Chapter 257

A cold, mocking laugh came from behind the door. "Steven, who's really the bully here? She deliberately upset Mr. Anderson, sent him into a health crisis, almost killed him, and now she wants to play innocent?"

Before he could finish, a loud crash echoed from inside the room. Shannon, panicking and trying to escape, knocked over a glass of water. The sound of it shattering filled the room, glass scattering everywhere. Lucie's hand tightened around her baton, knuckles white, nails digging into her palm.

Shannon was huddled in the corner like a terrified mouse, her cheek already swollen, tears streaming down her face as she shrieked, "Steven, help me! They're going to kill me!"

Shannon's desperate cries only made Steven angrier. "Elio, if you're a real man, come out and face me. Stop hiding like a coward."

Elio let out a sharp laugh and moved to step out. "You really think I'm scared of you?"

Lucie quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Elio, don't. Let it go. He's not worth it."

Elio's expression softened as he looked at her. "Lucie, don't worry about me. You just focus on letting it out. When you're done, trust me, I have plenty of ways to make sure that little brat does a solid ten years behind bars."

Shannon's face went even paler, her panic rising. "Steven, I'm scared... please save me..."

Steven took a long, shaky breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "Lucie, what did Shannon even do? She's just a kid. Maybe she messed up, but you don't have to scare her half to death."

The door suddenly swung open. Lucie came out, icy and pale, her eyes stone- cold. Lined up behind her were more than a dozen of Elio's bodyguards, standing like a solid wall. Steven was there with his own men, but it was obvious-this wasn't his turf. He was outnumbered and out of options.

Shannon scurried towards Steven, sobbing, "Steven, I'm here..."

Seeing Shannon's battered face, Steven's jaw tightened. He shot a glare at Elio, a mix of jealousy and rage in his eyes. "Wow, Lucie, having someone in your corner really changes things, doesn't it?" His voice turned hard. "But I'm telling you, it doesn't matter who you have. Shannon is my sister. No one hurts her. If you lay a hand on her, I promise you'll regret it."

Lucie stared at him, her heart sinking. "Steven, listen to me. I don't need anyone to fight my battles. But if anyone hurts my grandfather, I'll go down fighting."

Steven's gaze flicked to Shannon, suspicion in his voice. "Shannon, what did you do?"

Shannon's voice trembled. "She's making things up, Steven! She's always hated me. She just wanted an excuse to hit me."

"Is that really what happened?"

Shannon hesitated, fumbling for words. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong! You were missing all night and Aunt Bria was worried, so she asked me to find you. I couldn't find you anywhere, so I thought maybe you were with Lucie. I just wanted to ask Mr. Anderson if he'd seen you. How was I supposed to know he'd get so upset? never meant for this to happen, I swear!" She kept crying, trying to make herself look helpless and innocent.

Steven's face stayed cold, his brow furrowed. He knew exactly what kind of person Shannon was-pampered, reckless, and selfish. He always let her get away with it, but the rest of the world wouldn't be so forgiving.

"Steven, I'm hurt and I'm scared! Please, help me!" Shannon whimpered.

Steven turned to Lucie, his voice tight. "Lucie, she's just a kid. You've punished her enough. Don't take it any further till pay for all your grandfather's medical bus, every cent, from now on. Take it as Shannon's apology. She'll say sorry-just let's be done with this."

Lucie let out a bitter laugh, her eyes cold. "Just like that? My grandfather almost

died, and you think some money and a half-hearted sorry will fix it?"

Elio stepped in, voice sharp. "Don't waste your breath, Lucie. People like him never learn. Saying sorry won't fix everything."

"So what do you want?" Steven snapped.

Elio's tone was icy. "She committed a crime. She should be punished. Attempted murder isn't a joke. She should spend some time in prison and think about what she's done."

Steven scoffed, glaring at Elio. "I'm talking to Lucie, not you. Lucie, Shannon's young. If you send her to jail, you'll destroy her life."

Lucie watched him, her voice flat and emotionless. "She brought this on herself."

Steven's voice hardened. "I won't let you do this. I won't let you ruin Shannon's life."

Lucie suddenly laughed-a sound so

cold it sent a chill through the room.

She stepped forward meeting

Steven's eyes head on. "And who put

you in charge of her fate, Steven?

Just because you spoil her, you

think she can do whatever she wants and never have to pay for it?"