Chapter 21
Lucas and Colin strolled in with this sharp–dressed mystery dude.
Lucas had that boss vibe, barely giving Katniss a glance before locking eyes with a sulking Simon.
Simon, seeing Lucas, whined, “Lucas, when are we bouncing? I can’t stand another minute here.”
Lucas shot him a look, “Next time, use your brain!” He’d ditched his work to deal with Simon’s mess, tracking down Katniss first thing in the morning.
The cops had rock–solid video proof. Simon was caught red–handed, busting into the house and wrecking stuff.
Lucas was over it. How could Simon be such a screw–up?
Holding back his rage, Lucas snapped, “You think you’re some hero for Clara? She was so freaked out about you getting nabbed, she skipped breakfast.”
Simon jumped up, “What? Clara fainted yesterday, and now she’s not eating?”
Lucas glared, “All because of you.”
Lucas shot him a frosty look. Compared to Simon, he was more pissed at Katniss. If she hadn’t called the cops and got Simon hauled in, Clara wouldn’t be stressing. So what if some old house got trashed? Big whoop.
Katniss was a real piece of work, no wonder everyone liked Clara better.
Lawyer Grant Adams stepped up to Simon, talking smooth, “Katniss, heard about the drama with Simon. He messed up, he knows it. Whatever you lost, your bro will pay double. You two are acting like kids. It’s just a sibling squabble, why drag the cops in? It just tears the family apart. Won’t your folks be crushed?”
Katniss just smirked, ice–cold, “No way I’m letting this slide. Let’s do this by the book.”
Grant raised an eyebrow, “Katniss, stop joking. It’s not funny.”
Katniss looked down, murmuring, “Mr. Adams, you started this joke.”
Aurora was gone, everything smashed. How could they make up for that?
Could they even afford it?
Plus, Simon hadn’t even said sorry.
She wanted Simon to apologize to the late Aurora.Colin frowned, switching tactics, “Why are you being so stubborn? Is this drama really necessary? It’s embarrassing!”
Grant, hearing Colin’s words, chuckled, “Pissing off the Manners family won’t end well for you, Katniss. Trust me, you’re young and might need them someday. Keep this up, and you’ll end up alone, still having to eat crow.”
Suddenly, the sound of a wheelchair rolling in caught everyone’s attention. A man in a wheelchair, radiating this icy, regal vibe, filled the room with a chill.
He was rocking a sharp suit, fitting him perfectly. Katniss’s eyes met his, her heart skipping a beat.
Grant, being the Manners family’s lawyer, had dealt with the Hamilton family before because of their marriage ties, so he knew
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Maximilian.
“Mr. Hamilton, fancy bumping into you here,” Grant said, all polite.
Maximilian tilted his head slightly, cold as ice, “Do I know you?*
Then he motioned to Katniss, “Come here.”
Katniss blinked and walked over to him.
Felix, hearing Katniss got caught up in something, rushed over, “Katniss, you okay? What happened to your wrist? Did they hurt you?”
Katniss glanced at the marks on her wrist, smiling, “I’m fine, Felix, don’t sweat it.”
She was a bit on edge, not expecting Maximilian to show up. She’d texted Juniper for help, knowing only Maximilian had the clout to handle Lucas and the Manners family..
Seeing Katniss’s nervous look, Maximilian’s heart softened a bit, “Felix said you had some trouble at home, and the cops want to drop the charges?”
“They want me to drop the charges,” Katniss quickly corrected.
Maximilian raised an eyebrow, eyeing Grant and Colin, who were too scared to say a word.
Finally, Grant reluctantly explained, “Mr. Hamilton, it’s a misunderstanding. It wasn’t a break–in, just a spat between Katniss and Simon. Simon lost his cool and went overboard.”
“Do you want to drop the charges?” Maximilian asked Katniss, his tone indifferent.
Katniss shook her head, “No.”
“Katniss!” Lucas shouted, storming in, glaring at her, “Are you lying in front of Maximilian?”
Then he turned to Maximilian with a smile, “Maximilian, she’s just talking nonsense. It’s just a minor sibling squabble, nothing
serious.”
Maximilian’s expression stayed cold, “Is that so?”
His tone was flat, emotionless. He gestured to Felix, who nodded and left.
Maximilian wheeled himself forward, “Aren’t you leaving?”
“Maximilian, what’s your business with Katniss?” Lucas asked.
Maximilian replied coldly, “That’s my private matter.”
He made it clear he wasn’t going to explain. Katniss got the hint that Maximilian was backing her up, so she stepped forward to push his wheelchair, leaving the police station together.
Lucas frowned, his eyes darting between Maximilian and Katniss, but he kept his mouth shut.
After they left, Lucas turned to Simon, “Katniss is shameless!”
Simon snorted, “How can she have no shame at all? She’s a disgrace to the Manners family.”
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“Exactly, no shame at all,” Lucas fumed.
Rolling his eyes, Simon added, “Yeah, just looking at her makes me sick.”
The two brothers agreed that Katniss’s behavior was disgusting, even starting to feel that having her as a sister was a disgrace.
“She’s just a shameless bitch!” Lucas spat angrily.
Simon nodded, “Someone like Maximilian could never be intó Katniss He’ll see her true colors soon enough and drop her.”
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