Before he could say anything else, Jenny dropped to both knees.
Alvin stared at her in disbelief.
"I'm sure you've heard about the woman who stole your check earlier this morning, right?" Jenny began, her voice trembling. "That woman is my mother."
Alvin's expression changed slightly.
"Trust me, sir, she's a good woman. She's not a thief. She only did it because she needed to pay off a loan my father took before he died. He used our house as collateral, and now the bank is threatening to take it away. She was only trying to make sure we didn't end up homeless."
Jenny nervously clutched the hem of her shirt.
"You're a good man, sir. I know you can drop the charges against her. Please. The bank is already preparing to confiscate our house."
Alvin leaned back in his chair, studying her carefully.
"I've waited a long time for a day like this," he said coldly. "Now that you need my help, you suddenly remember that I'm a good man. How wonderful."
Jenny lowered her gaze.
"I have nothing against your mother personally. I got my check back, and that's what matters to me. But there's no way I'm letting her walk away without consequences."
He paused, his expression hardening.
"She stole a million-dollar check. She needs to learn that actions have consequences. So my answer is no. I'm not dropping the charges."
Jenny's heart sank.
Her last hope of saving her mother had just been crushed.
"Sir, please." Jenny's voice broke as tears streamed down her face. "You're my last hope now. I'm sorry for all the unruly behavior I've shown toward you in the past. I know I haven't always treated you with the respect you deserve, but this is a serious situation. I can't just sit back and watch my mother go to jail."
She continued crying, desperately hoping Alvin would reconsider.
Alvin sighed and studied her for a moment before gesturing toward the chair.
"Get up."
Jenny slowly rose to her feet.
"Have a seat," he ordered. "I'm willing to offer you a better option—something far better than what you're asking for."
Jenny frowned, confused.
"And what exactly is that?" she asked, raising her brows.
"If I heard you correctly, you said your mother stole the check because she needed money to settle a $500,000 bank loan, correct?"
"Yeah. But what does that have to do with what we're talking about?"
"How about I drop all the charges against your mother and pay off the entire $500,000 loan?"
Jenny's eyes widened.
"You're joking, right?" she asked in disbelief. "Please tell me this is a joke."
When Alvin remained expressionless, Jenny suddenly jumped to her feet in excitement.
"Oh my God! You're serious!"
"Don't get too excited," Alvin warned, his tone immediately sobering her. "There's a price attached."
Jenny slowly sat back down.
"A price? What kind of price?"
"Are you sure you're ready for what I'm about to ask of you?"
Jenny swallowed nervously.
"And what is it?"
Alvin leaned back in his chair.
"Do you remember the meeting I was having with my business associates before you walked in?"
Jenny nodded.
"We were discussing a multi-billion-dollar deal. Everything was going smoothly until they made one condition clear. The deal will only be finalized if my son, Fabiola, the Managing Director of Royal Gold Mine, gets married."
Jenny blinked several times.
"Married?"
"Yes."
Alvin paused, watching the confusion spread across her face.
"According to their family tradition, this particular deal can only go through if Fabiola is married. It's an old family rule tied to their heritage."