Flora looked up at the house, trembling with anxiety and incredibly confused. The man who drove her to the home was as silent as a graveyard with a hard and unassuming stare. He didn't even say a word when she turned her panicked eyes on him. He only indicated that she continued up the stairs.

She had asked before what Claudius wanted to meet her, but the man had only grumbled, so she decided to follow his lead and walk into the house. He handed her over to a maid, who took her purse and jacket. She took Flora to a brightly lit room.

"Mr. Devon?" The maid called, closing the door softly.

He coughed, struggling to get comfortable on the bed. She rushed to help him. She adjusted his pillows and made him as comfortable as possible.

"Please sit." He wheezed, pointing to a chair in front of the bed.

Flora carefully sat down, looking at the mass of machines connected to him. "Thank you. I am sorry. I had no idea you were this ill sir."

"Would you have come to visit if you knew?" He joked, grinning as he asked the maid to leave.

"I have no ties to do so, but I hope you get well soon."

"I am dying, dear. It's why I called you here. I want nothing more than to settle some affairs before I finally rest."

"And I am one of your affairs?"

"Yes."

"What have I done."

"I know about my daughter's threats to your freedom. I am sorry for what you have had to go through the past year. I just learned. If I had known, I would never have allowed it to happen."

Flora blinked, flustered. "There was nothing you could have done."

"There was. And I have already done it."

"What do you mean?"

He pointed to the folder on the chair beside her, but she didn't touch it. "The woman who donated her organs to your father. I have reached out and taken care of her. She will not contact you again. If she does, Ben, whom you have already met, will handle it. You are to have no further contact with her."

"I am sorry."

"Don't worry. She is not going to be hurt. She is fine, and even she knows the benefits of my deal. But so you aren't worried and convinced to check on her, I will tell you. I have paid her for what she did for your father and added an extra incentive in the form of caring for her daughter and two nieces. She can't extort any more money from you."

Flora was frozen in shock, unable to process everything he was saying. Samuel didn't tell her his grandfather had found out. She didn't know if he told his grandfather himself or why Claudius had even moved to help her. Did Samuel ask him to?

"You don't have to do anything for me, sir. I don't want to owe your family anything."

"You owe us nothing, but we owe you so much. I owe you so much."

"What do you mean?"

"Forgive me if I don't explain it to you. Just know that you are now free."

"Because you paid someone off? I still committed the crime. If your daughter wishes, she could turn me in to the police anytime."

"Never. Our mutual friend has agreed to say that she gave her organs out of kindness because she saw your suffering. No one can prove otherwise now. You will be safe now."

"Why?" She muttered. "Why are you trying to help me? I deserve to know the truth."

"We never got the chance to meet, but I knew someone in your family. Someone important to me. Your grandmother. She was...she means a lot to me. I couldn't help but be horrified at how my daughter treated you."

Her grandmother never mentioned him to anyone that Flora knew. Samuel never said anything, too. She didn't want to mix herself with the family again, so she wanted to ask him to leave the problem to her, but she couldn't.

Pride brought her to this point, but she had nothing to give. She was low on money and couldn't handle having to pay her debts while keeping up with her father's medication. If he had already paid the full amount, she wouldn't argue.

"You are doing all this for your friendship with my grandmother?"

"You can say that." He heaved, and she stiffened, preparing to call for help if he needed it. He recovered quickly. "Plus, I hope to see you and Samuel reunited before I die."

Flora baulked at his bold words before laughter bubbled out of her. This was, by far, her strangest experience in the past few months. Maybe she'd wake up and realise it was a dream. But nothing happened, no matter how she sneakily pinched herself as she sat.

If Samuel had told his grandfather the truth, for whatever reason, she was surprised he didn't mention his relationship with Kali. The last time they spoke, he had been adamant about having her see things from his perspective. So, why would he let his grandfather think differently?

Maybe he wanted his grandfather to carry out his end of the bargain. Whatever it was.

Yes. She held on to that and refused to allow herself to have hope when she didn't even know half the story behind what brought all this on. She sat in the room of the man she had only heard of from Samuel and seen in pictures. His house, just like their situation, was foreign to her.

"Who told you about this?" She cracked when her emotions overwhelmed her. "Was it Samuel? Did he ask you to help me?"

"No."

"Then?"

He hesitated. "The girl. Kali."

Flora's heart sank, and a tear fell on her hand. "Kali."

"Yes."

"Well, I am sorry if she gave you hope, but she won't give any to me. I refuse to fall into that trap again. Samuel doesn't love me." She said outright, as much for his hearing as hers. "Not like he used to. Not like I want. He loves her now."

"No, dear." Claudius smiled kindly. "It was all a sham, you see. You already know that I am sure. Their marriage is a farce."

"It's not sir. And I am sorry if you have built any hopes by helping me with my problems. You can solve as much as you like, but if the outcome is my marrying Samuel, it is for nothing."

She felt more tears well up, as if she was sinking back into the well she had just gotten herself out of. She could see the hope drain out of Claudius with her words, but she wanted to be honest with him rather than lie. She didn't want his help based on a lie that would never be true.

"I am sorry, but there's nothing more between you grandson and I."

"How can he give you up for someone else? A girl he met not too long ago? It can't be true. You are a..."

"Thank you for your kind words," she interrupted. "Please, I don't want to talk about that anymore. If you are helping me so Samuel and I could..."

"No." He spoke up. "I am heartbroken you aren't going to be together, but I am helping you because I want to. You don't deserve my daughter holding a blade over your head."

"Thank you. It is one of the kindest things anyone has done for me. So many people have suffered for my mistake, including your grandson, so believe me when I say I appreciate it."

When he fell silent, she took it as her invitation to leave. There was nothing more to say. So, still tearful, she thanked him again before standing from the seat.

The man was withering. Flora could see it in his eyes. He had been sick in the same way a year ago, but she only ever heard it through Samuel's words.

"Even though you seem resigned," she said before she made to leave. "I hope you get well, sir."

"Thank you, child. I am glad we got to meet at least once. It could have been more if I wasn't stubborn when your relationship started."

Flora's heart went out to him, a man she didn't know. Her grandmother had never mentioned him before, but his love for her was powerful enough to compel him to help her. So, Flora gathered her courage and made it to his bedside. He watched her, his eyes still filled with tenderness. She took his hand in hers and kissed his cheek softly.

"I can't speak for my grandmother. I don't know what she'd make of what you have done for me. I hope I am right when I say she'd be touched by your generosity. As am I."

She left not too long after that, meeting the solemn driver who waited by the car for her. She held herself together until they cleared the villa before the tears began pouring out. She cried out of gratefulness, of the weight lifted off her shoulders, and she cried for her own losses.