Chapter 69
Alice bit her lip, feeling a whirlwind of emotions.
Of all days, why did Lucas have to be discharged today, right when everything was falling apart? She had pictured a perfect day: dinner with Lucas, some TV time, laughing and chatting, breakfast the next morning, and then personally taking him back to the nursing home. But no, Clara had ruined everything!
"I want to leave the hospital," Alice said.
David just snorted, not even bothering to respond.
Alice knew David would never let her leave, not in her condition. And if Lucas saw her like this, it would break his heart. She'd rather stay put and miss out on the family time than make Lucas worry.
David found Esme and told her to stay with Alice while he rushed to the police station. When he got there, Isla and Calliope were already at each other's throats, hair a mess, red marks on their arms and faces, glaring daggers at each other.
As soon as David walked in, Calliope's eyes lit up like she'd seen a lifeline. She jumped up and rushed over. "David! Thank God you're here! Please, talk to the police and let us see Clara! They’re treating her like a suspect and keeping her in the interrogation room. It's cold and dark in there; she can't handle that!"
"Seriously? Didn't she think about the consequences before? Is she a toddler? She never thinks things through and always tries to dodge responsibility. You've really raised a 'gem' of a daughter!" Isla sneered.
"Shut up!" Calliope snapped, then turned to David, "David, Clara's your cousin! These accusations of hiring someone to hurt others are nonsense! Clara would never do that! And no one died. We can settle this quietly. The Smith Family will cover the medical bills and emotional damages. How about that? If it works, I'll get a lawyer to talk to the other party at the hospital. Clara's still young; we can't let her go to jail!"
Isla couldn't hold back anymore. She stood up, eyes locked on David. "David, if you help the Smith Family with this, we're done, no matter the cost or the fallout. My daughter almost died because of hers! I won't let this slide! This isn't a threat. If my daughter harms herself over this, my husband and I will go bankrupt to make the Smith Family pay!"
A police officer walked out, seeing the tension in the room, and sighed, looking at David. "Are you Alice's family?"
Both Calliope and Isla froze.
David calmly stepped forward. "Yes, I'm Alice's guardian. I need to know what happened."
The officer nodded and led David to the lounge, explaining the investigation. They weren't just taking Clara's word for it; they found transfer records in the tattooed guy's account. It wasn't a huge amount, just six thousand dollars, but all the evidence was adding up.
"There's surveillance near the scene showing Clara leading people to corner Alice and Esme, but Alice was the first to make a move," said the officer.
In the video, Alice tossed her bag and jacket aside and charged at Clara like a badass. David's forehead throbbed as he fought the urge to punch something and kept watching.
"It was initially considered a brawl, but this guy," the officer pointed to the tattooed man, "had a knife and almost stabbed that girl." He pointed to Esme, "The blade nearly pierced her abdomen. If it had, she might not have made it until the ambulance arrived."
The officer looked David in the eye, his lips pressed together. "I know it sounds harsh, but Alice saved Esme and stopped a tragedy."
In the video, the knife slashed Alice's calf. Her face was blurred, but you could tell she was in serious pain.
Fast-forwarding, Alice was sitting by the roadside, her pant leg soaked in blood. David's face turned dark, his eyes cold and unreadable.
As he walked out of the lounge, Calliope tried to approach him, but Clara's dad, Nolan Smith, held her back, sensing David's icy demeanor.
"What are you doing?" Calliope struggled, ready to lash out at Nolan.
Before Nolan could answer, David was already in front of her, his voice cold and firm. "Clara will be held accountable."
Calliope's eyes widened in shock. "David, Clara is your cousin! How can you..."
David's face hardened. "Exactly because she's my cousin, I need to correct her, not cover for her. If Clara's like this, it's partly your fault."
Calliope was livid. "You won't help us? Fine! I'll ask Gavin; he'll help!"
"No need, I won't help." As Calliope turned, she saw Gavin walk in with a composed bodyguard.
"Mr. Tudor, you..."
Gavin's face was stone-cold, making Calliope's heart sink.
Seeing Gavin, David's eyes flickered, already guessing what was coming.
Gavin said, "David's right. Wrong is wrong. She's not a kid anymore; she has to face the consequences. She got lucky this time—no major disaster. But what if someone dies next time? Will you get it then?"
Calliope's lips trembled, her eyes pleading. "But Clara is our only child! You said it yourself, no serious consequences this time. Why can't we settle this quietly? We'll discipline Clara strictly, make sure it never happens again! Mr. Tudor, please help us. Clara knows she was wrong. We'll cover all costs for the victim, compensation, emotional damages, everything!"
Even Gavin's expression darkened at that.
"This isn't about money! It's about character!" Gavin's voice was filled with anger. "Do you think money solves everything? Alice doesn't care about your compensation! The law will decide this. If you try to handle it privately, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Mr. Tudor!" Calliope shouted.
Gavin ignored her and turned to David. "How's Alice? Are her injuries serious? You knew and you didn't tell us? I've arranged for Lucas to visit Alice at the hospital; he's very worried. Even if you don't consider us, think about Lucas. He cares a lot about Alice!"
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