Chapter 11: The Unpayable Debt**
Sarah approached Vincent hesitantly, her eyes rimmed with red from a sleepless night of crying tears of relief.
""Mr. Vance... Vincent,"" Sarah began, her voice trembling as she handed him the tea. ""The city inspectors came by an hour ago. They said the building was saved. They said we own our apartment now. That nobody can throw us out.""
Vincent took the cup with both hands, nodding respectfully. ""You don't owe anyone rent ever again, Sarah. The building's maintenance fund has been endowed for the next twenty years.""
Sarah covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking. ""Why? You don't even know us. Leo just gave you a video...""
""Your son didn't just give me a video, Sarah,"" Vincent said softly, looking at Leo, who stood beside his mother with a shy grin. ""He woke me up from a nightmare that was slowly killing me. If he hadn't had the courage to run up to me in that park, I would have spent the rest of my life serving a lie.""
He stood up and placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder. ""Leo saved my life. What I gave you is just a down payment on what I owe him.""
Maya poked her head out the doorway, a colorful knit scarf wrapped around her neck. She took a deep, clear breath of the morning air—no wheezing, no coughing—and ran down the steps to hug her brother.
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Vincent watched the siblings laugh, feeling the heavy, suffocating knot in his chest completely dissolve. The fortune he had lost felt like dry leaves blown away by the wind; what he was looking at right now was solid gold.
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