Ella's POV.

Something in her voice made my stomach twist.

“The hospital called.” I slowly turned to face her. “It seems they've stripped you of every benefit you had as Luna. They say your treatment wasn't covered, and now they’re billing you for all the care they gave you after the ‘supposed abortion attempt.’”

I stared at her.

“The meds, the transfusion, the surgery. All of it.” She sighed. “They said if the scandal had broken out earlier, they wouldn’t have admitted you. But since it happened afterward, the board decided to rule that your care is no longer covered.”

My throat went dry. “So…” I swallowed. “How much?”

Sylvie didn't answer immediately. She looked at my mom, then back at me. The hesitation alone made my stomach drop.

“How much, Syl?”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “67,000 dollars.”

The number hit me so hard that my legs buckled.

“Excuse me? 67,000 dollars?! For what?!”

“Your hospital stay… and because you were in a deluxe private room too.”

She took a shaky breath. “They want it paid within three days.”

I gripped the counter, just to keep myself standing.

“That’s… insane.”

The words barely left my mouth.

“Even if I wasn’t fired, my salary wouldn’t come close to covering that,” my mom whispered, her hands trembling in her lap.

Sylvie started pacing.

“I can get about 15,000 dollars from my mom,” she said. “But that's still not enough.”

She suddenly stopped. “Wait, what about your car? You could sell it and get at least a few thousand upfront…”

I shook my head.

“The car is insured. After that crash, it’ll probably go back to Jason.”

“Okay. Your designer bags, your clothes. We can sell those.”

“My luggage is still in Jason's villa.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Do you really think they’re going to let me walk in there and pack anything? Dahlia probably has the keys to my wardrobe in her purse already.”

“Fuck!”

Sylvie dragged both hands through her hair and started pacing again.

“Okay. Okay… what about your accounts?”

“I tried.” My throat tightened as the memory came rushing back. “On my way home, I stopped at an ATM to grab some cash. But my cards were blocked.”

Sylvie stopped pacing.

“Already?”

I nodded.

“Jason must have called the bank.”

Her face twisted with disgust.

“That bully! The psycho isn’t even giving you a chance to breathe. He just wants you to choke.”

My mom’s quiet sobs filled the room. I closed my eyes for a moment, and as much as I wanted to sink into the floor and cry until my body gave out, I knew this wasn’t the time.

I had to find a way for us to survive.

But how the hell was I supposed to raise 67,000 dollars in three days?!

I let go of the thoughts crowding my head and forced myself to stay strong, at least for my mom's sake.

“Sylvie, can you help me run a bath? Mom needs a shower.”

She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.

I guided my mom into her bedroom and helped her out of her uniform. She tried to protest, clutching at the buttons.

“Ella, I can manage…”

“No, Mom,” I said firmly. “Not tonight.”

I knew I was the one who needed care, but after everything she’d gone through because of me, I couldn’t bring myself to watch her take care of herself when she was barely holding it together.

I led her into the bathroom and helped her into the tub. I washed her hair, scrubbed her back, and rinsed her gently before helping her into her pajamas.

By the time I was done, she looked exhausted, and so was I.

Sylvie was in the kitchen fixing our dinner. The aroma of pasta filled the apartment as she mixed it with some of the beef sauce Mom had left in the fridge. She hummed quietly while stirring the pan, and I leaned against the doorway, watching her.

“Want me to set the table?” I asked.

“Not yet.” She glanced at me. “I'll do it myself.”

I nodded and went to get my mom.

She managed to eat a few bites before heading to bed. Sylvie practically forced me to eat too, insisting that I needed something in my stomach before taking my medication.

Later, after we’d both showered, we laid side by side on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

For a while, neither of us said anything. Then I turned my head toward her.

“Don’t you need to call your mom?”

Sylvie sighed.

“She’s probably heard what happened today. Won’t she worry if you don’t come home?”

“That’s not a problem.” Her voice was flat. “You know my mom. If I call her now, she’ll just spend the whole night asking questions that I don't have the energy to answer.”

She pulled the blanket higher. “I'll deal with her tomorrow.”

“Alright,” I murmured, staring back at the ceiling. “I just don’t want you getting into trouble because of me.”

She rolled onto her side and cupped my cheek.

“Ella, stop. We’re friends. And I’m going to walk through this with you.”

Honestly, that pulled a small smile out of me, and I nodded. We lay there for a while, letting the silence stretch between us. Then, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

I turned to face her.

“Our exams start Monday, right?”

“Yeah. Why?” Her voice sharpened, almost wary, like she already knew I was about to say something crazy.

“Just… hear me out.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I know this sounds insane, but maybe I should go for the exams.”

Sylvie shot up on one elbow, glaring. “Are you serious?”

I sighed heavily.

“After everything that’s happened, you really think walking back into that school is a good idea?” She stared at me like I'd lost my mind. “Girl, we should be out there figuring out how to raise the 67,000 dollars, not prepping for an exam!”

I winced. “You don't need to remind me.”

“Well, somebody has to!” She dropped back onto the pillow. “Because apparently you're planning to sit for an exam while the hospital is waiting to bleed us dry.”

A chill crept through my chest, but I sat up and forced myself to meet her stare. “And how exactly do you suggest we do that, huh? Rob a bank? Beg on the streets? Jason has frozen my accounts. I’ve got nothing. There is literally nothing I can do in three days.”

Her mouth opened, ready to fire back, but I pushed on before she could.

“It's our final-year exam. If I can just talk to Professor Wilson, maybe he’ll let me sit for it.” I swallowed hard. “This is the only way, Syl. My certificate is the one thing they can’t take from me.”

I paused, trying to steady my breathing. “If I pass, I can get my diploma and my license. I can even go to the human territory and find a real job. A job that can actually pay off that debt and keep a roof over our heads.”

I looked at her. “This isn’t about just surviving the next three days. It's about making sure we survive what comes after.”

Sylvie’s expression softened, but the worry in her eyes didn’t leave. “But Ella… do you honestly think Professor Wilson would risk his job just to let you take the exams? The Senate probably sent word already to have you expelled. Now that they’ve stripped your privileges, his hands might be tied.”

I sighed, my chest sinking because deep down, I knew she was right. Professor Wilson might shut me out too. Just like the hospital had. Just like everyone else had.

The only reason I even had a seat in that academy was because I was Jason’s Luna. To be able to stand beside him, I had to be trained and polished. Omegas weren’t supposed to earn degrees, build careers, or even have a life beyond serving the pack.

My education had been part of the package that came with being his mate. And now that he'd rejected me, I wasn't sure how much of my old life I was still allowed to keep.

But still, I couldn’t just give up. Not when Mom’s future and mine depended on me finding a way out of this mess.

Sylvie exhaled hard and rubbed both hands over her face.

“Ella… you’re crazy,” she muttered.

Then she leaned closer, locking eyes with me. “But maybe being crazy is exactly what you need right now.”

I blinked. “So you think I should do it?”

She bit her lip. “It’s risky as hell.”

“I know.” I swallowed hard. “But you know Professor Wilson. He's not like the others. If anyone is going to listen to me…”

“...it’s him.” She finished for me, nodding slowly.

“Exactly.”

She studied me for a few seconds before sighing. “Alright. If this is what you want, I’ll go with you.”

She pointed a finger at me. “But don’t think I’ll let anyone lay a hand on you without going through me first.”

A lump rose in my throat. “Thank you, Babe.”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

She dropped back onto the pillow.

“Because if this blows up…” She stared at the ceiling for a moment. “Goddess help us all.”