The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Zinnia gasped and turned to look at Leopold Sterling, who was smirking weirdly, "Who are you calling an old hag?!"

"Hey, isn't that Austin's mom over there? Why is your daughter sitting with the Littleton family's witnesses? Don't tell me she's the witness Vivienne Hawthorn mentioned."

Zinnia retorted, "Impossible! She's my daughter; why would she side with strangers?!"

Leopold chuckled disdainfully, "Oh, now you remember she's your daughter? What were you doing before?!"

"You!"

"Order!"

The judge frowned, banging the gavel for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Looking down at Cassidy, who stood confidently in the witness stand, the judge's frown deepened, "Witness, please present your testimony."

Cassidy glanced towards her mother Zinnia, who was staring at her in shock, and smiled slightly, "Your Honor, my name is Cassidy. I'm supposedly the girl Julian was accused of harassing."

"I can affirm, Julian has been the best teacher I've had since starting school. He did not harass me. The whole situation was a scam orchestrated by my mother Zinnia and Kipling Abernasy." The courtroom erupted in shock.

Zinnia screamed, "You little brat! What nonsense are you spouting?! Get down here, I've done so much for you, and this is how you repay me?!"

Kipling was equally unsettled, "Cassidy, have you lost your mind?! Do you realize what you're saying? Come down now!"

Cassidy's smile only grew wider.

"Of course, I know what I'm saying, Your Honor. I am the victim here, and I can assure

standing aside with her makeup perfectly done,

bring Cassidy, the very

raced, and she suddenly spoke up, "Your Honor, I've heard Cassidy suffers from severe depression. Can we really trust the testimony

Grimshaw, if you had educated yourself, you'd know depression isn't amnesia. People with depression are only emotionally down but their memory

people with depression

to my daughter? Your Honor, I demand a medical

through the police barrier, "Cassidy, come back! Don't make a

"What do you know?"

old

a hospital? If it weren't for this attempt to frame Julian again, I might have spent

you did all those things to me, you should have expected

chances of finding another witness were slim, and Jerry's eyes gleamed

Kipling, driven by immense fear, broke through the police line and approached Cassidy, "You traitor! How much did they pay you? Tell me, I'll

"Get lost!"

was quick to kick him

stood behind Leopold, her calm gaze not showing a hint of panic. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest

determination when looking at Kipling, "Why?! Kipling, have you forgotten what you did to me five years ago?!" "Your Honor, I wish to press charges against Kipling. Five years ago, he used his position to force himself on

she said each word

eyes widened in

How

were cold as she snorted, "Kaitlyn, there's no shortage of