Chapter 415 Backing Down
Jesse implored Abella with a sense of urgency, "I'm fine, Abella, just go." He was acutely aware that someone in the group was on the hunt for Abella, likely with malicious intent.
Lee, attempting nonchalance, whistled casually and raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on Abella. "Hey, all by yourself?" he taunted.
Abella's retort was swift and sharp. "Hey, your dad," she shot back, sending him sprawling with a swift kick.
The crowd froze in shock, taken aback by the girl's ferocity. They had not anticipated her ability to send a man soaring through the air...
Lee crashed to the ground, cradling his stomach. He was left wondering, what kind of fiery spirit did this girl possess?
Even Elsa was taken aback, her cousin stepping up for a mere waiter. Did they share some sort of illicit connection?
"What happened?" Abella turned to Jesse, her eyes filled with concern.
Choking back pain, Jesse explained, "One of them wanted to know where you were. I didn't tell them, so they started cursing and got physical…"
Abella's gaze turned icy as she looked at Lee. "I don't know you." She was puzzled. Why would anyone be inquiring about her for no reason?
Elsa was anxious, hoping Lee wouldn't rat her out. If Abella found out it wasn't Lee who was prying...
Lee was too hurt to speak, and his friends rushed to his aid.
"Who are you to kick Lee? Looks like you don’t value your own foot!" one of them shouted.
"Do you even know who Lee is? You’d be scared to death if you knew!" another added.
"Lee, you okay? Hang tight, I'll get back at them for you," a third one promised.
They had underestimated Abella, mistaking her for an easy target, and rushed to defend Lee.
The club manager, having heard the commotion, approached the scene. He found the affluent young men advancing on Abella, with injured Jesse close behind.
He had an inkling of what had transpired but approached politely due to his duty. "Gentlemen, what seems to be the issue?"
"Out of my way!" Max, one of the privileged youths, exclaimed, shoving the manager aside.
If not for Abella’s timely support, the manager would have hit the ground.
"I see you like sticking your nose in things, bothering with both the young waiter and the old manager. What, are they both your sweethearts? You play pretty wild…” Max taunted.
The next second, Max was on the receiving end of Abella’s brutal retaliation. The scene turned so gruesome that the others winced and shut their eyes, unable to watch any longer.
Sitting on the ground, Lee recoiled in fear as the girl's fierce demeanor took him by surprise. "You—don't come any closer..."
After dealing with Max, Abella's gaze shifted to Lee. "Insulting the staff here amounts to slander."
The onlookers were baffled. Slander? Is that even a thing?
"You've violated Jay's right to reputation, which is a civil liability. Normally, that'd be a detention of up to five days or a fine of no more than fifty bucks. If the case is serious, it could mean five to ten days' detention with a possible additional fine, but if it's more severe..."
"I'm telling you, stop trying to scare me," Lee said, clearly disbelieving her words.
As the girl spoke with authority, some of the students couldn't help but pull out their phones to fact-check online, and it turned out she was right!
"Lee, she's not wrong," someone whispered to him cautiously, "She’s speaking the truth."
Who knew they'd run into someone who knew the law.
This day couldn't get any worse.
Lee wasn't afraid of coughing up a little money; it was the detention he dreaded. A scandal could tarnish his reputation and, if it got out of hand, could even affect his family—some of them held government positions.
If anyone started digging into his parents' affairs...
As the son of a bureaucrat, he supposedly didn’t have the means to frequent such places…
"I'll pay—will paying make it alright?" Lee fished out his phone from his pocket, hoping to smooth things over. "How about a hundred thousand?"
‘So, money makes you think you're above it all?’ Jay scorned inwardly.
Jay detested these entitled brats who thought they could throw cash to turn over a new leaf.
"Can two hundred thousand cover it?" Lee implored, his voice strained with desperation. Jay, however, remained unmoved, his silence a stark contrast to Lee's pleading. "Three hundred thousand? I can't do more…" Lee's voice trailed off, the hope in his eyes dimming.
Despite his pleas, Jay remained silent, his stoic demeanor unbroken.
The others began to voice their criticism, their words sharp and biting. "An ordinary working stiff like you, and you expect to extort that kind of cash for a little blood?" One of them sneered. "Lee's offering you three hundred thousand, which is more than generous!" Another chimed in. "The fact that we aren't billing you for Lee’s medical expenses is lenient enough…" The voices echoed around them, a chorus of disapproval.
"One million," Abella interjected, her voice bold and unwavering.
"You're going too far..." Lee began, but before he could finish his objection, Abella was moving toward him.
"One m—one million then!" Lee stammered, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. He quickly backed up, his eyes wide with surprise. "What's the account for the transfer?"
Jay stepped forward at Lee's signal, phone in hand. To everyone's astonishment, Lee transferred one million.
Lee's friends, their faces pale, helped him to his feet and began to lead him away. But Abella wasn't finished. "Hold up." Her voice was cold, her eyes even colder. "Apologize."
One of Lee's friends bristled at her command. "Don't push your luck..." But at Abella’s dangerous glare, he backed off. "Look, Lee, just apologize to them..."
Lee shot him a furious glare. But with the memory of Max's severe beating fresh in his mind, he reluctantly lowered his head. "Sorry."
He didn't want to end up like Max, battered and bruised. But Abella wasn't satisfied. “Who are you talking to?” She asked, her voice laced with contempt. “Can’t even muster up a sincere apology?”
Lee had no choice but to swallow his pride. He stepped up to Jay, his head bowed, and muttered, “Sorry, I was too impulsive earlier.”
“Was it just him who hit you?” Abella turned to Jay, her gaze questioning. “What about the others?”
Jay's gaze fell on Samantha, who instantly felt a pang of guilt. Why are they looking at me as if I'm to blame? She thought to herself.
Abella noticed the cuts and dirty shoe prints on Jay's hand. She turned back to Samantha, her voice icy. “Did you step on him?”
Samantha, her arrogance undiminished, retorted, “What's it to you?”
“Sis, let it go,” Elsa intervened, stepping forward, unable to keep silent on her friend's behalf.
But Abella was unforgiving. “Oh, so you’re going to apologize for her?” She asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Elsa fell silent.
“Apologize, pay for the medical expenses, or I’m reporting this to the school and calling the cops.” Abella's ultimatum hung in the air.
Samantha hadn't expected Abella to be so unreasonable. She had just extorted a million dollars from Lee, and now this demand for an apology and compensation.
“And what if I don’t?” Samantha challenged.
Without hesitation, Abella took out her phone and dialed 911, right in front of everyone.
Panic swept through the group. They were children of influential families, and their resources were not equipped for such reckless spending. And with their parents running for public office, a scandal could be detrimental to their campaigns.
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