Chapter 23
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Aria took it from him and said coldly , “ It’s okay . It can be fixed .”
Zoe focused solely on Silvia and ignored the tension between the three of them .
Her eyes were glistening with tears as she said , “ Silvia has always been afraid of pain since she was little ; we never let her get even a scratch before . Now that she’s been hurt so badly , she must be in so much pain .”
She shot an accusing look at Aria that disappeared in an instant .
“ Aria , ” she asked cautiously with a hint of probing in her voice , “ is Silvia’s injury related to you ? ”
Aria didn’t miss her expression ; she raised an eyebrow slightly and curled her lips into a mocking smile . “ In another sense ,” she said slowly , “ yes . ”
Zoe’s expression changed instantly ; Luke stood up abruptly and yelled at Caleb , “ See ! I knew it was her doing ! ”
Caleb frowned and was about to speak when he heard a faint murmur from Silvia ; the tense atmosphere vanished immediately .
“ Mom . ” As soon as Silvia opened her eyes and saw her mother , tears welled up in them as if she had many grievances that couldn’t be expressed .
Zoe’s heart softened instantly ; she gently stroked Silvia’s head and asked softly , “ Does it still hurt ? ”
“ No ,” Silvia replied . Her nose was bright red , and her voice had a sob in it .
Luke’s eyes reddened with concern as he asked , “ Silvia , what exactly happened ? Did Aria target you , purposely causing you harm ? ”
Hearing this , Silvia instinctively turned her head to meet Aria’s . emotionless eyes .
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3:48 pm
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She hurriedly denied , “ It wasn’t her . It was Delilah who pushed me . Aria even tried to protect- ”
“ Silvia ! ” Luke cut her off , fuming , “ Stop defending Aria . Your friends . already told us . ”
‘ What did Delilah say ? ‘ Silvia looked totally confused .
“ Zoe , if there’s a first time , there’ll be a second . Aria hates Silvia . This time , Silvia got lucky and only hit her forehead . What if Aria tries to kill her next time ?
“ If y
you guys just stand there and do nothing , I’ll move out with Silvia ! ” Luke glared at Aria , who looked back at him with a mocking gaze .
The air was thick with tension , like it only needed a spark to explode .
Zoe broke the silence first . “ Aria , did you push Silvia ? ”
“ If I said no , would you believe me ? ” Aria stared back at Zoe .
The glaring sunlight outside slanted through the window and fell on her face , half daylight , half darkness .
Her left eye was bright and sparkling , while her right eye was hidden in the dark , deep and unfathomable like a black hole .
The stark contrast seemed to hang on Zoe’s next words .
Caleb’s heart skipped a beat as he took a step forward and called out urgently , “ Mom- ”
Aria turned her head , her face completely hidden in the darkness now . She looked at Caleb coldly with a hint of warning in her eyes .
Caleb understood what Aria meant and stopped in his tracks , looking at his mother anxiously and hoping she would say , “ I believe you . ”
But he was disappointed .
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Zoe hesitated . Her expression was complex – guilt , self – reproach , sadness , and distrust all mixed together .
“ Aria , it’s my fault for not watching over you back then . If you had grown up in the Saxon family , you wouldn’t be like this now . ” Zoe’s voice choked
“ I’ve raised Silvia for over twenty years , and the bond of family is something I can’t sever . Can’t you all get along peacefully ? Please , I’m begging you , just for me .”
As soon as she finished , Aria tilted her head and smiled .
At that moment , she stayed completely in the shadow with no trace of sunlight on her body .
Meanwhile , Silvia froze with wide eyes , not understanding how things had escalated so quickly . She had already explained herself , but why didn’t they believe her ?
“ Mom . ” Silvia grabbed Zoe’s sleeve . “ You really misunderstood- ”
“ I get it . ” A clear voice interrupted her words .
Silvia glanced sideways at Aria and saw those cold eyes filled with . determination .
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