"Thanks, Uncle," Damien said, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
The conversation with Jerry had left him feeling energized and optimistic. He had a clear vision for the future, a grand plan that would propel him to new heights. He wasn't satisfied with small-scale success. He craved an empire, a business that would generate millions, even billions, each day. He knew his father's company was doing that, but he yearned to build his own legacy. He had to do something of his own too.
He wasn't planning to abandon his father's business. He simply wanted to create something of his own, something he could be truly proud of. There was no shame in using his father's resources to get started, but he wanted to forge his own path. Or was there a shame in continuing just in his father's legacy but that he wouldn't want.
"Well, I think we've been inside this hotel for too long," Damien announced, rising from his chair. "You should go get some rest. You need to be ready for tomorrow's work. I'm going to take a walk with some of my security. I've been cooped up inside for too long. I wish you could come with me, but you have more important things to attend to tomorrow. so some of the men who's going with you should be having their rests as well along with you"
Jerry nodded in agreement. He knew he needed to rest, to prepare himself for the demanding day ahead. He was already feeling the weight of responsibility, the anticipation of the challenges that lay ahead. He'd expected Damian to ask him to join him on his walk, but Damian seemed to sense his need for solitude. Jerry appreciated the understanding.
As Jerry left, Damian's thoughts drifted to the upcoming demolition and the establishment of the fish pond company, that's simply his first step to creating his Empire too joining to his dad's.  
Jerry too was eager to get started, to put Damian's vision into action. He knew it would be a demanding project, but he was ready to face the challenges head-on.
      
               | At The Hospital |
Ariel had been anxiously awaiting her mother's return, her heart pounding with hope. She longed to hear that everything was settled, that the money had been secured, and their worries were over. That's the first thing she's expecting from her mother.
She's wishing it could be easy that she will just come back and then handover the money to her which obviously was not going to be possible honestly, it's like a day dream but she wished badly that it could happen.
While she sat down looking at her baby the door swung open, and Oliveira stepped inside, her face etched with exhaustion.
"Mother, you're back" Ariel said, her voice brimming with anticipation. She was ready to hear the good news, the news that would ease their burdens. At least even the major issues had not been settled, some of the problems should be bygone now, like finding a place for them to stay.
But as Oliveira sank into a chair, taking a deep, weary breath, Ariel's hopes began to dwindle. The heavy sigh, the slump in her mother's shoulders, spoke volumes. Something was wrong. Which could be nothing other than her journey may not have yielded results.
"How was the journey? Were you able to raise any money?" Ariel asked, her voice laced with concern. This was the crucial question, the answer that would determine their fate.
Oliveira's voice was low, defeated. "I tried," she said, her words barely a whisper and then Ariel knew nothing of the problem had been solved at all. "I reached out to so many friends, but no one could help. I didn't come back with a single cent."
The words struck Ariel like a blow. She looked at her daughter, lying so frail and vulnerable in the sickbed, and a wave of despair washed over her. There was no other way out. They were trapped. And it really pains very much to seat and watch her daughter die while she do nothing at all.
"But what about Matthias?" Ariel asked, a glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes. "Did you try to talk to him?"
"Yes," Oliveira replied, her voice trembling. "He was the first person I went to see. He refused to help. He said he wouldn't have anything to do with us. He's nothing but a monster"
The weight of their situation pressed down on Ariel. With each revelation, her heart sank further. They were alone, with no one to turn to, no one to save them from their desperate situation.
Ariel let out a weary sigh, her head shaking in defeat. Words seemed to fail her, the weight of their predicament crushing her spirit. She felt utterly helpless, trapped in a web of despair with no clear path forward.
"And what about Damian? were you able to talk to him also?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. A flicker of hope, however faint, remained. He was their only remaining option, their last chance. If only he could just let them live in that house, they could feed themselves, he should at least let them live in that house, that's all they care about now, being homeless too is just as bad as her daughter being sick as well, all this are big burden pressing on her shoulders
Hearing her daughter ask that question, Oliveira's face clouded with a mixture of shame and resignation. "I didn't even think of him," she confessed. "I'm so sorry, but I just couldn't bring myself to approach him. He's not someone I can just see anywhere. And I don't even know where he lives."
"Honestly even if I know, I don't think I can stand on that young man's face, after everything I have done to him" She added.
The weight of her mother's words settled upon Ariel, extinguishing the last embers of hope. Damian, their only possible savior, seemed as elusive as a phantom. They were truly alone, stranded in a sea of despair with no one to guide them.