Daniel Hayes sat in the quiet waiting room of Saint Louis Hospital, hands pressed tightly against his knees, eyes fixed on the corridor doors leading to the operating theater.
The fluorescent lights above cast a cold glow across the room, but it didn't bother him.
Nothing in that sterile environment could compare to the storm of emotions raging inside him.
Mia, his little girl, had been rushed into emergency surgery hours earlier.
The deposit of $150,000—all the money he had managed to scrape together thanks to the mysterious Forex Trading System—had been accepted without a hitch.
The surgeons were ready, the operation scheduled. But as he waited, Daniel felt an unbearable mixture of fear, guilt, and gratitude.
He hadn't slept. He hadn't eaten. He hadn't even thought about the red charts that had consumed his life until now. All that mattered was Mia.
The minutes stretched like hours. Daniel couldn't stop running through every possible outcome in his mind. What if the doctors failed? What if his daughter didn't make it? What kind of father would he be if he had let her down—not because of money this time, but because of fate itself?
And then, finally, the doors opened. Two nurses appeared, followed by the lead surgeon. He was a tall man with kind eyes, though his expression was serious.
"Mr. Hayes?" the surgeon called gently. "The operation was a success. Your daughter is stable and resting now.
We'll keep monitoring her closely, but she's going to be fine."
Daniel felt something inside him loosen—a weight he didn't even realize he'd been carrying. Relief came first, washing over him in sudden, hot waves.
Then gratitude, then overwhelming love. He fell to his knees, pressing his hands together, muttering, "Thank you… thank you… thank you."
"You saved her life," the surgeon added softly, noticing his reaction.
"Thanks to your promptness, she had the surgery in time.
But remember, she just came from the operating room. Keep her calm. Limit movement.
She'll need rest and care to recover fully."
Daniel nodded rapidly.
"I… I understand. Thank you again, doctor.
Really."
He followed the nurses down the corridor, his heart beating with a mixture of fear and excitement.
The room where Mia rested was small, softly lit, and smelled faintly of disinfectant and medicine. Machines beeped quietly beside her bed, but she looked peaceful—almost angelic, despite everything she had endured.
Daniel approached her gently, taking her tiny hand in his. The skin was warm, the fingers curled slightly. His throat tightened as he saw the small oxygen tube resting against her face, the faint bruising from the emergency measures.
"Hey, princess," he whispered softly, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.
"Daddy's here."
Mia's eyes fluttered open slowly. Her small gaze fixed him, and a tiny, tired smile appeared.
"Daddy…" she whispered, her voice weak but filled with recognition.
"I'm here, baby," he said, trying to keep his own voice steady.
"You're safe now. Everything's okay."
"Where's mommy?" she asked after a moment, her brows knitting together.
Daniel froze.
For a second, he felt his chest tighten. He couldn't tell her the truth—not now. Not while she was still weak from anesthesia and surgery.
He remembered the surgeon's warning: no emotional shocks, no stress.
She's just come out of the operating room.
"She's cooking, sweetheart," he said gently, forcing a smile.
"She wanted to make your favorite spaghetti for when you wake up."
Mia blinked slowly, seeming to accept the explanation.
"Okay…" she mumbled, then yawned and drifted back to sleep, clutching his hand tightly.
Daniel sat beside her, feeling every tiny movement she made, every shallow breath.
He couldn't stop looking at her face—the small round cheeks, the soft eyelashes, the tiny lips that formed her words. She was alive. She was breathing.
She was safe.
A surge of relief washed over him, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Daniel allowed himself to breathe fully, to relax even a little.
The nightmare of the last 24 hours—the losses, the divorce papers, the near-death on the streets of Chicago—seemed to fade slightly into the background.
He leaned back in the chair, still holding her hand, and thought of the Forex Trading System. Without it, he wouldn't have had the $150,000.
Without it, Mia wouldn't have survived. Without it, his life would have ended differently that night.
And then, an idea formed. His daughter was asleep. She was stable. He had a small window.
The $150,000 balance was gone; that had gone straight to the hospital.
But after the first trade, the system had recommended setting aside $2,000 as available trading funds for reinvestment. It was enough.
Just enough for him to try again.
Daniel took a deep breath, his fingers trembling as he opened the laptop.
The interface appeared, glowing softly in the dim light of the hospital room. He glanced at Mia one last time.
She looked peaceful, safe. He couldn't afford any distractions.
"Activate trading protocol," the system said. "Available funds: $2,000.
Recommended pair: USD/JPY. Strategy: Medium risk swing. Expected profit: $15,000–$18,000."
Daniel swallowed hard. Two thousand dollars was all he had to begin again.
Every move mattered. One wrong trade could wipe it out completely.
But the system had guided him before—and it had worked.
"Okay," he whispered. "Let's do it."
He followed every instruction.
The system gave him precise entries, exits, stop-losses, and take-profit points. His heart raced with each fluctuation on the chart.
But unlike before, the fear was tempered by experience. He had seen the system work.
He had seen how precise it could be.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. And slowly, the numbers on the screen began to climb.
"Profit target achieved," the system announced.
"Net gain: $16,275."
Daniel exhaled sharply, a laugh escaping him despite the tension. Sixteen thousand dollars from just two thousand! His heart pounded with excitement, but he immediately remembered Mia.
She was asleep, recovering. She needed food, nourishment, care.
He withdrew $500 from the profits and called a delivery service.
He ordered everything she loved—pasta, fruit, her favorite orange juice, and a small chocolate cake she had been asking for all week. It would be waiting when she woke up, ready to lift her spirits.
Daniel leaned back, eyes returning to Mia's peaceful face. She slept soundly, her tiny chest rising and falling rhythmically.
He touched her hand gently and whispered, "Daddy's going to take care of you… always.
I promise."