Danny blinked in disbelief. “Arrested? What? I just got off work, Grandma.”
He knelt in front of her, gently taking her trembling hands. “Who said that? Who called you?”
Her lips quivered. “They said they were the police. They had your voice. You sounded so scared. They said I needed to pay $10,000 in bail. I transferred it—I thought I was helping you…”
Her words broke off in a sob. She looked at him helplessly, her face crumpling as the weight of it all settled into her chest.
Danny’s confusion turned to horror as he put the pieces together.
“Grandma…” His jaw tightened. “You’ve been scammed.”
He stood up briefly, pacing in disbelief. “They faked my voice. It could have been a recording—or even AI. That’s a thing now, you know? They’re using it to trick people.”
He turned back to her, crouching down again and taking her hands in his. “I’m so sorry, Grandma. This isn’t your fault.”
She shook her head slowly. “I should’ve known. I felt something was wrong, but… I was scared. I thought you needed me.”
Her voice trembled, filled with regret. “I didn’t think. I just reacted.”
Danny pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly as she cried.
“I know, Grandma. And I love you for that. You were just trying to protect me.”
He rubbed her back gently, his voice steady but laced with anger—not at her, but at the faceless strangers who had preyed on her love and fear.
“These people are good at what they do,” he said quietly. “They make it sound real. They target people who care. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Marie clung to him, tears silently falling as relief and shame tangled inside her.
Danny didn’t let go.
And in that moment, though $10,000 was gone, the thing they still had—the thing the scammers hadn’t stolen—was the bond between them: strong, unconditional, and unshaken.