[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-26032289AC7C-181":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},181,20,"Chapter 20: Your Money Is Worthless To Me","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan Meyer shuddered, his grip loosening for a fraction of a second.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya Cole seized the opportunity, prying his locked fingers away one by one. Her hands were ice-cold, and the contact with his feverish skin made him shiver.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Don't follow me,\" she said, her eyes devoid of warmth. \"Or I’m calling the police.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Without a backward glance, she walked toward an old sedan parked at the curb.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The driver’s side door opened. A young man in a beige trench coat stepped out, looking at her with concern. \"Are you okay? That guy—\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya shook her head and slid into the car. \"I’m fine. He’s nobody. Let’s go.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The man cast a wary look at Callahan, who stood frozen in the snow, before climbing back in and starting the engine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The car pulled away, splashing Callahan with a spray of cold, dirty slush.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan remained rooted to the spot, a statue abandoned in the winter landscape. The heavy snowfall blanketed his shoulders and hair, turning him into a ghost of white.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He watched the direction the car had disappeared, staring at the empty intersection. His chest felt hollow, carved out and left as a freezing, gaping void.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was gone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Really gone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She didn't want him anymore.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan didn’t give up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Like a persistent shadow, he began to track Maya’s life in Montreal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The private investigator he hired was efficient; he quickly discovered her address—a third-floor unit in a run-down apartment complex. It was narrow, poorly lit, and cheap.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He didn't dare go up. He was terrified she’d actually call the police, and even more terrified of the disgust he knew he’d see in her eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Instead, he stood across the street on a corner, finding an inconspicuous spot to watch from a distance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He saw her leave at seven every morning, bundled in a heavy parka, heading for the subway. Her complexion remained pale, but her stride was steady.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He watched her return after classes, stopping at the local corner store to pick up the cheapest loaf of bread and a carton of milk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When a stray cat approached, she would squat down, breaking off a small piece of bread to place on the ground. As she watched the cat eat, a faint, fleeting smile would touch her lips.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan watched her greedily, his heart aching so sharply he had to clench his jaw to keep from gasping.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He also noticed the man who often dropped her off.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sometimes they arrived in that old sedan; sometimes they walked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When they stood beneath the building talking, the man would lean in, listening with focused attention, nodding and smiling with eyes full of tenderness. Callahan recognized that look. It was the way a man looked at the woman he loved.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jealousy twisted in his gut like a knife.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He eventually learned the man’s name was Ishaan Montgomery, a French tutor who had arrived in Montreal a few years before her and often looked out for her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She also worked at a café.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan found the place—a small shop with simple decor and few customers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He went every afternoon, ordered the most expensive coffee on the menu, and sat in the furthest corner for hours.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She wore a server’s apron, moving efficiently as she wiped tables, took orders, and served coffee.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When customers tried to chat her up or harass her, she always managed to deflect them with calm detachment, maintaining a standard, professional smile.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Then came the day a drunk man grabbed her wrist and refused to let go, spewing crude insults. When the manager heard the commotion, he didn't intervene. Instead, he hissed at her for \"making a scene.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan snapped.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He strode over, grabbed the drunkard’s wrist, and twisted it until the man cried out in pain. Callahan shoved him aside and turned an icy glare toward the manager. \"I’m buying this place. Get out. Now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Intimidated by his presence and the sharp cut of his suit, the manager paled and retreated without a word.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya, however, didn't even look at him. She simply turned and walked into the kitchen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan followed her, blocking her path in the narrow corridor. He raked a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. \"Maya, don't work here anymore. It's too much, and people like that—\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Callahan Meyer,\" Maya interrupted, her voice cool and detached. \"Stop interfering in my life.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm not interfering, I just don't want you to be mistreated!\" Callahan said, his voice straining with urgency.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maya looked up at him, her eyes hollow. \"Aren't you the one who caused all of this? What’s the point of playing the hero now?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Callahan was pinned to the spot, his face deathly pale as he gripped the edge of a stainless-steel prep table.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"And another thing,\" she added, her tone laced with mockery. \"Save it. Buying the café? What's next? Buying the tutoring center? Buying my apartment? Callahan, your money and your power are worthless to me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">With that, she brushed past him and went back to work.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272930565]