Chapter 4

"Stop crying."

Mrs. Sterling’s voice became firm and comforting.

"Wait at the hospital. Don't go anywhere. I will send someone to pick you up."

Half an hour later, a sleek black Rolls-Royce pulled up quietly at the hospital entrance.

The driver respectfully opened the door for me and drove me to a grand estate on the outskirts of the city.

Though Mrs. Sterling was advanced in years, her eyes remained sharp and clear.

She didn't pry into my personal matters. She simply gestured for me to present the piece.

When the two-meter-long scroll of *Sea of Clouds*—depicting a breathtaking, majestic sunrise over a vast ocean of rolling clouds woven in silk and gold—was slowly unrolled under the warm lights, the entire room fell dead silent.

"This... this is..."

Mrs. Sterling’s hands began to tremble. She put on her reading glasses, leaning in incredibly close, murmuring to herself.

"This color palette, the play of light and shadow... My God, this is the lost French triple-shading weaving technique!"

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with absolute shock and awe.

"Child, did you really weave this yourself?"

I nodded.

"Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!"

The elderly lady was so emotional that her eyes welled with tears.

"Thank heaven. To think that in our generation, we get to see such museum-level, legendary craftsmanship brought back to life!"

She gently caressed the tapestry as if it were the rarest diamond on earth.

"Child, how much are you asking for this masterpiece?"

I bit my lip, naming the exact amount I desperately needed right now: "Fifty thousand dollars."

Mrs. Sterling froze, her brows instantly furrowing.

"Fifty thousand? Child, asking for that amount is an insult to your talent, and an insult to this masterpiece!"

She stood up, walked over to her desk, wrote a check, and handed it to me.

"Here is five hundred thousand dollars. This is just the deposit."

I stared at the long string of zeros on the check, completely stunned.

"This... this is too much..."

"It’s not enough,"

Mrs. Sterling pressed the check into my hand, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"I’m buying this *Sea of Clouds*. Its value goes far beyond this. I will have a professional appraisal done later, and I will pay you every single cent of the remaining balance."

She paused, looking at my disheveled state, and sighed gently.

"Take this money and save your mother first. Nothing is more important than a human life. Once she is stable, we can discuss the rest."

"Go on. My driver is waiting outside. He will take you back to the hospital."

Clutching the check tightly, I bowed deeply to the elegant lady.

"Thank you, Mrs. Sterling. Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me,"

Mrs. Sterling helped me up, patting my hand.

"It is your own genius that saved you. Remember this, Chloe: with a skill like yours, you will never starve, and you must never let anyone look down on you."

By 1:00 AM, I handed the $500,000 check to the hospital's billing department. The billing manager checked it repeatedly in shock before immediately greenlighting everything.

"Rest assured, Ms. Jenkins. We are assembling the best surgical team in the hospital for your mother right now!"

As the red "Surgery in Progress" light turned on, I sat on the cold bench outside. But for the first time, my heart felt completely at peace.

Just as dawn was breaking, the heavy doors of the operating room finally opened.

"The surgery was an absolute success! The patient is out of danger. Now, she just needs proper rest and recovery."

The heavy weight on my chest vanished. My legs gave out, and I nearly collapsed.

The doctor quickly caught me. "You need to get some rest, too. You look incredibly exhausted."

I nodded. After moving my mother into a private VIP suite, I found a quiet corner, leaned against the wall, and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

I don't know how long I slept before a loud, obnoxious commotion woke me up.

"What is wrong with this hospital? Didn't you say she couldn't get the surgery without the money? Where on earth did she get the money?!"

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