Chapter 106
Juliana and Hayley were on edge as they watched Cordelia approach with a stoic expression, her steps slow and deliberate.
Swallowing hard, Juliana asked, âCordelia, what are you doing?â
Cordeliaâs gaze was icy and unyielding. Sho didnât answer, and instead, she just kept closing the distance.
Hayley, who started off scared, slowly found her confidence again. âListen, Juliann. Itâs two against two. No one knows wholl win this. Why are we scared?â she asserted.
At her words, Merry hesitated for a moment, retreating a stop to stand by the doorway.
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However, Cordelia was already upon them. She grabbed Juliana by the hair and launched into a seq combat moves, kicks, punches, takedowns. Juliana was soon on the floor of the bathroom, face down, her hands pinned behind her back. The cold, disgusting feel of the flo against her cheek made her feel like throwing up.
Cordeliaâs actions were too swift, by the time Hayley could react, Juliana was already subdued.
Letting go of , Cordelia kicked her aside and turned her cold to Hayley.
Trembling, Hayley now realized the gravity of the situation and who she had provoked.
âYou canât hit and thatâs rules.â Hayley cried out.
But before she could say more Cordelia was in her face, a perfect of combat moves sending Hayley crashing to the floor.
Cordelia twisted Hayleyâs arm in a chilling tone, âClean up your act and keep your mouth shut. Got Hayley was in pain and fearful but managed to ask through gritted teeth, âArenât you afraid of getting expelled?â Cordelia released her arm and stood up. She washed her hands again, meticulously dried them with a paper towel then looked at Hayley.
âYouâre always questioning what the point of being a good student is. Well, let me tell you something. At the very least, the school wouldnât dare to kick me out without reason.â With those words, she walked away, leaving two crumpled figures on the floor.
Merry, shocked by Cordeliaâs decisive action, glanced at the pair on the floor and waved a fist at Hayley, âWhy do you think Liaâs the of Flame Union?â
Hayleyâs eyes narrowed.
Leaning down, Merry warned, âIf you dare tell the teachers, Flame Union wonât let you off easily. Yates isnât as patient as
After a patronizing pat on Hayleyâs cheek and a glance at Juliana, Merry stood up to follow Cordelia, sending Yates a quick text message as she left.
As she walked away, Merry said, âYou know, to the uninitiated, it might seem like weâre bullies. But Flame Union isnât like that. Yates doesnât let us pick on people without a reason, but we wonât go down without a fight
either.â
Cordelia just grunted in acknowledgment.
Sheâd seen through Flame Unionâs tough exterior long ago.
The school bell rang.
Hayley and didnât return to class. When they finally did, disheveled and disheartened, the teacher
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asked, âWhat happened?â
Cordelia looked up, her gaze icy.
Hayley didnât want to give up just now and considered telling the teacher about the incident. After all, both she and Juliana came from influential families. Who were they to fear?
But as they stepped out of the restroom, they saw Yates with his distinctive red hair, leaning against the wall, Immersed in his phone. He looked up, his eyes sharp and arrogant. âHeard Lia gave you a lesson?â he said coolly.
âMy grandfatherâs birthday bash is soon. Did your families get an invite? Imagine if I were to retract that invitation now. What would that do to your familyâs reputation?â
The status of their noble families was paramount, far more important than any personal grievance or humiliation.
Pondering Yatesâ threatening words, Hayley reluctantly lowered her head and mumbled, âWe were just feeling a bit under the weather, so we headed to the infirmary,â she explained.
The teacher, though slightly suspicious, nodded, âAlright, then take your seats quickly.â
After school, Cordelia was surprised to find both Lorna and Sanderson in the car.
âMom, Dad, what brings you here?â she asked, wondering if Hayley had snitched to a teacher and they had been called in.
Lorna quickly explained, âWe were planning to take you shopping for a gown, but the police called about some progress in that fraud case, and we need to stop by the station.â
âOkay,â Cordelia replied, understanding.
At the police station, they encountered Kermit and Rachel just getting out of their car,
As they crossed paths, Sanderson frowned, âWhat are you doing here?â
Kermit chuckled, âWell, I heard there was progress in the fraud case and wanted to support you. Youâre still new to this, right? Let me tell you, the officer handling this is young but donât be fooled by his smile because heâs tough. Sanderson, keep your temper in check, okay?â
Being defrauded was a matter of shame for them, a sign of poor business acumen.
Kermit had been reluctant to ask about the case, especially since it was handled by a serious crime unit well above his influence.
After several days of pleading by Rachel and Kermit, feeling their pride was wounded, they were curious to see how Sanderson would grovel and his disappointment if the money wasnât recovered.
Theyâd be sure to âcomfort him wellâ then.
But Sanderson ignored Kermit, walking ahead into the station. Kermit trailed behind, feigning concern but taking delight in Sandersonâs misfortune, âSanderson, itâs been ten days. The moneyâs likely long gone. Donât get your hopes up. Any recovery would be a bonus.â
Rachel trailed behind Lorna, her eyes sparkling with a mix of curiosity and concern. âDid you guys sort out your outfits for the Hackettâs gala?â she asked Cordelia, âI mean, weâre supposed to be family, right? I should have had your back on this. But, you know, Sanderson made it clear that once the ties are cut, everyone fends for themselves. Still, donât worry too much. If you are lucky tonight, you might just snag a little windfall. That should tide you over, shouldnât it?â
She leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, âThe guy in charge, though, heâs got a real storm cloud hanging over him, so prickly. Donât let him get to you, alright?â
âHow could a cop be anything but a pillar of the community? She must be kidding.â
That was what Cordelia was thinking when she heard Kermitâs voice cut through the chatter, âHere he comes,
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the man in charge. Officer Skyler. Hey there.â
Following Kermitâs gaze, Cordella a familiar figure approaching, not in uniform this time.
She blinked in surprise. Wasnât this the same cop, Little Dove, whoâd helped her out at the math competition? What were the chances heâd pop up again in Greenmeadow?
Skyler, spotting Cordelia, lit up and quickened his pace toward her.