The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 258

She turned on her heel, marched into the hospital room, and came back with a folder. Without hesitation, she tossed it right at Steven’s chest. “Here. This is the doctor’s report. My grandfather had a severe brain hemorrhage because he was so upset. He’s still fighting for his life.”

Elio immediately stepped up, positioning himself between her and Steven, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “Steven, you keep talking about protecting your sister, but you can’t even tell right from wrong. What Shannon did wasn’t just immature—it was cruel. It was a crime.”

Steven’s jaw tightened, his eyebrows drawn together.

Shannon saw him hesitate, scrambled up from the floor, and shrieked, “Steven! They’re framing me! Lucie and Elio are in this together. She just wants revenge!”

A sharp slap cut through the chaos. Steven’s hand came down hard, leaving Shannon stumbling backward, stunned.

“Enough!” he snapped. “You made a mistake and you refuse to take responsibility. You’ve really let me down.”

Shannon clutched her cheek, tears streaming down her face. “You… you hit me…”

Steven didn’t even look at her. His eyes were locked on Lucie, dark and conflicted. “Lucie, she’s been punished enough. For my sake, just let this go. I’ll pay for all of Grandpa’s treatment. And if you want compensation, just name your price.”

Lucie’s glare was ice cold, her voice trembling with rage. She couldn’t believe he was standing there bargaining with her after everything he’d done last night. That was a debt she hadn’t even started to collect.

Elio slipped his arm around her shoulders, steady and protective. “Lucie, go back to your room and get some rest. I’ll finish this.”

Steven’s eyes turned even colder, his voice low and threatening. “I’ll ask one last time—are you really going to make this a big deal?”

A shiver ran down Lucie’s spine. She might have left New Amberton, but the Anderson family’s businesses were still rooted there. Steven knew exactly what she had to lose. If he wanted payback, he could wipe out everything she’d worked for.

“Let him make a scene,” Elio growled. “You don’t need to be scared.”

But Lucie understood the stakes. She wasn’t afraid—she was calculating. The more you have, the more you have to lose. After a moment that felt like forever, she took a slow breath, forcing herself to sound calm. “Fine. If you want me to forgive her, she needs to kneel outside my grandfather’s hospital room. She can get up when he’s out of danger.”

Shannon’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “What did you say? Steven, she’s humiliating me on purpose. I’m not kneeling for her!”

Steven shot her a freezing look. “Either kneel or go to jail. Your choice.”

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