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.

layer, "Of course, I know what I'm saying, Your Honor. I am the victim here, and I can assure everyone more than anyone else

Grimshaw, standing aside with her makeup perfectly done, flashed

bring Cassidy,

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

depression isn't amnesia. People with depression are

there's no rule against people with depression

daughter? Your Honor, I

Don't make a scene here. How could I, as your

"What do you know?"

sell me off to influential old men,

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

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

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

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

"Get lost!"

was quick to

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

looking at Kipling, "Why?! Kipling, have you forgotten what you did to me five years ago?!" "Your

Zinnia, she said each word clearly, "Zinnia

widened in

How could there be a mother

she snorted, "Kaitlyn, there's no shortage of scum