C258 The Bank

Ben slowed the car outside the shopping mall and smiled at Natalie. "We'll come back tomorrow after the money reflects. Then we'll pay the owner and start planning the renovations." Natalie returned the smile. "I'm looking forward to it." Ben reached over and gently squeezed her hand. "Our casino is finally becoming a reality." "It will," Natalie replied softly. "Thank you for trusting me."

Ben laughed. "You're my partner. Of course I trust you." Natalie lowered her eyes, hiding the guilt that briefly flashed across her face. "I'll see you later then." She got out of the car, closed the door, and waved as Ben drove away. The smile on her face remained until his car disappeared around the corner. The moment he was out of sight, her expression completely changed. She immediately took out her phone and dialed a number.

The call connected after only one ring. "Cousin." The young man on the other end sounded surprised. "Natalie? What's wrong?" She lowered her voice. "You told me you wanted to study overseas, didn't you?" "Yes..." "Then start packing." "We're leaving the country." There was complete silence. Finally, he asked in disbelief, "What do you mean we're leaving?" Natalie looked around to make sure no one was paying attention. "I'll explain everything when I get home." "For now, pack your clothes." "We leave today."

Without waiting for another question, she ended the call. Instead of returning to the mall, she walked toward the taxi rank. A few minutes later, she climbed into a taxi and headed home. Inside the small house... Penelope was sitting on the couch, coughing continuously. The sound echoed throughout the room. Natalie immediately rushed over. "Mom." "Are you alright?" Penelope forced a smile. "I'm fine." "It's just the same old cough."

Natalie's eyes became moist. She knelt beside her mother and held her hand. "No." "This time everything will change." Penelope looked at her daughter in confusion. "What happened?" Natalie smiled. "I finally found a way to pay for your treatment." "We're going overseas." Penelope stared at her. "What?" "You just started your new position." "You even told me you were promoted." "Where did all this money come from?" Natalie forced another smile. "Mom..." "Don't ask too many questions." "Just trust me." "I'll explain everything later." "Right now we need to leave before anything changes."

Penelope still looked puzzled, but she knew her daughter rarely made impulsive decisions. After a long pause, she nodded. "If you truly believe this is for the best..." "I'll follow you." Natalie smiled with relief. "Thank you, Mom." She looked around. "Where's Cousin?" "In his room." "Probably playing those video games again." Natalie laughed. "I'll go get him." She hurried upstairs while Penelope slowly began packing her belongings.

Meanwhile... At the bank... Kelvin and Tracy entered together and approached one of the service counters. A young female assistant greeted them warmly. "Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Wood." "How may I help you today?" Kelvin smiled politely. "We'd like to transfer five hundred thousand dollars into this account." He handed over the account details. The assistant entered the information into her computer.

A few moments later, her expression changed slightly. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Wood." Kelvin frowned. "What seems to be the problem?" She apologized again. "Our branch currently doesn't have sufficient cash available to process the entire transfer immediately." Kelvin looked surprised. "What do you mean?" She explained calmly, "We're able to process two hundred thousand dollars today." "The remaining three hundred thousand can be transferred tomorrow morning once additional funds arrive."

Tracy immediately smiled. "That's perfectly alright." "We're not in a hurry." "The important thing is that the transfer starts." The assistant smiled gratefully. "Thank you for understanding." She quickly completed the paperwork. A few minutes later... The transaction was successful. "The two hundred thousand dollars has been transferred." Kelvin nodded. "We'll return tomorrow for the remaining amount." "Thank you." "It was my pleasure." The couple left the bank without giving the matter another thought.

Only seconds later... Ben's phone vibrated. He had just arrived home. He glanced at the notification. Deposit Received: $200,000. A broad smile spread across his face. "It finally arrived." He immediately imagined calling Natalie later to celebrate. Little did he know... Someone else had received the exact same notification. At the airport... Natalie looked down at her phone. The notification made her smile. "The money is here."

She looked toward Penelope and her cousin. "Come." "We're leaving." The three walked into the airport carrying several large travel bags. After checking the departure board, Natalie led them directly to the international ticket counter. The airline employee smiled politely. "Good afternoon." "Where are you travelling today?" "Morocco." The employee nodded. "Three tickets?" "Yes." After processing the booking and confirming their passports, the tickets were printed.

Natalie accepted them with a smile. "Thank you." She handed one ticket to her mother and another to her cousin. "Wait for me here." "I'll be back in a few minutes." Penelope looked confused. "Where are you going?" "I just need to sort out something." "I won't be long." Without another word, Natalie walked toward one of the airport bank branches. Inside... A bank employee greeted her. "Good afternoon, Miss." "How may I assist you?"

Natalie placed her bank card on the counter. "I'd like to withdraw two hundred thousand dollars." The employee looked up in surprise. "That's quite a large withdrawal." "Will you be carrying the money yourself?" Natalie smiled confidently. "I'm here on behalf of my company." "We're finalising a business deal." "My colleagues are waiting." "The cash will be protected by our security team." The employee nodded. "In that case, may I please see your identification?" After completing the necessary verification, the withdrawal was approved.

Several minutes later... The money was counted carefully before being placed inside a secure suitcase. Natalie thanked the staff before leaving the bank. When she rejoined her mother and cousin, neither of them suspected anything. Penelope noticed the suitcase. "Is that for the business?" Natalie smiled naturally. "Yes." "Everything is ready now." Soon afterward... Passengers for the Morocco flight began boarding.

Natalie took one final look around the airport. No one was following them. No one knew they were leaving. She quietly smiled before leading her family toward the boarding gate. Moments later... The aircraft taxied onto the runway. Then... It disappeared into the sky. Back at the Wood Residence... Ben had barely walked into the living room when his phone vibrated again.

Thinking it was another deposit notification, he casually unlocked the screen. The smile on his face disappeared instantly. His eyes widened. His breathing stopped. Withdrawal Successful: $200,000. Location: Airport Branch. For several long seconds... He simply stared at the screen. His mind went completely blank. Then one name echoed inside his head. "Natalie..." Without wasting another second, he immediately pressed her contact.

The phone rang once... Then the call ended. He tried again. This time... The number you have dialed is unavailable. Ben's face turned deathly pale. A cold chill ran down his spine. His hands began trembling uncontrollably as one terrifying realization slowly settled into his heart. "...She took the money."