Chapter 3 - The Price of Protection
Three days passed in a peaceful blur. Under the care of Dr. Henderson and the state-of-the-art equipment in the private wing, my mother’s condition stabilized dramatically. Her color returned, her breathing became steady, and for the first time in a year, she didn't look like she was standing on the edge of death.
Liam visited every evening. He never came with a grand gesture or a crowd of bodyguards; he would simply appear at 7:00 PM, sit quietly in the corner of the room, read the financial papers, and talk softly with my mother about her teaching days and her favorite books. He treated her like royalty, and to my surprise, my mother treated him like a long-lost son.
"You should go home and get some proper rest, Maya," my mother said on the fourth afternoon, her voice sounding stronger than it had in months. "You’ve been sleeping on this sofa for three days. Go take a hot bath, check on the apartment, and get a good night's sleep. Liam promised he would have his security guard watch my door."
"Are you sure, Mom?" I asked, looking at her with concern.
"Go," she insisted, smiling. "I'm in a luxury suite with doctors catering to my every whim. I think I can survive one night without you hovering."
I laughed softly, kissing her cheek. "Alright. I'll be back first thing in the morning."
When I walked out of the hospital lobby, a sleek black sedan was already waiting for me at the curb. The driver, a polite man named Colin, opened the rear door.
"Mr. O'Connor instructed me to take you wherever you need to go, Miss Lin," Colin said.
"Just back to the Ashford, please," I said, sliding into the warm leather seat.
As the car drove through the busy streets of Boston, my mind raced. Liam’s generosity was overwhelming, but it terrified me. In my experience, nothing in this world was free. Especially not the protection of a man like Liam O'Connor. What did he want from me? Was this all truly just restitution for a twenty-five-year-old debt?
When we arrived at the Ashford, the building looked completely different.
The old, rusted front doors had been replaced with beautiful, heavy oak doors equipped with a modern security keypad. The lobby was clean, the flickering lights replaced with bright, warm fixtures. Two security guards in neat uniforms stood near the elevator.
"Miss Lin," one of the guards said, bowing his head respectfully. "Welcome back. Mr. Mercer's management company has been officially removed. O'Connor Properties is now managing the building. Your apartment has been fully restored."
I took the elevator to the third floor, my heart pounding. When I opened the door to Apartment 3B, I gasped.
The damp, peeling wallpaper had been stripped and replaced with beautiful, clean paint. The broken heater in the corner was gone, replaced by a modern, silent climate-control system. All of our belongings—which had been thrown into the mud by Walter’s men—had been meticulously cleaned, restored, and placed back in their proper spots.
Even the photograph of my mother and me at Cape Cod was sitting on the mantelpiece, placed in a beautiful, heavy silver frame. The crack was gone, the glass pristine.
Beside the frame lay a sleek, black envelope with my name written in elegant gold ink.
I opened it. Inside was a set of legal documents and a brief, handwritten note.
“The deed to Apartment 3B has been transferred to your name. The property tax and maintenance fees have been paid in full for the next thirty years. You are no longer a tenant, Maya. You are an owner. No one will ever throw you out of your home again. - L.O.”
I dropped the paper, my hands shaking. This wasn't just help. This was a fortune.
Just then, my phone buzzed. It was an unknown number. I answered, expecting it to be the hospital.
May you like
"Maya Lin," a cold, unfamiliar voice said on the other end. "I hope you are enjoying your new apartment. But you should know that the O'Connor family’s gifts always come with a blood price. If you want to keep your mother alive, you will meet me at the South End docks tonight at midnight. Come alone, or Liam O'Connor won't be the only one who loses his life."
The line went dead.
