Chapter 04-A Bitter Bargain

Mr. Drago slowly opened his eyes and yawned widely. He then coughed, placing the coffee cup back on the table. "It's nothing, madam! This coffee is so delicious and sweet, as sweet as its maker," Mr. Drago replied with a small chuckle.

Hearing Mr. Drago's answer, Hellen snorted in annoyance and turned her face away. Ethan also felt irritated seeing Mr. Drago was still there after all.

"Sorry, sir, we don't have any food to offer. So, sir, are you still willing to lend me the money?" asked Mrs. Elizabeth.

"No problem, madam! Even this cup of coffee has given me energy again. Of course, I am a man who always keeps his promises, madam!" replied Mr. Drago, as he toyed with his beard and mustache.

"Alright! In that case, can you give it to me right now?" asked Mrs. Elizabeth.

"Of course, madam! I am ready to provide it whenever you need it," Mr. Drago answered, clapping his hands twice.

One of Mr. Drago's guards entered, carrying a small briefcase. The guard then handed the briefcase to Mr. Drago. Mr. Drago opened the briefcase, revealing a considerable amount of money.

Mrs. Elizabeth's eyes widened when she saw the wads of cash in the briefcase. She swallowed repeatedly at the sight of the large sum of money.

"Excuse me, Mr. Drago, I just wanted to make sure. Are you really giving me the freedom to pay off my debt whenever I want?" asked Mrs. Elizabeth, as Mr. Drago was about to count the money she was borrowing.

"I already told you, I am a man who always keeps his promises. Are you still doubting my words?" Mr. Drago retorted.

"I believe all your promises and words, Mr. Drago! I just wanted to make sure, to avoid any future misunderstandings between us," Mrs. Elizabeth replied.

"You don't need to worry, nothing will go wrong. I assure you, everything will go smoothly. Here is the one hundred thousand dollars you wanted to borrow; you can count it again," Mr. Drago said, offering several wads of cash to Mrs. Elizabeth.

Mrs. Elizabeth accepted the money offered by Mr. Drago and intended to count it herself. However, she abandoned the idea, implicitly trusting Mr. Drago.

Seeing their mother receive the loan money, both Ethan and Hellen slumped in despair. Hellen rested her head on Ethan's shoulder, who was still sitting beside her.

Mrs. Elizabeth weighed the wads of money in her hands, then said, "I don't need to count it again, Mr. Drago! Of course, you've counted it carefully. Thank you for all your kindness, Mr. Drago!"

"If you feel it's not enough for business capital, I will add more," Mr. Drago replied with a smile, but his eyes flickered towards Hellen.

Hearing Mr. Drago offer his mother additional capital, Ethan cursed Mr. Drago once again. "Enough, Mr. Drago! Don't you dare try to persuade my mother and entrap her in a larger debt."

"Ethan! Can't you speak politely to Mr. Drago? Why do you keep belittling him? If you can indeed pay off Mother's debt, prove it!" Mrs. Elizabeth snapped.

Hellen rubbed Ethan's back, saying, "It's alright, Ethan! Perhaps Mother will never listen to us; we should just resign ourselves to it. If something happens to Mother later, we shouldn't be held responsible."

Mr. Drago, who had been insulted by Ethan and Hellen, glared. He had his own plan for Ethan, who had belittled him.

"You have brave children, madam! I admire both of them; the boy is handsome, and the girl is charmingly beautiful. If I had a son, perhaps I would have him marry your beautiful daughter," Mr. Drago flirted.

Hearing Mr. Drago's sweet talk, Ethan and Hellen instantly cursed him in their hearts. Mrs. Elizabeth, however, seemed flattered to receive praise from Mr. Drago.

"Thank you for the loan and the compliment, Mr. Drago! I truly appreciate your sincerity," Mrs. Elizabeth said.

"Mother has made a huge mistake by borrowing money from Mr. Drago. She listens to his words more than mine and Hellen's; she has been swayed by Mr. Drago," Ethan complained, shaking his head.

"Enough, Ethan! Mother doesn't want you to keep cornering her. Do you think it's easy to borrow money from others? You know nothing about Mr. Drago, so it's better to just keep quiet," Mrs. Elizabeth grumbled.

Mrs. Elizabeth was silent for a moment, then turned to Mr. Drago and said, "I hope you don't take to heart anything that Ethan or Hellen said."

"I understand, madam! I bear no grudge or hatred towards your two children, even if they hurt my feelings," Mr. Drago replied.

Then Mr. Drago turned to Ethan and Hellen, and he said, "If you want to make a change in your lives, imitate your mother! Life is hard and full of obstacles; differences of opinion are natural. Your mother considers borrowing money as the best solution for business capital, but you only think negatively without considering the positives."

"Don't lecture us about changing our fate, because not everyone has the same fate. Everyone has their own path and way of changing their destiny. You are not necessarily better than us; do you think we don't know where your wealth comes from, Mr. Drago?" Hellen grumbled.

"As an elder, I'm merely offering advice; it's fine if you choose not to accept it from me," Mr. Drago replied, gazing lustfully at Hellen.

"You are not our parent; go advise your own children. Besides, we don't need advice from someone like you. Where is your daughter, Mr. Drago? Why has your daughter never left the house? Are you keeping her locked up?" Hellen sneered.

"Shut your mouth, Hellen! Don't make me slap you for those words. Respect the advice of others, even if Mr. Drago isn't your parent," Mrs. Elizabeth snapped, raising her hand as if to strike.

Seeing Mrs. Elizabeth about to slap Hellen, Ethan tried to stop her. "Just because of that old geezer, you're willing to slap your own child. Try asking him directly: where did his wealth come from? Is it the result of his hard work?" Ethan asked in a high-pitched tone.

Before Mrs. Elizabeth could reply to Ethan, Mr. Drago stood up and said, "I should probably take my leave, madam! I still have many matters to attend to tonight. If you have any further needs from me, don't hesitate to come to my house."

Mrs. Elizabeth then rose from her seat and shook hands with Mr. Drago. "Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Drago! When I have time, I'll stop by your house," Mrs. Elizabeth replied.

As Mr. Drago stepped out, he briefly glared at Ethan. In his mind, a wicked plan for Ethan was already forming; Mr. Drago just needed to find the right time to carry out his malicious intention. Ethan, not to be outdone, stared back sharply at Mr. Drago.

After Mr. Drago left with his two guards, Mrs. Elizabeth resumed scolding Ethan and Hellen. "You two have embarrassed me; you truly have no manners while I was speaking with Mr. Drago," Mrs. Elizabeth scolded.

After being reprimanded so severely by their mother, Hellen immediately went into her room. Meanwhile, Ethan snatched his motorcycle keys and then left for a birthday party.

Mrs. Elizabeth sighed deeply, feeling ignored by both her children. As she was about to put away the borrowed money, she glanced at the still-full coffee cup.

Mrs. Elizabeth was curious about the coffee Hellen had made. "Why didn't Mr. Drago want to drink this coffee? What made him gasp for air when he drank it?" Mrs. Elizabeth asked herself.