Ward continues to speak about his demands and expectations. At twelve noon, my stomach rumbles.
When is this going to end?
CHAPTER 40
MADDIE
Mom and I finally burst through the veterinarian's doors. The little bell above jingles cheerfully, completely at odds with the emergency.
"My dog—he can't breathe!" I shout, my voice breaking. "Please help him!"
A technician in blue scrubs takes one look at Snorty and immediately pulls him from my arms.
"We'll take him in for an examination right away. Do you have your insurance information with you?"
"No... I..." My mind goes completely blank as I realize I have no way to pay for this.
“No. Yes. Please take him to be examined,” I tell the vet. “I’ll find a way.”
“I’m sorry. We’re not permitted to see him until financials have been settled.”
I crumble into a chair, hugging Snorting as I figure out what to do, who to call.
The only reason I went to Las Vegas was to get money for Snorty's operation. Now I don't even have that.
There's only one thing to do.
I pull out my phone and call Joseph. I haven’t yet said I’d be his wife. ut if he loans me the money for Snorty’s surgery, I’ll damn well consider it.
When he doesn’t pick up his personal cell, I go through a half dozen assistants to reach him.
Then I try not to cry as I tell him what happened to Snorty.
“Do you have the money?”
“Of course.”
“When can you be here?”
“I can’t. Not until eight tonight, at the earliest. Maddie, I should have warned you never to call me at work. I’m in the middle of an intense multi-million-dollar transaction.”
“But Snorty may die!”
“We’ll talk about it tonight,” he says.
“No! Tonight will be too late. I need?—”
He terminates the call.
My so-called fiancé terminates the call. Just like that.
I look up at my mother in astonishment.
“Joseph says he’s worth millions. He asked me to marry him. And he can’t take the time to come to the vet and rescue Snorty?”
Before mom can respond, Snorty raises his head, letting forth a series of painful choking sounds.
There’s only one man to call. Rio.
