Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back - Chapter 29: Chapter 29
You are reading Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back, Chapter 29: Chapter 29. Read more chapters of Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back.
"Or will you do what you did a year ago—send me off to be remade into someone else?"
Victor felt as though something had slammed into his chest; his brows knitted tightly.
Just then, members of the Bennett family hurried over.
Adaline took in the scene, her voice laced with concern. "Elena, what happened? Are you all right?"
Annabelle hooked her arm through her mother's, stopping her from approaching Elena.
"Mom, it looks like Elena stole this lady's belongings. They were searching her, but Elena wouldn't cooperate, so things got a little rough."
Adaline's brows drew together, her expression turning icy. "Elena, have you been stealing again?"
Elena's gaze quivered. 'Again?'
They hadn't even bothered to ask what had happened; in their eyes she was stealing again, and the verdict had been pronounced before a single question left their lips.
Elena heard the wealthy heiresses' barbed laughter, the smug little titters with which they celebrated her disgrace.
Feeling utterly spent, she lifted her head toward Adaline, then swept her gaze across the circle of onlookers.
Elena demanded, "Which one of you actually saw me steal anything? If you're going to frame me, at least manufacture some believable evidence!"
One heiress, emboldened now that the Bennetts offered no protection, tossed her hair and scoffed, "Evidence? You already have a record—once a thief, always a thief. That's all the proof we need."
Elena let out a frosty laugh. "If none of you believe me, call the police. Don't just stand here spitting accusations the moment you open your mouths."
Julian ground his teeth, glaring at her in open disappointment. "Elena Bennett! Maybe you deserve a beating. Today is Annie's engagement banquet, yet you insist on causing a scene at such an important occasion. What exactly are you trying to do?"
He barked, "So what if we search you? If you're clean, what are you afraid of? Or do you think losing a shred of dignity is worse than having stolen goods found on you?"
Elena stared at him in disbelief, a stab of pain ripping through her chest.
This was the brother she had called by that name for twenty years, the brother who had sworn he cherished her—yet he could fling her dignity to the floor and let strangers trample it.
Suddenly she no longer felt like arguing. She laughed instead, and as the sound spilled out, a mist of tears flooded her eyes, though sheer stubbornness kept any of them from falling.
"One more thing," Elena enunciated each word clearly, "they already searched me—did they find anything?"
Silence. Not a single person answered.
Victor watched her slender frame trembling with rage and disappointment, and it felt as if an invisible hand clamped around his heart.
He took one deliberate step forward until he was standing at her side.
Victor declared, "Elena's right. If something's missing, call the police. What gives you the right to conduct a forced body search? She could sue every one of you for violating her civil rights."
Every head in the crowd whipped toward Victor in astonishment.
No one had expected him to speak up for her—least of all Elena herself, who felt as though the sun had risen in the west.
Annie clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles blanched.
Victor glanced at Julian and let out a cold laugh. "Julian, an outsider bullies your sister and you take the outsider's side. Which of them is actually your sister? Or is it that, now you know she isn't tied to the Bennetts by blood, you can't even be bothered to keep up appearances?"
Julian's brows snapped together; he shot Victor a warning look. "Victor Whitmore, do you even hear yourself? This is your engagement banquet with Annie!"
"It's my engagement banquet, and it has nothing to do with this issue," Victor replied icily.
Victor felt as though something had slammed into his chest; his brows knitted tightly.
Just then, members of the Bennett family hurried over.
Adaline took in the scene, her voice laced with concern. "Elena, what happened? Are you all right?"
Annabelle hooked her arm through her mother's, stopping her from approaching Elena.
"Mom, it looks like Elena stole this lady's belongings. They were searching her, but Elena wouldn't cooperate, so things got a little rough."
Adaline's brows drew together, her expression turning icy. "Elena, have you been stealing again?"
Elena's gaze quivered. 'Again?'
They hadn't even bothered to ask what had happened; in their eyes she was stealing again, and the verdict had been pronounced before a single question left their lips.
Elena heard the wealthy heiresses' barbed laughter, the smug little titters with which they celebrated her disgrace.
Feeling utterly spent, she lifted her head toward Adaline, then swept her gaze across the circle of onlookers.
Elena demanded, "Which one of you actually saw me steal anything? If you're going to frame me, at least manufacture some believable evidence!"
One heiress, emboldened now that the Bennetts offered no protection, tossed her hair and scoffed, "Evidence? You already have a record—once a thief, always a thief. That's all the proof we need."
Elena let out a frosty laugh. "If none of you believe me, call the police. Don't just stand here spitting accusations the moment you open your mouths."
Julian ground his teeth, glaring at her in open disappointment. "Elena Bennett! Maybe you deserve a beating. Today is Annie's engagement banquet, yet you insist on causing a scene at such an important occasion. What exactly are you trying to do?"
He barked, "So what if we search you? If you're clean, what are you afraid of? Or do you think losing a shred of dignity is worse than having stolen goods found on you?"
Elena stared at him in disbelief, a stab of pain ripping through her chest.
This was the brother she had called by that name for twenty years, the brother who had sworn he cherished her—yet he could fling her dignity to the floor and let strangers trample it.
Suddenly she no longer felt like arguing. She laughed instead, and as the sound spilled out, a mist of tears flooded her eyes, though sheer stubbornness kept any of them from falling.
"One more thing," Elena enunciated each word clearly, "they already searched me—did they find anything?"
Silence. Not a single person answered.
Victor watched her slender frame trembling with rage and disappointment, and it felt as if an invisible hand clamped around his heart.
He took one deliberate step forward until he was standing at her side.
Victor declared, "Elena's right. If something's missing, call the police. What gives you the right to conduct a forced body search? She could sue every one of you for violating her civil rights."
Every head in the crowd whipped toward Victor in astonishment.
No one had expected him to speak up for her—least of all Elena herself, who felt as though the sun had risen in the west.
Annie clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles blanched.
Victor glanced at Julian and let out a cold laugh. "Julian, an outsider bullies your sister and you take the outsider's side. Which of them is actually your sister? Or is it that, now you know she isn't tied to the Bennetts by blood, you can't even be bothered to keep up appearances?"
Julian's brows snapped together; he shot Victor a warning look. "Victor Whitmore, do you even hear yourself? This is your engagement banquet with Annie!"
"It's my engagement banquet, and it has nothing to do with this issue," Victor replied icily.
End of Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back Chapter 29. Continue reading Chapter 30 or return to Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back book page.