Peter’s phone vibrated, cutting through the silence of the room. Exhausted from an intense night with his mistress, he answered without enthusiasm.

“Good morning, sir… did you feed your addiction?”

The voice on the other end came sharp and cold:

“Good morning? You made me waste time and money, Peter. Your girlfriend wasn’t in my bed like we agreed. I ended up falling asleep from waiting so long.”

Peter went ice-cold.

“What do you mean…?”

“Enough. There is no promotion anymore.”

The call ended without giving him a chance to respond.

Peter stood there, stunned—until rage detonated inside him. He hurled the phone against the wall.

“Bitch…” he snarled, his eyes burning with hate. “Bitch, you ruined everything!”

---

Fifteen days later…

Time seemed to drag. Olívia paced restlessly, a hollow ache growing in her chest—one she couldn’t explain. The messages she sent Peter went unanswered. Her calls went straight to voicemail.

During the first week, she tried to justify it: He must be busy. Work, stress…

By the second week, the silence started to crush her. The love she’d believed was solid seemed to collapse a little more every day.

When she finally called her mother-in-law, desperate for any news, she received information that knocked the ground out from under her.

“He went to handle issues at another branch, dear. He’ll be in another state for a few days.” The woman’s voice was indifferent. “He didn’t tell you?”

Olívia felt her heart drop. Her throat tightened, but she disguised the pain.

“Oh… yes. Of course. He mentioned it in passing…” she lied, forcing her voice to sound casual. “I forgot!”

But when she hung up, the tears slid down silently.

That day, she shut herself inside her office at the company, trying to focus on reports. The sound of the light rain against the window seemed to echo her mood.

That was when the door suddenly opened.

Victor walked in, his face pale, his eyes frantic.

“Liv, we need to talk.” His voice shook.

Olívia stood up immediately.

“What the hell is it this time, Victor?”

He shut the door behind him, bracing his hands on her desk like the floor might collapse.

“I… I messed up, Liv.” The words rushed out, tangled and panicked. “I got into a heavy game… lost a big bet… put the company up as collateral and… and I lost.”

Olívia’s eyes widened.

“What?” Her voice echoed through the office. “Have you lost your mind, Victor? The company is everything we have!”

“I was sure I was going to win, but it went wrong.” He dragged his hands through his hair, sweating cold. “To get the documents back, I borrowed money from loan sharks. Now they’re threatening me… threatening us.”

Olívia lifted a hand to her mouth, stunned.

“You’re reckless, Victor,” she said, her voice tight with nerves.

Victor went on, his voice cracking:

“They said if I don’t pay soon, they’ll go after the family. You’re in danger, Liv. Dad… Mom… everyone.”

“Dad…” Her heart clenched. “You know what can happen if he finds out. His heart can’t take another shock like this!”

Victor nodded, tears in his eyes.

“I know. And that’s what terrifies me. He can’t find out.”

Olívia’s anger exploded.

“When are you going to grow up, Victor?” she shouted, her voice breaking. “You’re the oldest! I’m sick of covering for you, cleaning up your mess! It’s always me who has to fix everything!”

He lowered his head, ashamed.

“I… I know. I screwed up…”

“Screwed up?” She slammed her hand on the desk. “That’s not even close!” She stepped toward him, glaring. “How much is this damn debt?”

Victor hesitated, his voice low, like he was afraid to say the number out loud.

“With interest… five hundred thousand dollars.”

The world seemed to spin around her. Olívia took a step back, in shock.

“Half a million?” The disbelief in her tone edged into desperation. “This time I’m going to kill you, Victor!”

Without thinking, her palm cracked across his face.

“You’ve gone too far with this addiction. How are we supposed to get that money?!” Tears were already falling. “We don’t have that kind of cash on hand. Any big movement, Dad will notice. And you know what that means!”

Victor stared at her with wet eyes, the red mark on his cheek burning more from humiliation than pain.

“I didn’t think… I was sure… I would win…”

“That’s the problem!” she screamed. “You never think! You just act, and I’m the one who pays—we all pay!”

For a moment, a heavy silence fell between them. Olívia breathed hard, her mind racing. Despite the rage, despite the shock, there was one truth burning inside her: she loved her brother. More than anything.

She closed her eyes, trying to hold back her tears.

“I’ll fix this,” she murmured, almost to herself.

“How?” Victor lifted his eyes, voice trembling. “There’s no way out, Liv.”

That was when a memory sliced through her mind like icy air.

The card.

The card left on the nightstand. The gesture that, to her, had been proof of Peter’s love.

Her heart sped up.

“I know what to do,” she said firmly. “Peter will have to forgive me.”

Victor watched her, confused.

“What?”

“This is the last time I help you. Do you understand?” Her voice turned cold, decisive. “You’re going to promise me something, Victor. You’re going to swear you’ll never gamble again. That you’ll get help.”

He nodded, desperate.

“I swear, Liv. I swear on our mother.”

Olívia took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye.

“Tonight, you’re taking me to that loan shark.”

---

The night felt heavy when they reached the address Victor had been given. It was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, where the smell of rust and gasoline mixed with the distant sound of motorcycles. Two large men covered in tattoos guarded the entrance. Their stares were pure threat.

Olívia gripped her brother’s hand and walked in. Her heart felt like it was trying to leap out of her chest, but she kept her chin high.

Inside, seated behind a table, was the boss. A man with an icy gaze, a cigarette burning between his fingers, watching them with the calm patience of a predator.

“So…” he said, exhaling smoke slowly. “The little gambler brought his sister to clean up his mess.”

Victor trembled, but Olívia stepped forward, steady.

“I came to pay the debt.”

A crooked smile formed on the man’s lips.

“Half a million isn’t pocket change, sweetheart. You sure you can cover that?”

Olívia opened her purse, took out the black card, and placed it on the table.

“Run the card.”

The loan shark lifted his eyebrows, surprised. He pulled out the card reader and inserted it. When the transaction approved, he let out a low laugh.

“Impressive. A pretty girl… and so generous.” He leaned in and handed the card back. “Your brother’s lucky to have you.”

Olívia didn’t answer. She grabbed the card, seized Victor’s arm, and dragged him out, her heart pounding.

Outside, the cold night wind wrapped around her, but it didn’t calm her soul.

She believed she’d done the right thing. Saved her brother, protected her family, prevented tragedy.

What she didn’t know was that, by using that card, she had opened the door to consequences that would change her destiny forever.