What If I Don't Want Your $

"Boss, we've arrived."

The man in the back of the car had been lost in thought for quite some time, gazing at the rundown streets along the way, until the driver's reminder seemed to jolt him back to reality.

"Here?" There was a rare hint of doubt in Tyrone Stott's voice. Because outside the window, there was only a deserted square dominated by shipping containers and broken-down vehicles.

Seated in the passenger seat, his secretary Brian quickly replied, "Yes, Boss. She has been living at this camp for half a month, and it seems that the Griffin family is also tracking that package."

Tyrone didn't need to open the window to smell the pungent scent of marijuana. He furrowed his brow. The heir apparent of the Stott Cooperation, his sister, was now a neighbor to a group of homeless addicts. If the Griffin family found out, it would undoubtedly be another leverage point.

Ever since his former mother Lily Griffin left, the delicate balance between the Stott Corporation and the Griffin family became precarious. The existence of this unknown young sister certainly shattered this calm facade.

He could have chosen to step back, letting the Griffin family handle this unexpected situation. Because, this sister also held the inheritance rights to the Griffin family, and other contenders would not want to see her in the picture.

However, as he sifted through the record, he saw his own displaced life mirrored in the tumultuous journey of this girl.

He wasn't born as a Stott; he was once a war orphan. If it weren't for Lily Griffin's prolonged infertility, Tyrone wouldn't have been adopted by the world's wealthiest man, becoming the leader of this colossal empire, Tyrone Stott.

Meanwhile, Lily Griffin's true and only child lived in the shadow, like a raccoon in the trash bin. If he wanted to prove to himself and to God that he had compassion, he couldn't simply ignore her.

"Let's go." Tyrone said.

The driver, Mike, was a military veteran and keenly sensed some hostile glances. "Boss, I need to remind you that this is a quite dangerous area."

Tyrone Stott ordered without hesitation, "Brian stays in the car. Mike, come with me."

"Understood." Mike got off first, scanned the surroundings, before opening the back door.

And so, Tyrone Stott appeared in this smoky gathering, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit with perfectly combed hair. He was the epitome of an upper-class individual and, without a doubt, the most out-of-place person there.

"Hello. Does anyone know Diane Stott?"

Tyrone's voice echoed through the now eerily silent camp.

No one responded.

"Please tell me. Where is Diane Stott?"

The people around the campfire looked at him with no expressions that seemed to contain a thousand words, yet they remained silent.

"Again, Diane Stott, where is she?"

Their gazes met, and an undercurrent surged.

"Damn it." Mike immediately unholstered his gun, although Tyrone Stott raised his hand to stop him, it was too late.

Several young men who had been playing cards in front of a camper slowly stood up and led the people gathered around the bonfire towards them.

For a second, Tyrone regretted not bringing bodyguards along to obscure his presence.

They are approaching. Not friendly at all.

While Tyrone was contemplating whether to return to the car, a young voice rang out;

"Looking for me?"

In an instant, everyone turned their heads in the direction of the voice, towards an old van. Or rather, underneath the van, a girl lay sprawled out on a skateboard.

She was thin, and as she sat up from the skateboard, you could see her tank top hanging around her neck like a cloth sack, her exposed skin covered in dark, oily smudges. Looking at her face, it was even more ghastly. Whether it was due to malnutrition or early aging, she had half a head of silver hair, like an old witch.

"Are you looking for the wrong person?"

It was must the wrong person.

Tyrone was eager to return to the car, but just as he turned around, the girl said, "My surname is Griffin. I'm Diane Griffin."

Turning back around, he saw the girl smiled, revealing a set of white shining teeth.

---

Under the outdoor shower, cool water drizzled behind the curtain. Diane scrubbed the oil from her body vigorously with soap and suddenly sneezed loudly, "Ah-choo!"

On the other side of the curtain, Tyrone Stott, his driver and secretary were each sitting on wooden logs, and her sneeze startled them.

"I told you, I could have taken you to a hotel for a bath," Tyrone Stott said, sounding irritated.

But Diane was unfazed. "I told you too, I can't wait, I need to wash now. Speak quickly; I'm in a hurry."

Driver Mike and secretary Brian cautiously glanced at their young boss's expression and then turned away, pretending not to eavesdrop.

Three grown men sitting in a row, waiting for someone to finish bathing, was a first in Tyrone Stott's life. It was a waste for a man whose time was precious. He clasped his hands, trying to contain his impatience. "I have something important to discuss with you. I'll wait until you finish."

Diane, trembling from the cold under the flowing water, rinsed the foam from her body, her nose and fingers red from the chill. "You arrived just in time. If my car hadn't broken down, I'd be long gone from here by now."

Thinking of the ten years of searching for the girl, Tai Stu bit his lip and suppressed his annoyance. "Wherever you want to go, today, I'm here to take you back home."

The sound of running water behind the curtain stopped abruptly. The next moment, the curtain was pulled back, and a girl wrapped in a towel stood before him. "Are you from the Griffin family?"

Her wet hair was still dripping, and her bony shoulders were striking. But what made Tyrone Stott unable to look away was her eyes. The girl, who had just been smiling and showing her teeth, now stared at him with eyes colder than an autumn night.

She indeed knew who she was!

Tyrone Stott's heart suddenly quieted. He began to scrutinize her more closely.

According to the information, she had just come of age, and she was seven years younger than him, the same age as his younger brother.

His gaze moved from the girl's silver and gray hair to her pale, gaunt face, trying to find traces of her foster mother in her features. The woman who had abandoned him and the entire Stott and Griffin, Lily Griffin.

For eighteen years, that madwoman had hidden with her child, and if it weren't he got here first, he might never have seen the true face of this missing sister.

"It was you sent a package to the Griffin family, claiming it was the ashes of Lily Griffin?"

"Why? You don’t believe so." Diane stared directly at him. "She is dead, and I personally cremated her remains."

Tyrone Stott's breath caught in his throat.

"Over there, look," Diane gestured with her eyes towards a campfire, calmly saying, "The first time I cremated a person, it smelled so good, but I can’t put seasoning."

"!"

Did she know what’s she was talking about?

Crazy, but this girl was indeed Lily Griffin's daughter.