The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 152

Leilani could see right through the filthy thoughts running through Zeus’s mind. To the Sloans, she was just a country girl with no education, no breeding, and a criminal record. In their eyes, the only way she could associate with such high-status figures was by using

her looks.

Leilani didn’t bother explaining. You can’t explain colors to a blind man. The Sloan family was so arrogant and delusional that they would only believe their own twisted narratives. They wouldn’t wake up until reality hit them in the face. Explaining would be a waste of

breath.

Leilani held out her hand. “Give it back.”

It was getting late, and she wanted to go home and rest.

Zeus gripped the badge tighter, refusing to return it. He scrutinized her, and then, as if a realization had struck him, his tone turned certain. “I know! You must have used ‘special means’ to get this. What exactly is your relationship with Floyd?”

The air around them seemed to freeze.

Leilani slowly looked up, her eyes cutting like knives. “Zeus,” she said, articulating every syllable with icy precision. “Are you insinuating that I slept my way into getting that?”

Zeus didn’t think there was anything wrong with assuming the worst of his sister. Seeing her cold reaction only convinced him he had hit a nerve. He adopted a high-and-mighty, lecturing tone.

Leilani cut off his condescending speech immediately. She looked at him as if he were sludge in a gutter. “Zeus, do you think the whole world is like you? Just because you’d use dirty tactics to climb the ladder doesn’t mean everyone else does. When someone succeeds where you failed, your first instinct is to assume they sold their body. Maybe you’re just projecting because that’s how you operate.”

11

She looked him up and down with open mockery. “No wonder you became a strictly attending physician at such a young age. If your parents knew, they’d die of shame.”

Zeus’s face went rigid, then flushed with rage. He felt his ‘good intentions’ were being trampled on. He was a man; she was a woman. It was different.

“You’re just a lowlife who projects your own filth onto everyone else!” Leilani delivered the verdict that shattered hi

composure.

His face twisted into something ugly, and he raised his hand to strike her.

Leilani watched the incoming slap with complete calm. “You dare touch me? Think carefully. My relationship with Mr. Dillon isn’t simple. If I happen to mention this to him, your career as a doctor is over.”

14:36

The threat worked instantly. Zeus’s hand froze in mid-air. He looked ridiculous, caught between the desire to hit her and the fear of consequences.

Leilani scoffed. “Actually, you should hope your nasty assumptions are wrong. You better pray I’m not that close to Mr. Dillon. Because if I am… considering everything your family did to me, guess what will happen to you?”

Zeus’s pupils contracted. Before he could react, Leilani stepped back and walked away without looking back. He stood there, his face ashen. Her attitude only confirmed his fears-she was dangerous now.

Zeus returned to his workstation, his mind racing, replaying the scene. He couldn’t believe it. When Leilani first got out of prison, she had looked so destitute.

14:36

Cedella

Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.