Chapter 67

Esme kept David's name on repeat in her mind, staying quiet for what felt like forever. She finally decided to keep her mouth shut for now. She wasn't sure how David really felt about Alice, and with Clara's special status, if David took Clara's side, it would just make things worse for Alice. She didn't want to add to Alice's troubles.

The cops wrapped up their questions with Alice and left the room. Esme walked in and saw Alice lying there, looking as pale as a ghost. When Alice saw Esme, she tried to sit up, using her hands to push herself up.

Thanks to the anesthesia, Alice wasn't feeling any pain at the moment, but she knew once it wore off, it would be brutal. "Where's Clara?" she asked softly.

Esme sat down next to the bed, and before she could say anything, tears started streaming down her face. She couldn't hold it in and began to sob uncontrollably.

Alice opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something but hesitated. Her hand hung in the air, unsure whether to pull back or keep going. In the end, she awkwardly waited for Esme to finish crying, then gently patted her head and sighed, "Don't cry, I'm fine now."

With tears in her eyes, Esme glared at Alice and sobbed, "Look at your leg! That wound is so deep, it's definitely gonna leave a scar! It's so long you won't be able to wear skirts in the summer anymore. You really scared me to death! If there's a knife, you should call the cops right away, even if you have to make something up. How could you just charge in like that?"

Alice gave a bitter smile. "I was impulsive. If I had known it would hurt this much, I definitely wouldn't have rushed in."

Esme was too angry to speak. After calming down a bit, she looked around for tissues but found none, so she used her sleeve to wipe her tears.

She then said seriously, "You just rest up in this hospital. I'll cover all the expenses. Don't worry about Clara. Even if the Tudor Family gets involved, it won't matter. At worst, we'll go against them! My parents care about me deeply. If they knew I was almost hurt, they'd definitely go to the Smith Family to demand an explanation without me even asking."

Esme paused, looked up at Alice, and hesitantly said, "I haven't told David about this yet."

"Don't say anything," Alice interrupted her. "If you tell him, we'll get scolded, and you might get dragged into this too. Just leave it. But I need to come up with a reason for not going home for a few days; David will definitely get suspicious."

Esme didn't respond. She wanted to say that even if she didn't tell him, David would find out eventually. After all, he was her legal guardian, right? Alice seemed to have forgotten this point.

In this whole mess, the cops not only contacted Clara's parents but also Alice's. When they answered the phone, the police heard a young voice and, after confirming the number again, asked, "Are you Alice's guardian? This is the police station."

On the other end, David rubbed his forehead and sighed silently. The trouble Alice caused was getting bigger and bigger; this was the second time she had ended up at the police station.

David closed the file, grabbed his car keys, and headed out. As he walked, he asked, "Hello, what happened to Alice? Is it serious?"

The police briefly explained the situation. David asked for the hospital address and, without waiting for the police to finish, hung up and drove straight to the hospital.

At the same time, Clara's parents had just arrived at the police station. Upon hearing that Clara was being held in the interrogation room along with the people she had brought, they immediately started making a fuss.

"Officer, Clara's a good kid! She didn't use the knife. Didn't you say it was just a minor injury? We'll cover the medical bills and any emotional damages. Please, let Clara go! She's still young; she doesn't even understand what it means to hire someone to hurt others! She doesn't get it!" Clara's mom, Calliope Smith, grabbed the officer's hand, pleading.

"Officer, how about this? Let us see Clara first. We need to understand the situation, right? Maybe it's not what you think. Perhaps the victim provoked those thugs first? My daughter might have just gotten caught up in this. Just let us see her, okay?" she continued, her voice trembling with desperation.

The officer was in a tough spot and hadn't had a chance to respond when a stern voice suddenly rang out from the door.

"See her? So she can change her story and blame someone else?" Esme's mom, Isla Garcia, walked in with a serious expression, her eyes sharp like she was facing a mortal enemy.

Isla scolded, "If my daughter hadn't called me, I wouldn't have believed that a 19-year-old girl could be so vicious! If Alice hadn't saved my daughter, it would be my daughter lying in the hospital!"

Calliope wasn't backing down. "Just because your daughter said so, it must be true? Maybe someone threatened my daughter, and she was forced to do it! You don't know anything, yet you insist it was my daughter. What right do you have? How dare you slander my daughter in front of the police? Do you know who I am?"

Isla knew exactly who she was, but why should she be scared? Just because of some slight connection to the Tudor Family, Calliope thought she was part of the Tudor Family. How shameless!

The Garcia Family and the Tudor Family had deep business ties and had been partners for years. Isla also had a good personal relationship with Seraphina. If the Tudor Family dared to protect the Smith Family, she would have a serious talk with Seraphina.

Calliope had no chance to see Clara with Isla around. The police also took Isla's words into consideration, fearing that Calliope might let her daughter change her statement. Moreover, the statements were not yet fully recorded, and no relatives of the involved parties were allowed to visit.

At the hospital, Esme sat on a bench in the lobby and called Isla, learning that she had already arrived at the police station. Isla instructed her to stay at the hospital with Alice.

Esme rubbed her knee and bit her lower lip. "Mom, has anyone from the Tudor Family gone to the police station?"

"The Tudor Family?" Isla glanced at Calliope across from her. Upon hearing "the Tudor Family," Calliope immediately listened carefully, afraid of missing any key information.

Isla sneered, "Even if someone from the Tudor Family comes, we have nothing to fear. If the Tudor Family dares to help the Smith Family, don't blame me for being ruthless and cutting off all business ties with them!"

Calliope scoffed and sarcastically said, "What a boast! Does the Tudor Family really need you as a business partner? Many people want to work with the Tudor Family. If the Tudor Family really helps us, what can you do? After all, we are relatives."

Esme felt a wave of disgust upon hearing this.

Isla said, "Esme, don't pay attention to that bitch. Once things are settled here, I'll come to the hospital to see you. You should get a check-up first so that I could be at ease."

Calliope shouted, "Who are you calling a bitch? So uncultured! No wonder your daughter turned out this way!"