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.

saying, Your Honor. I am the victim here, and I can assure everyone more than anyone else that Julian did

with her makeup perfectly done, flashed

managed to bring Cassidy, the very person

Cassidy suffers from severe depression. Can we really trust the testimony of someone

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

with depression testifying. Especially when

did you do to my daughter? Your Honor, I demand a medical

make a scene here. How could

"What do you know?"

you know how to sell me off to influential old

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

those things to me, you

by Julian, Kipling's chances of finding another

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

"Get lost!"

was quick to kick him

calm gaze not showing a hint of panic. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of

forgotten what you did to me five years

each word

widened

How could

there's no shortage of scum like Zinnia and