Chapter 22
Chapter 23 The Outburst
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Everyone had assumed Tatiana wouldn’t fight back. They didn’t have time to stop her watched, helpless, as she lunged at Minnic, clamped her hands around her throat, and smashed the stone in her hand down hard.
“Ahhh!” Minnie screamed in pain as her forehead split open; she thrashed wildly.
“You bitch! Let go of me! Ah! My head- it hurts p>
The second–generation kids scrambled to pull Tatiana off, but she was frighteningly strong. No matter how they yanked or hit, she wouldn’t let go, even as her own head began to bleed.
They all had the same thought at once: Tatiana had gone mad.
“Pull her off! Cough, cough, hurry! Cough, cough p>
Minnie’s throat was gripped so tight she couldn’t breathe; her face turned steadily ashen.
Finally someone reached into the carriage for a wooden club and swung it hard at the back of Tatiana’s head-
Thwack.
The club was kicked away, and the man holding it was sent sprawling with it.
Everyone froze, staring at the person who had suddenly appeared, their scalps prickling. “Jas— Jasper p>
The newcomer was Jasper.
His face was dark. “Get out p>
The crowd scattered immediately, afraid to be a second slower.
He turned and wrenched Tatiana’s hand. “Let go p>
“Save me! Cough, cough–she’s gone crazy! Help me p>
This time there was real terror in Minnie’s eyes.
For a moment she truly believed she might die.
“Tatiana, let go!” Jasper ordered.
Tatiana seemed not to hear; she still wouldn’t release her grip. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn.net
Jasper clamped onto her wrist, hard; the bones clicked as he forced her hand open.
Her wrist was shockingly skinny, as if a thin layer of skin wrapped the bone.
As soon as Minnie was free she stumbled backward, clutching her neck and wailing, “She was trying to kill me! Put her in jail! I want her locked up for life p>
“That’s enough. Don’t think I don’t know what you were doing just now p>
Minnie’s face registered surprise, a flicker of guilt crossing her eyes as she tried to protest. “It wasn’t me–Bob was paying attention to that, it had nothing to do with me p>
“Go home p>
“Brother p>
“Don’t make me say it twice. Go back p>
Minnie bit her lip, got up grudgingly, and shot one last vicious glare at Tatiana before getting into the car and driving off.
Only Jasper and Tatiana, who had slumped to the ground with her head bowed, remained.
He glanced at the stones scattered on the ground and frowned, a thought forming in his mind. “She won’t run p>
Then he registered, belatedly, that her legs seemed to be a problem; she wouldn’t run fast.
His tone softened slightly. “I’ll warn them p>
She didn’t answer. She kept her head down, shoulders shaking, one hand propping her up while the other kept fiddling with something on the ground.
Her posture for once made Jasper’s usual hardness ease into something colder and more controlled. “Tatiana, I’m talking to you. Look at me p>
He hauled her up. For a beat he was stunned to see a handful of multicolored pills clutched in her palm.
What she had been picking at on the ground were the pills Minnie had pried apart.
Her face was smeared with blood, her ear bleeding too sight.
all of it from the stone blows, a pitiful
Even like that, she had to pick up those damned pills.
Jasper paused, then his voice grew harsher. “Enough. Throw them all away. No one’s going to believe your
sick act p>
Tatiana froze, then tugged a bitter little smile at the corner of her mouth and said softly, “Jasper… why did
you
come? ”
If he hadn’t shown up, that club would have taken her life.
At his name, Jasper let go of her hand. The trace of something in his eyes vanished and hardened back into scorn. “Don’t forget there’s a month’s cooling–off period left. Don’t die before that p>
She nodded vaguely. “Oh… right. Okay. I’ll- I’ll live until that day p>
A wordless irritation rose in him, as if nothing she did could ever satisfy him.
He left with one last line: “Minnie has a temper. Watch yourself.” Then he turned away.
Tatiana sat on the ground for a long time, then began to cough violently.
She forced herself to sort through the pills, picked out a few that looked clean, and shoved them into her mouth, swallowing them dry.
The coating on the pills tasted sweet.
But everything in her mouth was bitter.
Meanwhile, the driver waiting nearby watched the boss come back with a thunderous face and felt puzzled.
The boss had been the one to order the stop
why was he angry now? And Ms. Steele had
taken a terrible beating… Would he regret it later?
His question was answered before he could finish thinking it.
“Mom, look what she did to me! What if I get scars? What am I supposed to do p>
Minnie’s eyes were red from crying, her face full of grievance.
Marilyn frowned. “Who told you to go bother her? The doctor said the wound’s small; it won’t
scar p>
“I didn’t provoke her! I only went to check on her, and she suddenly went berserk! Mom, Tatiana is definitely mentally ill! Send her to a psychiatric hospital! A reform school won’t do any good p>
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.