on his slightly slouched figure, an ache forming in her chest.

A man that decent shouldn't have had his life altered by misfortune. It was his own kindness that had cost him the use of his legs.

To Eliana, fate had dealt a cruel hand-good people should never be the ones to bear such weight.

After bidding Stella good night and reminding her to take her medicine later, Eliana followed them up to the second floor.

Inside Damon's room, she stepped forward and said plainly, "If it's alright with you, l'd like to examine your Jegs."

Almost without thinking, he drew them back, his lips curling into a rueful smile. "I appreciate the thought,but it's pointless. Countless specialists have looked at them, and every one of them said the same thing-there's no cure. And after all these years, there's even less chance now."

In the days when the Murray family was thriving, Louis and Stella had chased down the best specialists for him.

Each visit had brought a flicker of hope, only for that hope to be crushed again and again.

After enough heartbreak, he stopped agreeing to see any doctor at all. To him, living without hope was easier than living with the crushing weight of disappointment.

Carl caught Eliana's eye and seemed to read her thoughts at once.

Stepping forward, he said, "Damon, I've seen what Lia can do with my own eyes. When you weren't home a few days ago, Mom collapsed after Leyla upset her, and Eliana brought her back around."

Sawyer added, "It's true. Mom's been looking healthier these past days, and she's been sleeping well.Damon, maybe you should let her try."

Still, Damon's head moved in a slow, stubborn shake.

He already knew the state Stella was in.

To him, fainting from anger wasn't some rare, complicated ailment-it was the kind of thing any half-decent doctor could hadle.

His hesitation toward Eliana wasn't about mistrust, It was the fear of dragging himself through another cycle of hope, only to end up crushed all over again.

So his tone was resolute when he said, "There's no point in pushing this. I've learned to live like this. Lia already has her hands full looking after Mom. If she had to care for me too, it would wear her down. We can wait until Mom's health is completely back before talking about anything else."

"Damon..." Carl's tone carried the start of another plea, but Eliana's quiet shake of the head stopped him cold.

When Damon was settled in bed, the three quietly stepped out of the room.

Sawyer, sensing Eliana might take the refusal personally, said, "Don't let it get to you. He trusts you. He just can't shoulder more pressure and disappointment right now."

"I know," she replied with a calm nod.

Night fell quickly.

Fresh from her shower, Eliana spotted a missed call from Leroy and immediately rang him back. The moment he answered, his voice carried urgency. "Hertha, I've got the information you wanted. Turns out Leyla mortgaged the Murrays' estate. Louis signed it over to her when she turned eighteen."

The news didn't shock Eliana, though one question still gnawed at her.

"If the property was already hers, and she sold it through proper channels, then why did the court foreclose on it?"she asked.

On the other end, Leroy explained, "She's been living off the Murray Group for years, even set up two subsidiaries under its name. When the Murray Group collapsed, her companies lost every order and went under too. The foreclosure came after that. And here's the kicker-she had enough to cover the shortfall but deliberately let it slide so the estate would be seized."

A sharp chill settled in Eliana's gaze. "So... she couldn't care less if the Murray family ended up on the street."

"People like her never lose sleep over anyone else's misfortune," Leroy said with quiet disdain.

A quiet hum was all Eliana gave in reply before Leoy continued, "There's more. She's got another business,this one under Hector's name. Since it doesn't rely on the Murray Group, it's been untouched."

"What kind of business are we talking about?" Eliana asked.

"It's a fashion design firm," Leroy answered.

"Alright. I know," she said, her tone almost offhand.

"If that's all, I'll let you get back to your evening," Leroy replied.

"Hold on. There's more I want to discuss, but it's not something to go over on the phone. If you're free tomorrow, let's sit down over a meal," Eliana suggested.

"Always free for you," Leroy replied without hesitation.

"Tomorrow at noon, then," Eliana replied without a second thought.

"Perfect. I'll handle the reservation and text you the address," Leroy answered. "Fine by me," she answered.

When the call ended, her eyes flicked to the clock-half past ten.

She rose from her seat, dug into her bag, and pulled out two small items before slipping quietly from the room.

The Murray household kept to an early schedule, so the entire place lay in silence at this hour.

Her steps carried her to Damon's door, and she eased the knob without making a sound.

The room lay in darkness, though the curtains stood open to let the moonlight in.

Bathed in the pale glow, Damon lay still on the bed, fast asleep.

Moving with care, she approached and set a scented candle aglow.