Chapter 19 Evidence You Don't Have, But I Do
Emily not only dodged Aiden's hand but also slapped the back of it.
Aiden winced and instinctively pulled his hand back.
"Aiden, if you keep trying to touch me, don't blame me for not holding back. I grew up collecting scrap, so I've got plenty of strength!" Emily warned coldly.
It was still the same thin face he remembered, but now Aiden found it completely unfamiliar.
Maybe it was because of the misunderstanding about Bianca being bullied last time that had upset her so much.
Aiden frowned and softened his tone. "Emily, don’t be stubborn. I'm doing this for your own good. You know we have a partnership with the Reyes family. If they come looking for answers, you should admit your mistake to avoid making things worse. If you don't apologize now, the Reyes family might call the police. Do you really want to ruin your future?"
"Call the police?" Emily raised an eyebrow. "Let them call the police then!"
She would welcome it. Even if they didn't, she would.
Aiden was exasperated by Emily's stubbornness.
Maybe the Johnson family's kindness and protection over the years had made her too complacent. Hayden was right; she needed a wake-up call.
"Since you won't listen, you'll regret it later."
When that time came, even if she begged him for help, he wouldn’t easily agree.
Aiden turned to leave, opening the door just as a uniformed officer arrived.
As the heir to the Johnson family business, Aiden quickly regained his composure after a moment of surprise.
"Who here is Emily? We have a report of a fight, and we need you to come with us to the station for investigation," the officer said, showing his badge.
Aiden looked at Emily with a complex expression. "If you regret it now, I can still help you..."
"I'm Emily. Let's go," Emily interrupted, nodding calmly to the officer and walking out ahead.
Her composed demeanor made it seem like she was heading to receive an award, not a police investigation.
Aiden's face darkened. He thought she was ignorant of the consequences, not realizing that with the Reyes family's lawyer involved, she might spend some time in jail.
As Emily was escorted from the school, someone discreetly took photos, which quickly spread across the campus forum, creating new gossip that spread throughout the university.
Even though the principal wanted to keep things quiet, the involvement of the Reyes family meant his efforts were likely in vain. He could only try to control the forum discussions and prevent further spread of the news.
Emily remained unafraid as she calmly followed the officers to the station.
Byron's mother, Sabrina, rushed at Emily as soon as she saw her, furious.
"You wretch! How dare you hurt Byron? He's bedridden because of you! You should just die! No wonder you were abandoned, you piece of trash..."
Sabrina hurled insults with all her might.
Aiden, who had reluctantly followed, heard Sabrina’s words as he arrived.
Emily was still part of the Johnson family, so insulting her was like insulting them.
Eli was away on a business trip and didn't know about this yet.
Aiden, swallowing his pride, quickly intervened. "Mrs. Reyes, please calm down. We will cover all of Byron’s medical expenses, and we won’t shield Emily from the consequences of her actions."
Sabrina's anger was partly genuine, but she also wanted to see how the Johnson family would react.
"Emily, you think you're so tough, huh? Now you can face the consequences of your actions!" Hayden was there too, of course, alongside Bianca.
Bianca looked at Emily with concern. "Emily, before the case is finalized, you should apologize and seek Byron's forgiveness. Maybe it'll lead to a lighter sentence. What if you end up in jail?"
Her words painted the picture of a caring sister.
Hayden, however, was less sympathetic. "Bianca, you're too kind. She bullied you, and yet you're still thinking of her. She deserves what's coming to her!"
Aiden lowered his voice, trying to reason with Emily. "Do you see now? Listen to us; we're doing this for your own good."
Emily sneered, "You’re such a great family. The charges aren’t even confirmed, and you’re already pushing me to confess, just to make sure the Reyes family has something to hold against me!"
Sabrina’s face darkened. "What, you think you can deny it? You grew up in the streets, so you’ve learned to be a scoundrel. But it’s useless. You hurt Byron, and you’ll pay for it."
Emily laughed coldly. "Do you have any evidence? Just saying I hurt Byron doesn’t make it true."
She remembered there were no cameras in the grove where it happened. That’s why Byron had taken Sophia there to bully her.
"You think there’s no evidence because there were no cameras, right? But Byron's injuries are real, and Hayden can testify, along with other students you beat up."
Sabrina wasn't bluffing; she had already consulted with their lawyer and wouldn’t be led by Emily.
Emily glared at Bianca and Hayden.
Aiden didn’t expect Hayden to testify against his own family. But perhaps he was considering the partnership between the families and wanted to avenge Bianca for losing her spot.
Aiden didn’t agree with airing family issues publicly, though. It was embarrassing for the Johnson family.
Hayden met Emily’s gaze and snorted. "What are you looking at? I’m telling the truth. I’m the one testifying, not Bianca."
Emily cursed him in her mind: Idiot. He’s being used by Bianca and doesn’t even realize it.
She turned back to Sabrina, who was gloating.
"Hayden has a grudge against me, so his testimony might not be reliable. Did he mention who started it? If he lies, that’s perjury."
Emily smirked, her lips cold and sharp. "Even if I did hit Byron, it was self-defense."
"Self-defense? You think you can put Byron in bed with self-defense?" Sabrina shrieked.
Byron’s father, Isaac Reyes, remained silent, not even looking at Emily. To him, she was insignificant.
He addressed Aiden directly. "It seems Emily doesn’t realize her mistake. We’ll proceed according to the law."
"Fine, Mr. Reyes. But if Byron is faking his injuries, that’s a false accusation. I suggest you get a medical assessment first."
"Emily, stop making things worse!" Aiden scolded, thinking she didn’t understand the severity of the assessment.
Emily remained unfazed. "Go ahead, get the assessment."
Isaac, furious, prepared to leave with Sabrina.
Emily suddenly pulled a USB drive from her bag. "Mr. Reyes, I almost forgot. You don’t have footage from the grove, but I do."