\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 95\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 95\u00a0<\/p>\n
Violet\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter what happens, Violet, never give in to what your enemies want from you. If they want you to react a certain way. react differently. It\u2019ll piss them off more.\u201d My mother\u2019s words echoed in my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I used to wonder what she meant. She smiled at everyone, even when the world gave her reasons to frown. As I grew older, 1 began to understand, maybe her enemies wanted her to break, to argue back and cry so they could gloat. Maybe that\u2019s why she always smiled, even at those who sneered, waiting to see them slip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She never gave them the reaction they were craving. And now, neither would I.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I walked into the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every head turned toward me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The silence that followed was suffocating. Their eyes widened, shock written across their faces. Riley and my aunt looked as if they\u2019d just swallowed poison, their eyes darting up and down me as if they didn\u2019t recognize the person standing in front of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were probably wondering what happened to the broken girl from yesterday? The madwoman? The one who embarrassed herself?\u00a0<\/p>\n
They wanted to brand me unstable so they could call Sebastian\u2019s sister a disgrace. I wasn\u2019t going to give them that, I wouldn\u2019t embarrass my brother in a room full of people like them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t here for them anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let my gaze slide past their ugly expressions, and turned toward the five women sitting grandly in their chairs. They were all watching me with interest, their sharp eyes sizing me up, measuring my worth like I was merchandise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t need anyone to explain what was happening, I could already guess. This was about Sebastian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could speak, my aunt snapped out of her shock and hissed. \u201cWhy are you so late? Do you have any idea how long we\u2019ve been waiting?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She started forward as if she could scold me like a child, but I turned my eyes on her, causing her to freeze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t come here to fight her, but if she pushed me, I wouldn\u2019t hesitate to slap her. I looked away, as if my aunt weren\u2019t worth my time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat down and stared at the women in front of me and said, \u201cAren\u2019t you supposed to bring the kids involved in my brother\u2019s accident if you are here to apologise?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They glanced at each other, and then burst out laughing. The sound was mocking. Their eyes settled on me with the same look people gave a child pretending to be brave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t react, I waited for them to finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the women finally wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and said, \u201cApologize? You\u2019re mistaken, child. Why would we apologize when we\u2019ve done nothing wrong?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another leaned in with a smirk. \u201cExactly. And you\u2019re wrong about something else, our children weren\u2019t even involved in your brother\u2019s accident. So tell me, why should we drag them here to apologize for something they didn\u2019t do?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, if anyone deserves an apology, it\u2019s us. Do you have any idea how much stress you\u2019ve caused? Our poor sons were just good students, yet you somehow manipulated the police into treating them like criminals. Are you trying to destroy our\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:57 Tue, Jan 6 \u00b7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 95\u00a0<\/p>\n
reputations? From what I\u2019ve heard, you almost killed your cousin yesterday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes snapped to Riley. She flinched under my gaze, then quickly looked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
90\u00a0<\/p>\n
155 vouchete\u00a0<\/p>\n
She went on, her voice cold. \u201cYou\u2019re a crazy, unstable child. Do you really think we\u2019ll let you ruin us? Since you want to act insane, we\u2019ll show you exactly what it means to cross people like us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With smug smiles, they nodded at the middle-aged man beside them. \u201cRobert, explain to this child how much trouble she\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He cleared his throat and smiled. \u201cI\u2019m Robert. You may not know me, but I\u2019m one of the top lawyers in the country. And you\u2019re in serious trouble, young lady.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that so?\u201d I said, voice flat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He nodded. \u201cYou\u2019ve caused my clients considerable distress by accusing their sons of injuring your brother, despite the lack of evidence and no witnesses coming forward. The police only made that claim after your involvement. If my clients decide to sue, you won\u2019t just face jail time, you\u2019ll lose everything. I\u2019ve lost only three trials in my career, I\u2019m very good at making sure people face their punishment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
66\u00a0<\/p>\n
99\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf my clients decide to sue, nobody will risk defending you if it means offending me,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you\u2019re still a college student, and my clients are generous. They may consider pardoning you this once.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The women across from me exchanged delighted looks. One of them declared. \u201cThat\u2019s right. We might forgive you and let this go, you won\u2019t go to jail. But you\u2019ll have to kneel and apologize. Promise you\u2019ll never do anything like this again. If you do that, we\u2019ll forget about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My aunt clapped. \u201cYou\u2019re so kind. Thank you for giving this stupid girl a chance,\u201d she cooed, before turning to me. \u201cCome on, Violet. Go on your knees this instant and apologize. This is your only chance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my head and watched their performance. They still thought I was the same frightened girl. How quaint. Their plan was obvious, scare me into silence, avoid the mess of a court case, and bury whatever truth might surface. They never intended to drag anything into the open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I were the old Violet, maybe I would have knelt. Maybe I would have begged. But I wasn\u2019t her anymore. I had Hades Sinclair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I checked the time on my watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Riley\u2019s voice trembled. \u201cW-why do you keep checking your watch? Is someone coming?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at her and said, \u201cAt least someone has sense.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They frowned, confused. I didn\u2019t bother explaining. I\u2019d finally heard what I\u2019d been waiting for, the click of shoes echoing as the door swung open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man who entered was striking and tall, his suit tailored perfectly, blond hair neatly styled, making him look both professional and alluring. He paused beside me and offered a slight bow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood afternoon, Miss Violet. Apologies for the delay. I came as soon as I heard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silas Ryder, the world\u2019s top lawyer, swept his gaze across the room, sizing everyone up like sheep about to be slaughtered, before letting a confident smirk curl his lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich one would you like me to destroy first?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
TUE\u00a0<\/p>\n
6\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\u00a0<\/p>\n
O\u00a0<\/p>\n
Im\u00a0<\/p>\n
|||\u00a0<\/p>\n
O\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tue, Jan\u00a0<\/p>\n
90\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nights Burn With Regret \u2014 by Nathan Perez 95 \u00a0 Chapter 95\u00a0 Chapter 95\u00a0 Violet\u00a0 \u201cNo matter what happens, Violet, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-craving-the-guardian-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28011\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}