Dane had perfect manners, and Pandora already had lunch waiting for him. He only stayed in the countryside for half a day. The folks there were warm and welcoming, and with Dane's good looks, he attracted a lot of attention. People weren't obvious about it, but every time he so much as stepped outside, someone would be sneaking glances his way.
That afternoon, Dane headed back to the city. Claire had told him she had tutoring, so he asked for the address. When her class ended, he was already waiting at the door for her. As luck would have it, they bumped into Molly's parents again. The couple still hadn't given up.
"Claire." Dane smiled and waved at her. Molly's parents spotted her at the same time and hurried over. "Claire! Claire!" Together, they looked even more worn out than before. While other families were enjoying big holiday reunions, their own daughter was stuck in jail. Of course they were struggling. It was even worse during the holiday gatherings, with relatives whispering behind their backs. Some blamed Claire for being too ruthless; others said Molly's parents had failed to raise her properly. If they'd done better as parents, how could Molly have ended up in this mess? The whole thing didn't just bring shame to Molly's immediate family, but to all their relatives. None of them were rich, but the family used to hold their heads high around the village. Now, after all the criticism, Molly's parents were at their breaking point. They were angry and scared, and these days, they showed up here all the time, hoping to run into Claire for another chance to plead.
Claire's face stayed calm. "Why are you here again?"
"Claire, our Molly really knows she was wrong," her mother said quickly. "She's been in the detention center for so long... can't you just forgive her? It's the holidays. Everyone else is together, but she's all alone in there. It's heartbreaking. She's still just a kid. We'll pay for anything, we'll have her apologize. If there's anything else you want, we'll do our best. Please, can't you drop the charges? She's suffered enough. Haven't you let it go by now?"
Molly's parents had tried to find Claire's hometown, but they couldn't. They even tried asking Octavia, but she wouldn't talk to them. Octavia thought about helping, then realized that Claire found out, it would only make things worse, maybe even blow up in her face. She stayed quiet instead. The last time she talked to Claire, she got a bad feeling that Claire might know more than she let on. Octavia wasn't foolish enough to push her luck again.
Claire didn't know or care about
Octavia's caution. She looked at
you
Molly's parents I've tote you
already. The case with Molly is
settled. There's nothing more you
can do by begging me."
Molly's mom stared at Claire, eyes red and puffy from crying. "How can you be so heartless?"
"I'm not the heartless one here," Claire said calmly. "Molly is. She's the one who never thought about her parents or the consequences, She acted recklessly, hurt others, and pushed things too far just to get what she wanted. And let me give you some advice. Don't even think about breaking the law. If you do, I'l make sure you end up in jail" "with" her. If I have any strength, it's that I don't hesitate when it comes to protecting myself." Her voice was unwavering and icy.
Dane stepped up beside her, gently pulling Claire behind him as he faced the
couple, his eyes wary. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Claire's gut feeling had been right. Molly's mother had actually come prepared, with a small fruit knife hidden in her bag.