Chapter 82
“See? See? I knew this young lady was framed!” Orlando boomed, making sure everyone could hear him.
Salma also looked at Juniper, pushing her glasses up her nose, her expression a complex mix of emotions. Ever since it was revealed that she was the famous dancer ‘Lunar,’ Salma had suspected there was more to this girl than met the eye. How could an eighteen-year-old girl, raised in a rural sanctuary, kicked out by her foster parents, and living in the slums, know so much? She was becoming more and more of an enigma.
“Mr. Schwartz, I-” Dustin’s heart hammered against his ribs. Unable to bear the psychological pressure, he dropped to his knees, his entire body trembling.
“Dad, what are you doing?” Waheed, clutching his swollen face, glared at Juniper defiantly. “Who are these people? Are they richer than us? Let’s just hire good lawyers! I want to see Juniper rot in jail!”
“SMACK ”
Dustin swung his hand back and slapped his clueless son, yanking him down to kneel on the floor. “Shut up!” he hissed.
The idiot. All he ever did was cause trouble. Could they afford to offend the
Schwartz family? A contest of wealth? The Farley family’s entire fortune wasn’t even a fraction of what the Schwartz Group was worth.
“Now, apologize to them,” Dustin ordered, forcefully pushing Waheed’s head down. “Especially to Juniper.”
The slap stunned Waheed. The pain in his already injured face intensified, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Say it!” Dustin slapped him again when he remained silent.
“Waaah Waheed pressed his hands to his face, his tear-filled eyes fixed on Juniper. “I’m sorry, Juniper,” he whimpered. “I shouldn’t have been disrespectful to you.”
“Is ‘sorry’ supposed to fix everything?” Qadir scoffed, standing tall. “If Mr. Schwartz hadn’t shown up, and if Juniper hadn’t restored the footage, you would have had her wrongly convicted!”
Carl and Dustin remained silent, not daring to speak.
“How do you want to handle this?” Shanley gestured for Juniper to sit in the chair next to him.
“Weren’t you the one who said the ringleader should be expelled, prosecuted, and sent to prison?” Juniper sat down primly and threw Dustin’s own words back at him.
“Mr. Schwartz, Juniper, please, can’t you forgive him just this once?” Dustin’s face was ashen, his tone utterly subservient. “I promise I’ll discipline him strictly from now on. I’m begging you, please give him another chance.”
Shanley said nothing, his gaze remaining on Juniper.
“No,” Juniper popped a piece of candy into her mouth and refused without
hesitation. “If it had been anyone else, you would have had them locked up by now, wouldn’t you?
You’re not begging because you’re truly sorry; you’re begging because you’re afraid of ruining your son’s future.
I don’t bother people who don’t bother me, but if you cross me, you have to face the consequences. Whatever you planned for me, you can do to him.”
Juniper lifted her gaze, her eyes cold and clear as she enunciated each word. “Expulsion, prosecution, and prison. Not one less.”
She was no soft-hearted saint. She believed in an eye for an eye. And her temper was formidable.
“Phew.” Hearing Juniper’s verdict, the other parents and students let out a collective sigh of relief. They knew all too well what a menace Waheed was. Letting him off the hook would be like releasing a rabid dog back into the wild. Thank goodness Juniper wasn’t the forgiving type.
What a relief. It was so satisfying.