Chapter 316 Winning the Lawsuit

Chapter 316 Winning the Lawsuit

Mira was Emily's biological grandmother.

Yet Emily had the nerve to use her safety to threaten Victoria.

The shamelessness was staggering.

Victoria wiped her hands and suddenly stood up, walking toward Emily.

Emily: "You still have time to drop the lawsuit. If you don't… ah! What are you doing? Victoria, are you insane?!"

Before she could finish, she was hauled upward.

Thirty-plus floors up, Victoria gripped Emily and shoved her against the railing. Emily's body dangled halfway over the edge, her face draining of all color.

If Victoria let go, she'd be smashed to pieces.

Emily's pupils dilated, her voice shaking.

"Are you out of your mind? Murder is illegal. If you push me, you won't get away with it either…"

Victoria let out a scornful laugh.

'Now' she was scared?

Victoria loosened one finger. Emily immediately went rigid.

"Don't, don't, don't…"

She didn't dare breathe, nearly frightened to death.

Emily's voice cracked with tears—she was truly terrified now. "Calm down. I, I didn't even do anything to Mira… I'm sorry, okay?!"

She'd only threatened Victoria. She hadn't actually hurt Mira.

And Victoria was ready to drop her to her death.

Emily's body swayed in midair. She clung desperately to Victoria's hand, terrified of falling.

The wind was fierce up here, and she was afraid of heights.

Emily's heart felt like it would burst from her chest. Her legs wouldn't stop trembling.

Seeing her pathetic state, Victoria yanked her back up. The moment she let go, Emily collapsed onto the ground, legs giving out.

Victoria looked down at her with cold disdain.

"If Mira loses a single hair, you'll end up worse than this. Understand?"

Emily was still dazed. Reluctantly, she nodded.

She was terrified this lunatic would throw her over again.

Hair disheveled, Emily sat slumped on the ground, furious inside but not daring to provoke Victoria further.

'This psycho!'

Who knew what crazier stunt she'd pull next.

Emily staggered to her feet, casting a resentful glance at Victoria, but she didn't dare say another word for fear of setting her off.

She left in disgrace.

Victoria curled her lip in contempt. They never listened until she made them.

---

Every single person in the Smith family was the same—stupid and rotten, forcing her to use her hands.

After Emily left, Victoria washed her hands and sat down to enjoy her meal in peace.

Emily fled back to Emerald City in a panic. Realizing she had no way out, she hired a cheap lawyer.

She had no money now. Her livestream had been permanently banned, cutting off her income. She was forced to sell her newly purchased handbag on a secondhand trading site.

A bag worth over six hundred thousand sold for only a hundred sixty thousand.

Emily was livid. But she was desperate—without selling the bag, she couldn't even afford the lawyer's fees.

If it weren't for that bitch Victoria, she wouldn't have been reduced to this.

Staring at her brand-new Hermès bag, Emily's heart ached.

"Bitch! Why doesn't she just drop dead?!"

Emily grabbed a pillow and swung it wildly at the air, teeth clenched in fury.

She'd thought returning to the Smith family meant living the life of a wealthy heiress. Instead, she was living worse than a beggar.

The crushing gap was unbearable.

If she'd never known she was a Smith family daughter, never glimpsed the wealth and grandeur of high society, maybe she could've been content with an ordinary life.

But she 'had' tasted the glittering luxury of Emerald City's elite. She'd lived the opulent life of the wealthy.

Now she couldn't stand being poor and ordinary again!

She'd finally started earning money through livestreaming—and then that damned Victoria came after her again.

Emily cursed Victoria daily, wishing she'd get hit by a car, drown while swimming, choke on her food, or suffocate on water…

With the hundred sixty thousand from selling her bag, Emily hired a lawyer from a firm in Emerald City.

Lawyers in Emerald City were nowhere near as skilled as those in Lucent.

Especially since Victoria's lawyer was Manuel Barnett, a partner at one of Lucent's top firms—a renowned attorney most people couldn't even afford.

On the day of the trial, Victoria and Manuel appeared together.

In court, Manuel presented meticulously prepared evidence.

His arguments were sharp, his reasoning airtight.

Emily's side had no solid evidence to counter.

The judge ruled in favor of Victoria on the spot. Emily was ordered to pay economic damages and issue a public apology.

Emily owed Victoria one hundred fifty thousand dollars in reputational damages, plus a full public apology online.

A hundred fifty thousand. It might as well have been a death sentence.

Where was she supposed to get that kind of money?

Forget a hundred fifty thousand—she didn't even have fifteen thousand right now. And that useless garbage lawyer still wanted tens of thousands in fees.

Emily seethed, glaring daggers at Victoria.

A public apology online? That was like slapping herself in the face.

Emily didn't want to do either. But if she didn't comply, the court would enforce it.

After the hearing, Emily blocked Victoria's path, feigning remorse. "Sis, I really didn't know it would turn out like this. I'm apologizing, okay? You're not short on money anyway, and you don't care what people say. Just forget about the hundred fifty thousand and the apology."

Forget it?

Victoria sneered. "You think calling me 'sis' once is worth a hundred fifty thousand? Emily, you're not worth that much."

Seeing Victoria wouldn't budge, Emily flushed with anger. "You don't even need the money! The Windsor family is loaded. Forget a hundred fifty thousand—even a million and a half is nothing to you. You're so petty!"

"Besides, the Smith family went bankrupt. I don't have the money to pay you! If you insist on getting a hundred fifty thousand, go ask Jennifer for it!"

Having lost the lawsuit, Emily resorted to throwing a tantrum.

Too bad she was dealing with Victoria. Cheap tricks like this didn't work on her at all.

Victoria had her lawyer pull out a voice recorder, waving it in Emily's face like a threat.

"Say that again. The judge hasn't left yet—we can keep this lawsuit going."

"…" Emily immediately clamped her mouth shut.

A wave of frustration churned inside her.

She'd never once won against Victoria.

The group walked out of the courthouse. Reporters who'd been waiting outside swarmed them immediately.

The conflict between Victoria and Emily had stirred up major online buzz. The press wanted the scoop first.

"Emily, you lost this case. Do you have anything to say?"

Emily's eyes instantly welled up. Facing the camera, she looked pitiful. "I don't know what to say. I'm afraid I'll accidentally say the wrong thing again and get dragged for it…"

Jennifer hugged Emily, comforting her. "Don't be scared, Emily. That ungrateful wretch Victoria will get what's coming to her!"

Mother and daughter put on a touching display for the cameras.

Victoria didn't bother with them and turned to leave, but reporters blocked her path.

A microphone was shoved in her face.

"Miss Windsor, during this scandal, not only did the Windsor Group support you, but the Howard Group also spoke out on your behalf. What's your relationship with the Howard Group? Are you two dating?"

Caspian?

Victoria's eyes darkened slightly at the question.

Her expression remained calm. "That's a question you should ask Caspian."

Her relationship with Caspian wasn't easy to define right now.

She'd proposed they keep things purely physical, but Caspian hadn't agreed.

Yet they were still maintaining a physical relationship.

She tossed the question to Caspian, knowing full well no one would dare ask him directly.

And indeed, no one did.