Chapter 16 Didn't You Know She Was Hurt? Gavin's office was well soundproofed, so Violet's fiery takedown didn't reach the ears of anyone outside. She strode out, chest high, leaving Ellie gaping. That was it? She should've been as deflated as a pricked balloon. Was Gavin really that soft on her? What Ellie didn't know was that Gavin didn't hold back because he wanted to-he simply couldn't outtalk her. As Violet waited for the elevator, her adrenaline faded, and the burn on her neck, which had just started to heal, flared up again. She muttered to herself, "What kind of eyes does Gavin have?" Blind as a bat! Her lips curved bitterly. She'd been blind too, chasing someone who didn't love her for so long. How pathetic. Inside Gavin's office, the silence was deafening. It took a while for Gavin to exhale sharply. "Luna, don't let it get to you. That's just how she is-sharp-tongued and vicious. Don't worry, I won't let her get away with bullying you!" This isn't over!" With that, he dialed Sylas's number. But he didn't need to-Cora was already at Miller Tech, crying her eyes out to her dad. "Dad, are you going to do something about Violet or not? Look at me-my neck, my collarbone, it's all red!" "Dad, look at this huge blister! The doctor said it'll take at least two weeks to heal!" Sienna's heart ached for her daughter. Was her stepdaughter trying to ruin Cora's looks? "Sylas, I've always taken Violet's side whenever she and Cora had little spats. But this time, Violet's gone too far! Cora's a girl-she's got to get married someday." Her words dripped with accusations of Violet's malice. Sylas's face darkened. "That ungrateful girl. I'll call her right now." He tried three times, but no one picked up. Sylas switched tactics, calling the nursing home. "Dean, it's me. I'd like to pick up my mother. Can you arrange it?" "Uh..."The dean was surprised. "But didn't your daughter just pay for another month a few days ago? Are you sure you want to take Madam Miller home, Mr. Miller?" Sylas's eyes narrowed. He hadn't realized his daughter had saved up that much! 14:48 Left Me Hanging at the Cite Uəl12 He snorted inwardly. "My daughter's been giving us some trouble lately, but if my mom wants to come home, we can't go against the nursing home tomorrow to talk to her. How's that?" "As for the fees, she paid what she paid. Consider it a thank you for the nurses and caregivers' hard work over the years. Sound good?" The dean chuckled. "As long as the family signs off and Madam Miller agrees, we're fine with it. III thank you on behalf of the staff, Mr. Miller!" Violet had no idea her $7,000 payment had just been turned into a favor by Sylas. Every Friday was the Braxton family's designated family day. Gavin brought his injured sister back to the Braxton Villa. Clara's eyes zeroed in on the small bandage on Luna's collarbone. "Luna, what happened? Are you hurt?" Gavin answered flatly, "Yeah, Mom, Luna got scalded." Nathan frowned. "How'd you get burned there?" His gaze darkened, suspicious. "Luna, let your mom check it and put some cream on." Luna's throat tightened. She knew her dad had misunderstood. Sure enough, Clara's look turned wary too. Luna bit her lip, feeling wronged. When had she become so distrusted in this family? Gavin caught on to his parents' suspicions and bristled. "Mom, Dad, what's with you? Luna's hurt-do you think I'd lie about it?" "Let's see it," Clara said. "It's not that we don't believe you. Burns can't be covered up, you know." Luna's teary eyes flickered. "Alright, Mom, could you help me reapply the cream?" Gavin's heart ached for his sister, and he silently cursed Violet. This was all her fault-would his parents have doubted Luna otherwise? Clara opened the medical kit and peeled back the bandage, revealing a faint red mark. She sighed in relief. "Luna, how'd you get so careless? I don't like you living alone. Why don't you move back?" "No need, Mom. Sometimes I practice singing late at night, and I don't want to disturb you at the villa." Clara chuckled. "Still dreaming of being a big star, huh? Planning to break into the entertainment world for real?" Luna smiled shyly. "I've been working on a song, recording a demo. Not sure if it'll turn into an album yet." Gavin, watching her smile, fell a strange sense of calm. "No worries, I'll help you get that album out." Clara nodded slightly. "Sign with your brother's company. No one'll mess with you there. Have fun with it, and if you get bored, your dad can set you up with an easy job at the group." The Braxtons doted on Luna. Though adopted, she was treated like a true Braxton daughter in every way-except for one non-negotiable line- She could only ever be their daughter, nothing more. 14.48 When Byron came downstairs and saw only Nathan's family, he asked, "Wayne not back yet?" Nathan replied, "When I left the office, Wayne was still in a meeting. Should be here soon." Just then, Wayne walked in. He calmly shed his coat, setting it aside, and scanned the room. Everyone was still milling about, not seated yet. His expression didn't change. "Waiting for me?" Wayne carried a maturity and poise beyond his years. Byron grinned. "Not long. Come on, sit down, let's eat." Gavin stared at his uncle for a moment, thinking if he were as powerful as Wayne, he wouldn't be so weighed down by everything. "Coming, Gavin?" Wayne called. Gavin snapped out of it. "Right behind you." At the dinner table, Byron asked about Luna's injury with concern. Wayne raised a brow casually. "Oh, where'd you get hurt, Luna?" Luna's grip tightened, sensing something off in her uncle's tone. "It's nothing, just a little splash of hot water on my collarbone." Wayne's gaze lingered briefly before shifting away. "Yeah, doesn't look too bad." "But Violet's burns were a lot worse." Luna's breath caught. How did her uncle know? Gavin frowned. "Uncle, Violet's the one who splashed Luna. How could she be hurt?" The question carried a lot, and for a moment, Nathan, Clara, and Byron didn't know how to react. Wayne's piercing eyes locked onto his nephew. "Violet's your fiancée. She was hurt, and you didn't even know?" The dining room went silent, the air thick with tension. "Wayne, what's going on here?" Byron asked. Wayne set down his fork and knife, elegantly wiping his lips with a napkin. He pulled out his phone. "This is footage my driver caught the other day. Dad, take look." Luna's face paled, and she shot to her feet. "No, Uncle, you've got it wrong!" He cut her off coolly. "Watch the video first, then we'll talk about misunderstandings." All eyes turned to Wayne's foldable screen phone, where a shrill female voice rang out, followed by a full cup of steaming coffee splashing onto Violet's chest. Anyone watching could see that Cora and Luna were the instigators. The part where Violet splashed them back? Wayne conveniently left that out. His lips curved slightly, exuding quiet menace as he lowered his gaze. "So, Luna, you didn't tell Gavin you and Cora started this mess first?" 14:48 (1) ⊙ (0)