Chapter 6: The Ultimatum**
The following afternoon, Elena arrived at St. Jude’s clinic to pick up Sofia’s weekly medication, only to be met by a sympathetic but apologetic clinic administrator.
"I’m so sorry, Miss Cruz," the administrator said, looking at the computer screen. "Your sister's therapeutic grant was revoked this morning by the primary benefactor board."
Elena felt an icy chill grip her chest. "Revoked? On what grounds?"
"Administrative restructuring," the woman said quietly, clearly uncomfortable.
Elena’s phone buzzed with an unknown number. She answered immediately.
"A tragic bureaucratic error, isn't it?" Clara Vance’s smooth, mocking voice came through the speaker.
"You vile woman," Elena whispered, stepping into the empty hallway. "Leave my sister out of this."
"I am a generous person, Elena," Clara purred. "Return the internal audit documents to Arthur Sterling by midnight, sign a statement declaring the CCTV footage from the gala was an optical illusion created by lighting errors, and your sister will receive lifetime funding for her medical care."
"You want me to lie and destroy my own reputation to save your skin."
"You have twelve hours to decide what matters more: your mother's dead pride, or your sister's living breath."
May you like
The call went dead. Elena stood in the corridor, her hands clenched so tightly her fingernails bit into her palms.
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