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

her makeup perfectly done,

surprised that Vivienne had managed to bring

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

with depression are only emotionally

rule against people with depression

to my daughter? Your Honor, I

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

"What do you know?"

coldly, "Do you know how to sell me off to influential old men, or how to make me serve as a

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

things to me, you should have expected that one day,

of finding another witness were slim, and Jerry's

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

"Get lost!"

was quick to

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

to me five

she said each word

widened

telling the truth? How could there be a mother like Zinnia in

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