Falling For My Billionaire Savior - Chapter 79: Chapter 79

Hugo had leaked the donation to the press. By morning, the city's boldest headline was: [Angel Among Us: Beauty Quietly Donates 7 Million to an Orphanage.]
And because charity forms require names and contact details, Hugo, whether out of naivety or sheer stupidity, had leaked them. The name "Katherine Gordon" and my phone number appeared on the front page.
"Good deeds should be done anonymously." This saying made perfect sense now. Hugo's well-meaning gratitude had brought me endless trouble.
Dawn barely broke before my phone erupted. Strangers gushed about my "generosity", their calls flooding nonstop.
It wasn't long before I realized where all these strangers got my number. They saw it in the newspaper.
At first, I enjoyed the compliments. But as the calls kept pouring in, things quickly turned sour.
Later callers were mostly people telling me how poor they were, hoping I could give them some money.
Then, it got even worse. Some even said outright, "I'm broke. Just give me a couple hundred thousand. I'm not greedy. You're rich anyway."
For those kinds of people, I snap before blocking them, "Get lost."
But soon, they would call back over and over again. Even when I blocked their numbers, they would switch phones and call me again. A man sneered, "Rich bitch, you gave others money. Why not me?"
Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I turned my phone off and threw it aside. I was furious.
The newspaper Nadia fetched confirmed the nightmare. When I saw the headline, I was amused. As I read further down, I was left completely speechless. According to the report, I was a saintly idiot.
No wonder everyone was harassing me. In the article, I sounded like some kind-hearted fool with more money than sense. For example, it claimed that I emptied my wallet for every beggar on the street.
It also said that I had bought a house for fire victims, while I lived in a half-burnt ruin.
It even went on to say that I starved myself to feed the elderly, take care of orphans, and I finally donated my "life savings" to the orphanage.
The report was unhinged. Who in the world could save seven million dollars just by cutting back on food?
Why hadn't Hugo and the reporter contacted me before punishing this? And to make it worse, my phone number was published. Fortunately, I hadn't listed my address. Otherwise, some people might've shown up at my door and asked for money.
Fuming, I paced the living room before deciding to confront Hugo. I didn't need his gratitude, just no more disasters.
The moment I turned on my phone, it nearly froze under the deluge of calls and texts. There were over a thousand missed calls and hundreds of texts. I immediately shut it off again.
I decided to go to the orphanage in person and ask Hugo for an explanation. My foot had healed enough that walking wasn't painful, as long as I didn't jump. Still, I disguised myself before leaving. No photos had been published, but caution was key.
I put on the scarf and sunglasses Nadia had prepared for me, borrowed an old outfit from her, and made sure I looked completely unrecognizable before heading downstairs. Jack Ross, my bodyguard, followed closely behind.
Before we even reached the orphanage, the usually quiet street was packed with cars and bikes. Crowds of people were bustling around.
"Ms. Gordon, shall we still go in?" Jack asked.
I hesitated briefly, but nodded. "Park somewhere discreet. We'll walk the rest."
Jack pulled over into a less noticeable spot, and we continued on foot.
As we approached, two local officials stormed out, red-faced. One barked, "Go home, all of you! We even got nowhere. That director really thinks he's something else!"
Next emerged a thickset man, shirtless, tattoos coiled around his chest and arms. A thick gold chain hung from his neck.
He spat out his cigarette butt in frustration and barked orders at his men, "Camp here. Get that woman's address or cash from the director. If not, beat him up."
"Yes, boss." Three men stayed behind as the thickset man left.
Two stood guard outside while the third turned and went back inside.
Even though the leader had left, no one dared to approach the orphanage. After all, none of them would risk crossing paths with such violent thugs.
The crowd gradually thinned out, leaving only Jack and me outside the orphanage gate.
"Let's go," I muttered. Hugo had his hands full. It was better to regroup and strategize later.
Just as I turned to leave, a man's voice cut through the air. "Hey, you two. What's your business here?"
"Ignore them," I whispered.
Suddenly, a hand shot out, fingers brushing my shoulder. "Why is a pretty thing like you all covered up? Let me get a look."
Even in Nadia's loose clothes and half-hidden behind sunglasses, my figure still drew unwanted attention.
"Ah! Fuck! That hurts..." the man screamed. His wrist was locked in Jack's grip, just two fingers pinching. Despite his towering six feet two inches frame, the thug was already sweating, teeth gritted in pain.
His free hand clawed uselessly at Jack's unyielding fingers.
Seeing this, another man lunged forward with a knife.
"Jack, behind you!" I shouted.
Jack didn't even turn. His free hand snapped back, catching the knife-wielder's wrist with a sickening crack. The 200-pound brute went flying into his friend, sending both crashing to the ground. The knife skittered across the pavement as screams tore through the air.