Estelle paused, then wrapped her arms around Tala in a tight hug. Before she could find the words to comfort her, Tala returned the embrace with equal intensity.
"Sister, I know it’s not my fault. I won’t let myself be blamed," Tala said, her voice steady but filled with quiet strength. "If I don’t stand up, he’ll hurt other girls. And my parents, well, they’ve never cared for me. They gave all their love to my brother. What they say now is just because that scum showed up with money."
Tala had thought she’d become numb to the pain, but talking to Estelle made her heart twist, and tears threatened to fall.
"Look, to them, I’m just a means to an end. Whether I marry early or drop the case, they don’t care about what I want. That man, when he touched me, he said he was born superior, that no one could punish him, not even the law."
Her voice shook slightly, but her resolve remained clear.
"I don’t want money. I just want him to pay for what he’s done."
Tala looked up at Estelle, her eyes bright with hope and admiration. "Sister, you’ll help me, won’t you?"
Estelle nodded firmly, her voice full of conviction. "I promise you, I will make him pay the price he deserves." She gently patted Tala’s head before sealing her promise with a pinky swear.
Tala’s eyes sparkled as she skipped away, a rare glimmer of youthful innocence lighting up her face, something Estelle hadn’t seen from her before.
In truth, the case was incredibly difficult. Estelle poured herself into it, working late into the night, desperate for a breakthrough. But with the victim’s family wavering on whether to proceed, Estelle knew it was fear keeping them in the fight, the fear of their own failures being exposed. Even if they lost, the other party would still pay ten thousand in compensation, so they wouldn't end up with nothing.
Estelle understood: this was her one shot.
She couldn’t protect herself, but at least she would protect Tala.
When work finally came to an end, a crowd had gathered outside the building. Estelle had already removed her plaster, but she was still walking with a noticeable slowness. She tried to slip past the crowd unnoticed, but as she rounded the corner, she spotted Bronson waiting for her by the curb.
He leaned casually against a car with a license plate full of sevens, the keys spinning effortlessly around his finger.
To prepare for the pregnancy, Bronson had quit smoking and drinking, a far cry from the careless man Estelle had once known. He looked almost... diligent.
Her coworkers knew only that Estelle was married, but none of them knew her husband was Bronson. Estelle instinctively tried to avoid him, but he had already caught sight of her. She had no choice but to approach, her every step weighed down by the curious gazes of her colleagues. Without a word, she opened the passenger door and slid inside.
Bronson smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes before slowly sliding into the driver’s seat.
"Can we switch cars next time?" Estelle rubbed her forehead, the buzzing of her phone in her hand almost unbearable.
"You can pick any car from the garage. I’ll drive it next time," Bronson replied, starting the engine.
Estelle didn’t respond. The garage only housed cars that were far more expensive than this one, so she had little choice in the matter.
Lately, she and Bronson had managed to find a delicate balance between them. Estelle didn’t want to argue, so she chose silence, the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her. Tonight was the Bradwell family's annual banquet, and Estelle had no choice but to attend.
As she stepped into the grand old house with Bronson, her gaze immediately landed on Soleil standing nearby.
Without missing a beat, Estelle averted her eyes, masking her indifference, pretending not to notice.
Soleil, however, didn’t let her go so easily. Gripping her palm tightly, she swiftly approached.
"Bronson, Auntie was just asking for you. Let me take care of Estelle. You can go see if Auntie needs anything."
Bronson was always alert when it came to rivals, no matter their gender. Instinctively, he pulled Estelle closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. He turned to Soleil with a sharp look and said, "Estelle is my wife, the daughter-in-law of the Bradwell family. If my mother needs something, she’ll have no trouble finding me."
Soleil’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but she quickly regained her composure, keeping her voice steady. "It’s about Grandpa Brandon."
