Page 75 of Ruined
“Three million.”
Dahlia nodded. Three million appeased her.
“She can work on a case by case basis,” she said. “But rent for the room will still have to be paid.” I stared at Dahlia until she corrected herself, “Or not. She can have the room.”
I doubted the room space was worth three million, but that detail didn’t matter. I changed the amounts to mine and Aldrich’s accounts, adjusting what I could to Aldrich’s charges. Then I applied all of the changes to my card.
I eventually convinced Dahlia to give me access to Haley’s account. Then I transferred some funds to a new account, opened in her name. The bank gave me a temporary card for the time being.
Next, I drove to the Sage and Ivy Preparatory Academy. As far as I could tell, the academic day had concluded, and the extra-curricular activities had begun. A few teenagers were dancing in the grass, using long strips of cloth as props for their routine. Was Nora among them? That was Haley’s sister’s name if I remembered correctly.
The same, tight-bunned woman from before was sitting at the front desk. Tina. She perked up when she saw me, as if she recognized me, but couldn’t quite place me. Good. It was better if she didn’t remember me.
“Hi, sir,” she said. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m here as the financial advisor for Ms. Haley Ramsey,” I said. I held out a business card briefly, then stowed it in my pocket. “Nora Ramsey’s tuition is currently on a payment plan, correct?”
I was banking on the fact that they shared the same last name. If not, I was screwed.
“Yes, sir,” she said. She typed into her computer. “I believe her next payment is due in a week.”
I handed her the card to Haley’s account. Dahlia had no access to this account, which would keep the information about payments for Nora’s tuition private. “I’ve been authorized to pay on Ms. Ramsey’s behalf.”
She raised an eyebrow, but took the card, and went to the back of the office to run it through a machine. Even with an institution as prestigious as Sage and Ivy, when it came to payment, very few businesses questioned where the money came from. As long as fees were paid, no one cared.
The woman returned to the front desk. “The rest of the semester, sir?”
“And the next three years.” Her eyes widened. I handed her a business card to keep this time. “You can contact me if there are any changes to the rates.”
She closed her lips tightly and went to make the payments. I removed two checks from my jacket pocket and wrote a large donation given by the Ramsey sisters to the theater, dance, and art department, and another from me, personally, to the economics department. I handed them to her.
“This is a very,” she paused, “verygenerous donation, Mr. Conway.”
“Thank the Ramseys,” I said.
After I signed in, I headed out of the building, choosing to take the long way, going around the courtyard first. I told Tina that I wanted to take a quick look at the grounds, but in reality, I knew what I was looking for. It had been days. Haley refused to answer my calls and texts. But if she were here, would she still ignore me?
And then I saw her. Long, dark curls piled onto her head, that slender, biteable neck. Those soft lips. Her green eyes, brighter than any of the trees surrounding the academy.
Next to her was a young woman with light brown, nearly blond hair, with glasses hiding her eyes. They were walking down a pathway. I locked eyes with Haley. Begged her with my gaze to come talk to me.
But what would I say to her?
You’re right. I’m an asshole.
I shouldn’t have treated you like an object to be played with.
You deserve better than that. Better than me.
Haley looked away. After a moment, she grabbed her sister’s hand, and though her sister protested, they hurried into a building. I was glad. It was safer for them that way.
Soon, Haley would ask Tina why I was there, and Tina would explain the payments and donations I had made. Haley might hate me, but it was the only way I knew how to fix anything.
I knew that this would never fix us. And yet I had to do something. I had to try.
***
Aldrich lived in the center of Sage City with a high defense wall around his mansion. It was an eye-sore next to all of the modern buildings around it. But with enough money, it was hard to argue with a client’s requests.
