Chapter 23 Emily not only dodged Aiden's hand but also slapped it away with her own . The sting made him instinctively pull his hand back . " Aiden , if you keep trying to get handsy , don't blame me for not holding back . I've been dealing with the street since I was a kid , so I've got plenty of strength ! " Emily warned , her voice icy . 89 It was still the same thin face from before . But now , Aiden saw nothing but unfamiliarity in her expression . Could it be because of the misunderstanding from the last time Bianca was bullied , and she got upset ? Aiden frowned and softened his tone , " Emily , don't be stubborn . I'm doing this for your own good . You know we have a partnership with the Reyes family . If they come after us , we need to give them an explanation . If you admit your mistake , they won't be too harsh . " " And if you don't apologize now , the Reyes family might call the police . Do you really want to ruin yourself over this ? " " Call the police ? " Emily raised an eyebrow . " Let them do that then! " She would welcome it . Even if they didn't call the police , she would . Aiden was furious at Emily's stubbornness . It seemed the Johnson family's kindness and protection over the years had made her arrogant . Hayden was right ; she needed to face some hardships to see reality . " If you won't listen , you'll regret it later , " When that time came , even if she begged him for help , he wouldn't easily agree . Aiden opened the door to leave , only to come face - to - face with a uniformed officer . As the heir to the Johnson family business , he quickly regained his composure after a moment of surprise . " Who is Emily ? We have a case of assault and need you to come with us to the station for investigation , " the officer said , showing his badge . Aiden looked at Emily with a complex expression . " If you regret it now , I can still help you ... " " I'm Emily . Let's go ! " Emily didn't wait for Aiden to finish . She calmly nodded to the officer and walked out first . Her composed demeanor made it seem like she was going to receive an award . 1/4 8:52 Tue , Oct 14 Chapter 23 Aiden's face darkened . He watched Emily's back with a cold smile . She probably didn't realize that with the Reyes family's lawyer involved , she might end up spending some time in jail . As she was " taken away " by the police from school , someone secretly took photos , adding new material to the already buzzing campus forum . The news spread from one department to the entire university and beyond . 89 Even though the principal wanted to keep things quiet , hearing that the Reyes family was involved , he knew his efforts would be in vain . He could only try to control the forum's discussions and prevent students from spreading the news further . Emily , unfazed , followed the officers to the station . Byron's biological mother , Sabrina , was so agitated upon seeing Emily that she tried to rush at her . " You wretch ! How dare you hit Byron ? He's bedridden because of you ! Why don't you just die ? No wonder you were abandoned , you trash ... " Sabrina hurled insults at her . Aiden , who had followed them , heard Sabrina's words . Emily was still part of the Johnson family , so Sabrina's insults were indirectly aimed at them , too . Eli was away on a business trip and was unaware of this yet . Aiden , swallowing his pride , quickly tried to calm Sabrina down . " Mrs. Reyes , please calm down . Don't worry , we'll cover Byron's medical expenses , and we won't protect Emily for her mistakes . " Sabrina's anger was one thing , but her outburst was also a test of the Johnson family's reaction . " Emily , you think you're so tough ? Now you can face the consequences of your actions ! " Hayden sneered , standing next to Bianca . Bianca looked at Emily with concern . " Emily , before the case is finalized , you should apologize and seek Byron's forgiveness . Maybe they'll go easy on you . Otherwise , what will you do if you end up in jail ? " She sounded like a caring sister . Hayden , standing nearby , added , " Bianca , you're too kind . She bullied you , and you're still thinking about her . She deserves this ! " Aiden , with a stern face , lowered his voice and reminded Emily , " Now do you understand my intentions ? You should listen to us ; we're all trying to help you ! " Emily sneered , " You all are such good family members . The charges aren't even confirmed , and you're already making me confess , afraid the Reyes family won't have enough evidence ! " Sabrina's face darkened . " What , you think you can deny it ? Growing up in the streets , you've learned to be a rogue , but it won't help you here . You dared to hit Byron ; I'll make sure you rot in jail . " Emily laughed coldly . " Do you have any evidence ? Just accusing me of hitting Byron doesn't make it true . " 8:52 Tue , Oct 14 Chapter 23 She remembered that there were no cameras in the small grove . That's why Byron had taken Sophia there to bully her . 89 " You think there's no surveillance , but Byron's injuries are real . Hayden is a witness , and so are many other students . They all saw you hit him . " Sabrina wasn't speaking without reason ; she had consulted with their lawyer and wouldn't be easily swayed by Emily . Emily's cold gaze shifted to Bianca and Hayden . Aiden hadn't expected Hayden to testify against her . But maybe he was considering the partnership between the two families and wanted to stand up for Bianca , who had lost her spot . Of course , Aiden didn't agree with it . No matter how wrong Emily was , it should have been handled within the family . Taking it outside would only disgrace the Johnson family . Hayden met Emily's gaze and snorted , " What are you looking at ? I'm telling the truth . And I'm the witness , so why are you glaring at Bianca ? " Emily cursed silently . ' Fool . ' Bianca had sold him out , and he was still backing her up ! She looked back at the smug Sabrina . " Hayden has a grudge against me , so his testimony might not be valid . Did he mention who started it ? If he lies , that's perjury . " Emily confidently smirked , her lips curling coldly . " Even if I hit Byron , it was self - defense . " " Self - defense ? You call it self - defense when Byron can't even get out of bed ? " Sabrina screeched . Byron's father , Isaac Reyes , also had a stern face , but he didn't look at Emily . To him , Emily was just a woman with no significance , So he spoke directly to Aiden , " It seems Emily doesn't realize her mistake . I can't overlook this for the sake of our partnership . We'll proceed according to the law . " " Fine , Mr. Reyes , let's follow the law . If Byron is faking his injuries , that's a false accusation , and I can countersue . So , I suggest you take him to the hospital for an injury assessment . " " Emily , stop talking and don't make things worse ! Aiden thought Emily didn't understand the severity of the assessment and scolded her . " Emily , you're quite bold . Fine , we'll have the hospital do a thorough assessment ! " Isaac said , fuming as he and Sabrina prepared to leave . Emily suddenly pulled a USB drive from her bag and said , " Mr. Reyes , I almost forgot . You might not have footage from the grove , but I do ! " 3/4 8:52 Tue , Oct 14 Rebirth . Top Star Actress