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.

Kipling layer by layer, "Of course, I know what I'm saying, Your Honor. I am the victim here,

with her makeup perfectly done,

bring Cassidy, the very person

up, "Your Honor, I've heard Cassidy suffers from severe depression. Can we really trust

educated yourself, you'd know depression isn't amnesia. People with depression are only emotionally

against people with depression testifying.

bastards! What did you do to my daughter? Your Honor, I

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

"What do you know?"

know how to sell me off to influential old men, or

deprive me of my college opportunities, claiming I had depression, and lock me in a hospital? If it weren't for this attempt to frame Julian again, I might have spent my life in a dark room!" The

you did all those things to me, you should have expected that one day,

chances of finding another witness were

to make his decision, Kipling, driven by immense fear, broke through the police line and approached Cassidy, "You

"Get lost!"

quick to kick him

a hint of panic. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in

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

to Zinnia, she said each word clearly, "Zinnia was

eyes widened in

truth? How

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