Chapter 26 Another False Accusation
Barnell roared, “Bullshit! Aurora was sentenced to five years. She’s paid her debt to your sister.”
Adolph shot back, his face cold. “Paid? She spent five years in jail and came out alive and well, while Camille is stuck in a hospital bed as a vegetable. That’s what you call paying her debt? As long as Camille remains in a coma, Aurora’s debt is never settled.”
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“Shut up!” Barnell’s anger surged, his face turning red and his voice hoarse. “Aurora was abused in prison–pricked with needles, forced to kneel, and had her leg broken. She used to be such a lively girl, and she’s now gloomy and withdrawn, like a completely different person. How can you say she hasn’t paid enough?”
He stumbled backward, knocking over a stool without even noticing, his eyes locked on Adolph, his chest heaving.
“Aurora’s a cripple now,” he shouted at Adolph. “Are you satisfied?”
Adolph felt a sharp pain in his heart as if it were being squeezed and torn by an invisible hand.
Aurora had turned Camille into a vegetable, yet he still felt a
Chapter 26 Another False Accusation pang of sympathy for her.
He wasn’t a good brother. He’d failed Camille.
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Adolph ruthlessly suppressed the sympathy. “She deserved every bit of it. What she suffered in prison is nothing compared to Camille’s torment. Camille had a bright future ahead of her. Aurora ruined it.”
He sneered, “Barnett, don’t forget that Aurora tried to frame. Bertha too. You were the one who testified against her, sending her to prison. You care about her now, but she might resent you for it.”
Barnett’s heart ached.
He had only hoped that Aurora would reform in prison. He never imagined she’d be bullied so badly.
Rage consumed his reason, and he swung a punch at Adolph.
Adolph nimbly sidestepped, easily dodging the blow.
Barnett lunged forward and crashed onto the bar, gasping for breath as he propped himself up on the counter.
“Give me a drink!” he slurred to the bartender.
The bartender silently mixed him a drink without a word.
Barnett grabbed the glass and downed it in one gulp, the liquor spilling down his chin and soaking his collar.
Chapter 26 Another False Accusation
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Adolph sat nearby, gripping his glass so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He appeared calm as he sipped his drink, but inside, he was in turmoil. “Aurora, you were so talented, with a bright future ahead. Why did you have to hurt Camille? You’re really detestable.”
The bar was filled with flickering lights and pulsating electronic music, with people dancing and enjoying themselves, oblivious to the chaos unfolding.
Meanwhile, the Elvador family was in an uproar.
Bertha was sobbing in Celeste’s arms, her tears streaming down her face.
Her cries echoed in the silent living room, each one a silent accusation against Aurora.
Celeste held Bertha tightly, her eyes filled with disappointment and reproach for Aurora.
Joshua’s face was livid as he pointed at Aurora and shouted, “You pushed Bertha down the stairs, didn’t you? You wanted to make her a vegetable too, just like you did to Camille five years ago, right? You spent five years in prison, but you still haven’t changed. You’re a heartless monster! Apologize to Bertha right
now!”
Aurora locked eyes with Joshua, a wave of bitterness washing
Chapter 26 Another False Accusation
over her.
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She couldn’t understand why her own father was so cruel to her.
Her heart was already shattered, but she couldn’t suppress her anger in the face of Joshua and Celeste’s condemnation.
“Mr. Elvador, you know the truth better than anyone, don’t you? You stood by and watched as Bertha pushed Camille down the stairs. You’ve lied so much that you’ve started to believe your own lies,” Aurora retorted scornfully.
Joshua’s body trembled with rage, his face turning crimson.
“Shut up!”
“Did I hit a nerve? Five years ago, Bertha pushed Camille down the stairs and framed me. Now, she’s staging another fall and trying to pin it on me again. You know how wicked she is, yet you still blame me.
“Sometimes, I really wonder if I’m your daughter or your enemy. Do you love her more because she’s your illegitimate child? That’s why you’re so protective of her.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Joshua’s fury exploded.
“I’ll teach you a lesson today, or I can’t afford to be your father!”
He furiously unbuckled his belt and swung it down on Aurora with a crack.
Chapter 26 Another False Accusation
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The bell sliced through the air, leaving a deep, bloody mark on her arm. The pain was like a sharp knife, tearing through her skin and piercing her bones.
Aurora let out a muffled ery of pain, her body instinctively curling up to avoid the relentless blows.
But Joshua, blinded by anger, lashed out with all his might, each strike landing on her back, shoulders, and legs.
Celeste watched with a flicker of pity and reluctance in her eyes.
She instinctively reached out to stop Joshua, but when she saw Bertha’s pitiful expression, her sympathy evaporated. She gritted her teeth and stood still.
Daisy, frantic with worry, pleaded, “Mr. Elvador, please stop! Ms. Elvador is already injured. If you keep hitting her, you’ll make things worse!”
But Joshua, now a raging beast, only intensified his assault.
The belt whistled through the air, landing on Aurora’s already battered body with a sickening thud.
Blood seeped from her wounds, staining her thin clothes as new injuries overlapped the old ones.
Her face turned pale, her lips colorless, and her body trembled with pain. She tried to dodge, but her injured leg made escape impossible.
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She wanted to fight back, but she was no match for a grown man like Joshua.
Aurora, who had been gritting her teeth against the pain, finally broke down and cried, tears streaming down her face.
Daisy, seeing her cry, felt her own eyes well up with tears.
She didn’t believe Aurora had pushed Bertha. Bertha was the one with a scheming mind. Daisy was certain she had framed Aurora.
Daisy clenched her teeth and threw herself in front of Aurora, shielding her with her body.
The belt cracked against Daisy’s back, but she held on tightly to Aurora, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, Ms. Elvador…”
Aurora’s eyes widened in horror. “Daisy!”
Daisy smiled weakly at her. “I’m fine, Ms. Elvador. Don’t cry.”
How could she not cry?
Daisy was just a maid. She could have easily stood by and avoided any trouble.
But Daisy had chosen to protect her, even if it meant getting hurt. It hurt Aurora more than the blows themselves.
Joshua, enraged by Daisy’s intervention, glared at her and roared, “Get out of the way! No one is going to stop me from
Chapter 26 Another False Accusation disciplining this ungrateful brat today!”
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Aurora’s eyes blazed with a cold, murderous intent as she glared at Joshua.”
