Chapter 22
Stepping out the door, Katniss
let
out a big sigh of relief and turned to Maximilian, “Max, seriously, thanks a ton for today.”
She was genuinely grateful. Without Max, today would’ve been a tot mess. He not only scared off those jerks but also helped her sort everything out.
Maximilian gave her a
Katniss was caught off guard for
long, hard look baking, “So, you moved out of The Manners Villa? Had a blow–up?”
a sec, then
a
Cutting ties completely.
bitter smile, “Yeah, I’m done with the Manners family for good.”
Maximilian’s eyes narrowed a bit, and he nodded.
Suddenly remembering something, Katniss pulled out a bottle of medicine from her bag and handed it to him.
“Max, these are pills I made for you. Take one whenever you have an episode; it’ll help a lot,” she said.
It might’ve been a small thing for Max, but for her, a broke student, it was a big deal.
Max took the bottle and casually shoved it in his pocket, “Got it.”
Katniss wanted to say more, but seeing Max’s reaction, she felt a rush of joy from being trusted!
She was in a great mood.
She hitched a ride back to school with Max. When Juniper saw her, she finally relaxed.
“Katniss, you’re back! Your message freaked me out. I’m so glad you’re safe; I was about to call my cousin,” Juniper said.
She’d been in a panic after getting Katniss’s message and followed the instructions quickly.
Juniper called, and a young guy answered. She cried, saying Katniss had been taken by the cops.
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, then he said he understood and hung up.
Juniper was nervous for a while before remembering she had a cousin who was a big shot over there.
“It’s all good, I’m back safe. Thanks,” Katniss said, holding Juniper’s hand with a happy smile.
With Max’s help, it wouldn’t be easy for Simon to clear his name.
But the Manners family wouldn’t let it slide so easily.
Katniss wasn’t scared, ready for any challenge.
Juniper sighed, “It’s crazy what your family does. Your brother acts like an enemy.”
Juniper didn’t know how to comfort Katniss, so she just held her hand, “Stick with me from now on, I’ll take care of you!”
Katniss nodded, deeply moved, knowing Juniper had always had her back and understood her, which was why she trusted her so much.
1/2
Chapter 22
Morning classes flew by. After lunch, Katniss got ready to head to the coffee shop for work.
A few minutes later, she arrived at the shop, out of breath.
Inside, a bunch of her female classmates were sitting together, chatting.
Amara was busy making coffee behind the counter. It was Tuesday,
Amara’s son Preston should be in kindergarten.
Seeing Katniss come in, Amara handed her three cups of coffee.
“These are for those three girls. They’re all the same, so no need to separate them,” Amara gently reminded.
Katniss took the coffee and walked over to the table, placing the cups down with a polite smile.
“Here are your coffees. Enjoy,” she said courteously.
The three girls stopped what they were doing and looked at Katniss with various emotions. Isn’t this Clara’s sister?
Just a few days after leaving the Manners family, and now she was working in a coffee shop.
Life’s a trip. Even if she’s the Manners family’s real daughter, it meant nothing because her family didn’t love her. Clara had been cherished for years.
One of the girls pulled out a ten–dollar bill and threw it at Katniss’s face.
Katniss picked up the money, put it on the tray, and smiled slightly, Thanks for the tip.”
With that, she walked back to the counter and whispered to Amara, wish more loaded fools like her would come here.”
Amara glanced at Katniss, who seemed young but had a strong heart. It wasn’t easy being humiliated like that and still staying
calm.
The girl watched Katniss pick up the money, feeling even more disdain for her.
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