He sat in his driver's seat, the heater rattling, and felt something cold settle in his chest. Not just the temperature. He had rent due in three days. His brake pads were screaming. And this woman, with her farmhouse and her cashmere and her chaos, had just thanked him for being a "lifesaver" while giving him nothing.

"I... I thought it was automatic," she stammered. "The app—"

Liam nodded, set the bag down, and waited. The portable card reader beeped. She scribbled her signature with a greasy stylus.

He got out of the car.