Chapter 20 Lily Was Gone
The slap left Lily's hand tingling.
She stared at Dennis in shock, his figure suddenly looming over her.
She never expected him to grab her hand and use it to slap Austin.
The room fell silent.
Sophie felt a twisted satisfaction seeing Austin get hit.
Now, Austin would never forgive Lily.
Austin's eyes were bloodshot, his tone incredulous, "Lily! How dare you hit me?"
Didn't she fear his anger, that he might never speak to her again?
Lily slowly withdrew her hand, feeling a bit of satisfaction.
She spoke calmly, "You hit me first. I just returned the favor. Problem?"
"But I was stopping you from saying something you'd regret! How is that the same?"
Austin had always been proud. Even though he had just apologized, he never expected Lily to slap him back. It was embarrassing.
Dennis's thin lips curled into a mocking smile, "Can you tell us exactly what she said that could cause such a disaster?"
Austin looked at Sophie, standing his ground, "Sophie was upset. What if Lily's words had pushed her to do something drastic?"
He didn't think he was wrong. It was Lily who was cold, lacking family bonds.
Even if she won the competition, it didn't give her the right to hurt her family.
Dennis turned his icy gaze to Sophie, "We've been talking for a while now. If you were really going to kill yourself, why haven't you done it yet? Who are you trying to fool?"
Sophie was taken aback.
Dennis was vicious.
She never truly wanted to die. But when did Lily become so close to Dennis?
Feeling awkward, Sophie held the blade, unsure whether to continue or stop.
She tried to play the victim again, her eyes watering, "I, I was just in a panic, I wanted to..."
"If you're in a panic, you can go die somewhere alone. But using suicide to threaten others into doing what you want, that's on you."
This time, Sophie cried for real, not just pretending.
Lily, exhausted, glanced at Dennis, "Let's go."
She didn't want to waste any more time here.
Michael frowned, "Where are you going?"
"Where I go is my business."
"But you're still a minor. As your guardian, I have the right to know your whereabouts. And you can't just leave with a stranger."
Michael gave Dennis a wary look.
Was this man the reason for Lily's recent changes?
Austin blocked Lily's path, "Michael's right. You're too young to be swayed by some smooth-talking guy."
Michael glared at Dennis, "If you try to take Lily away, I'll call the police and report you for kidnapping a minor."
Lily was angry, "He's not kidnapping me. I'm leaving on my own."
She didn't want to stay in the Roberts house any longer. It was suffocating.
Michael looked at her, "Lily, I know you're going through a rebellious phase. But you'll understand one day that I'm doing this for your own good."
Dennis sneered, "For her own good? So, every time there's a conflict, Lily has to be the one to compromise? Every time she gets hurt, she has to be the one to understand? If it's so good, why don't you try it?"
Michael had no response.
He realized now that he had neglected Lily, thinking her obedient silence meant she wasn't affected. He never imagined she remembered everything. He had failed as a brother.
Just then, the police arrived, accompanied by a lawyer.
The lawyer spoke first, "I'm Lily's attorney. Given the repeated instances of violence from her family, we've submitted evidence. She will now go to a place she feels safe, under police escort."
Lily was surprised. She hadn't hired a lawyer. Did Dennis do it?
Dennis met her eyes calmly, giving her a sense of reassurance.
Austin was furious, "What do you mean? We're her guardians. What right do you have?"
The lawyer blocked Austin, "Sir, Lily has filed for a protective order. You're now required to stay away from her for six months. Any further harm will result in legal action."
Austin was too shocked to speak, a mix of anger and guilt.
Michael felt defeated. He finally realized he might lose Lily.
He softened, "Lily, I know I haven't been good to you. But I promise, things will change. Please don't do this."
Lily looked up slowly, her gaze serious, "It's too late."
She turned and walked away.
Michael's throat tightened, his eyes stinging. He had truly hurt Lily.
She wouldn't believe him now or return to the Roberts house.
Austin watched Lily leave, panic rising.
How could she go? How could she leave the Roberts family? She was their sister.
He turned to Michael, desperate, "Michael, do something! She can't leave! We're family!"
If Lily left, what about the team finals?
Michael gave a bitter smile, "If you knew that, why did you hit her?"
Austin was speechless. He had acted impulsively because of Sophie's threatening self-harm.
He turned to Sophie, frustrated, "Why did you do something so dangerous?"
It was all because of Sophie.
"Austin, I just wanted Lily to calm down and join the team. I did it for you."
Sophie felt guilty but wouldn't admit it.
Austin found it laughable, "You think self-harm would calm her down? You were manipulating her!"
Sophie froze. Since when did Austin get so smart?
Michael tried to mediate, "Enough, Austin. Stop talking."
"Michael, it's true. I never asked Sophie to self-harm to force Lily into the team. She did it on her own, causing this mess!"
The more Austin thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.
Sophie shrank back, tearfully, "Austin, I'm sorry. I panicked and thought it was the only way. I know I was wrong. I'll apologize to Lily."
Austin softened at her sincere apology, "Fine, but don't do it again."
Still, the thought of Lily leaving made him uneasy.
Sophie quickly brightened, back to her sweet, obedient self. But inside, she hated Lily even more.
Her self-harm plan had almost worked, if not for Dennis.
Sophie turned to Michael, "Michael, what's Lily's relationship with that nurse?"
Michael's expression was complicated, "I don't know."
"Michael, I'm worried Lily might be manipulated. The Roberts family is wealthy and powerful. Who knows what that nurse might want?"
Austin sneered, "That nurse? Really?"
Michael's eyes were cold, "I'll have her brought back and make sure that nurse disappears from this city."
The Roberts family wasn't to be messed with.
Sophie felt a glimmer of hope. Without Dennis' influence, Lily would be easy to control again.
But soon, the search team reported back, "Mr. Michael Roberts, we couldn't find Ms. Roberts or the doctor."
Michael started to panic.
Lily was gone?