Chapter 5

At precisely one in the afternoon, Velove decided to leave for campus. Today, she had an important class that she absolutely had to attend.

Fortunately, the lecture went smoothly without any issues. While waiting for further instructions or news from Nickholas, Velove chose to work on assignments with Amanda in the library.

"Once this is done, please hand it over to Mr. Andrew for me, Dhel. If I have time, I need to rush back to the hospital."

"Hospital? Who's sick?"

Velove sighed softly. She had forgotten to mention that her mother had just undergone bypass surgery the night before. Usually, if anything happened, Velove would share it with her best friend.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you that Mom was admitted to the hospital yesterday because she had a heart attack."

"Oh my God," Amanda exclaimed, pausing her writing. "How is Aunt Amanda doing now? Is she okay?" Amanda asked worriedly. Having known Velove for a long time, she considered Velove's mother like her own.

"Don't worry," Velove replied, trying to reassure her. "Last night, Mom had heart surgery. The doctor said she's stable and doing well. We just need to wait for her to wake up and continue with the recovery process."

Amanda sighed with relief. She couldn't help but feel relieved after hearing Velove's explanation.

"Thank goodness. It's unusual for you not to tell me anything," she said, slightly annoyed. As close friends, they shared almost everything, whether good or bad, important or trivial.

"I panicked, Dhel. When I got home from the bar, Mom was unconscious. After that, I was busy dealing with the doctors and the hospital."

"But, by the way, did your mom have to have surgery?" Amanda asked, curious. She suddenly felt uneasy.

Velove nodded. There was no other option. The surgery was the last resort the doctors recommended. Besides, her mother's life depended on it.

"Yeah, Dhel. The doctors said Mom needed the bypass surgery immediately. If not, her condition could worsen and even endanger her life."

"Wait," Amanda interrupted. "Bypass surgery isn't cheap, right?"

Velove nodded again, understanding where her friend's concern was coming from.

"Yes. It's about 80 to 100 million. Not including medication and hospitalization costs."

"Oh my God."

Amanda's eyes widened. She was sure Velove didn't have that kind of money. Even her college savings might not be more than 10 million.

So, where did her friend get the money? Usually, Velove would ask Amanda for help. But since yesterday, she hadn't contacted her at all.

"Then, where did you get the money to pay the hospital, Velove? 100 million is a lot. If you borrowed from the bar manager, you wouldn't get paid for more than two years."

Velove nodded repeatedly. Amanda was right. If she borrowed 100 million from the bar manager, she would become an indentured servant, with her salary taken entirely to pay off the debt.

"It's a long story where I got the money, Dhel. There's something else I haven't told you."

Amanda squinted, leaning forward, demanding an explanation.

"What else are you hiding from me, Velove? You didn't get the money by selling yourself, did you?"

"Nonsense!" Velove retorted, hitting Amanda lightly on the head. How could both her mother and her best friend accuse her of such a thing?

"Then where did you get the money from? It's very suspicious."

Before Velove could explain, one of her classmates came running up to her, panting as she tried to speak.

"Sandra, why are you running and out of breath?" Amanda asked, puzzled by her classmate's behavior.

"In the lobby—"

"Yes, what's in the lobby?" Velove cut in, curious.

"There's a handsome celebrity looking for you, Velove."

Velove and Amanda exchanged glances. Curious about what Sandra had just said, they headed to the lobby of the Business and Management faculty building.

From a distance, they saw a crowd of students gathered. They couldn't tell what was going on.

As Velove got closer, she understood why everyone was gathered there. Rayyen, a well-known actor, was the center of attention.

"Darling."

The affectionate call echoed through the room as Rayyen spotted Velove. Seeing her standing not far away, the tall man approached her without hesitation. Still wearing his sunglasses, he grabbed Velove's wrist and led her through the crowd, heading towards the red sports car parked in front of the lobby.