Chapter 549 - 541: Let’s Forget About This Marriage

"I paid for June Walsh’s abortion!" Holly Wood said, looking at them. "Are you saying you took the money and still want to cause a scene?"

June Walsh refused to admit it. "You didn’t give me any money. I never received anything. You’re lying."

Holly Wood sneered. "This is how you act after taking my money? June Walsh, you’ve really got some nerve. Still not admitting it?"

June Walsh had a look on her face that said, ’I won’t admit it, so what can you do about it?’ "Holly Wood, if you don’t give me a proper explanation today, just you try me. You want to call the police? Fine, go ahead! Let’s see who gets the harsher sentence!"

She was certain that Holly Wood wouldn’t dare to call the police.

Little did she know, Leon Lynch had, in fact, already called the police.

When the police arrived, the Walsh family was a bit flustered, but since they thought they had a major piece of leverage, they weren’t afraid.

"You injured someone and vandalized this place?"

June Walsh spoke up. "Officer, they pushed me too far! I was pregnant, and she forced me to get an abortion!"

"Do you have any proof?"

June Walsh snorted. "The doctor at the clinic can testify. Go question him."

Perhaps she was too naive. Holly Wood had already paid the clinic at the time of the procedure, and the clinic naturally wanted to avoid trouble, so they wouldn’t admit to anything. To not even consider that possibility showed a true lack of sense.

The police officer waved his hand. "Take them all to the station."

Leon Lynch gave a meaningful glance to the bodyguard behind him, who understood immediately and drove to the clinic at once to instruct them on what to say.

The group was taken to the police station.

To investigate the matter, the police made a special trip to the clinic to gather evidence. The results showed that the staff had never seen Holly Wood or June Walsh, let alone performed an abortion.

Due to Leon Lynch’s relationship with the Grant Family, as well as the Lynch Family’s status, the matter had to be handled discreetly.

The outcome was that the abortion incident was found to be non-existent. On the other hand, the Walsh family’s assault and vandalism were solidly confirmed, with both witness testimony and physical evidence. The Walsh Family would be prosecuted for intentional assault.

Hearing this outcome, the Walsh family fell into a panic, unsure of what to do.

The outcome of the situation was far beyond what the Walsh family had anticipated.

Mr. Wood was sent to the hospital for treatment, with Mrs. Wood accompanying him. Meanwhile, Leon Lynch and Holly Wood met with the Walsh family alone.

Seeing them, June Walsh’s face was filled with resentment.

"You got what you wanted, didn’t you?"

"June Walsh, you’re the one who started this. How can you say *we* got what we wanted? This is the consequence of *your* actions. Intentional assault carries a prison sentence. Your whole family will probably spend a few years locked up together. If those years in prison don’t teach you a lesson and you get out only to cause more trouble, then this place might become a second home for you."

Mr. Walsh, perhaps looking at the bigger picture, said, "Holly, we were in the wrong here. We injured your father and trashed your home. But, can you not press charges against us now? As long as you don’t press charges, we will absolutely never cause trouble again. We’ll write a guarantee. If we ever cause trouble again, you can have us sentenced to however many years you want."

"Dad, I’d rather go to jail than give in to them!"

Mr. Walsh immediately slapped her. "Shut up!"

Then, he looked at Holly Wood. "We’ll also guarantee that June won’t cause trouble again. We’ll move out of Alveria tomorrow. I’m begging you!"

His scheme had failed. To avoid several years in prison, the previously arrogant Mr. Walsh’s knees buckled, and he knelt before Holly Wood.

Seeing that she was unmoved, everyone in the Walsh family except June knelt and begged for mercy. In the end, Mrs. Walsh pulled June down to her knees as well.

Holly Wood looked at Leon Lynch. Leon Lynch spoke, "We can agree not to press charges, but you will pay for my father-in-law’s medical bills, the cost of the things you smashed, and compensation for the emotional distress you caused my in-laws. Not a penny less. Come up with one hundred thousand."

"One hundred thousand?!" To Leon Lynch, this was practically nothing.

But for the Walsh family, this was several years of their savings. Still, Mr. Walsh agreed.

The matter concluded with the Walsh family paying one hundred thousand in compensation, signing a written guarantee witnessed by the police, and agreeing to leave Alveria for good.

On the way to the hospital, a great weight was finally lifted from Holly Wood’s shoulders.

When they got to the hospital, she told Mrs. Wood the outcome. Mrs. Wood nodded in agreement and let out a long sigh of relief. "Holly, the dark days for our family are finally over."

"What happened to Grandma and Grandpa? I didn’t see them."

"The moment the Walsh family showed up, the two of them left. I couldn’t stop them. I told them there were no buses running this late at night, but they said they’d pay for a taxi."

"A taxi to the countryside must cost at least a few hundred, right?"

"Probably over a thousand."

Holly Wood nodded. "It’s good that they left. Once the new apartment is renovated, you and Dad can move in. The security in that complex is good, so I’ll feel more at ease with you living there."

Mrs. Wood nodded. "This matter is finally settled. Let’s bring Keth Wood back from abroad. This incident should have helped him grow up a lot."

Leon Lynch agreed. "Alright, I’ll send someone to bring him back tomorrow."

While they were feeling relieved, Maeve Sutton, who had been waiting for good news, was absolutely furious when she got the call from June Walsh.

Such a perfect opportunity, completely wasted.

When she heard June Walsh say they were moving, Maeve Sutton knew this pawn was now useless.

She immediately hung up the phone and added June Walsh’s number to her block list.

In truth, even if she hadn’t, June Walsh wouldn’t have called her again anyway.

When June Walsh got home, she got an earful from Mr. Walsh. He pressed her about whether Holly Wood had given her money, and she finally admitted it. Only then did Mr. Walsh tell her that if their family hadn’t backed down at the police station, they would have definitely been locked up for at least three years. Was it better to be locked up, or to pay the money and be free?

Furthermore, Mr. Walsh finally added that the police officer who interrogated him had also mentioned that Leon Lynch and Quentin Grant were practically kin. With the Grant Family’s influence, if Leon Lynch were to ask them for a favor, their whole family might not make it out alive!

Realizing this, Mr. Walsh declared that the matter was officially over. If June Walsh ever did anything on her own again, he would disown her.

June Walsh was fuming, but there was nothing she could do. In the end, she could only pack her bags and prepare to leave Alveria with her family the next day.

To be honest, she was sick with envy for Holly Wood. ’We’re both girls, so why is her life so much better than mine?’

**

「Valeria.」

Having returned home, Faye Sinclair was having some trouble adjusting to life here again.

Luna Ainsworth had renovated a large bedroom on the first floor for her to live in. He had deliberately turned her original bedroom into a guest room, while he himself slept in another room on the first floor every night.

Tonight, Sierra Ainsworth brought Aaron Sterling home.

Seeing Aaron Sterling for the first time, Faye Sinclair looked him over carefully. Then, a gentle smile spread across her face. "You must be Aaron, right?"

Aaron Sterling stood straight, nodding reservedly. "Yes, I am."

It was his first time meeting his potential mother-in-law, so naturally, he wanted to make a good impression.

"Come and eat."

The four of them sat around the dining table, and Faye Sinclair asked naturally, "How old are you?"

"I’m 22."

Faye Sinclair nodded. "One year older than Sierra. Aaron, have you mentioned your relationship with Sierra to your parents?"

Aaron Sterling shook his head. "Sierra wasn’t in the country recently. I was just planning to bring her home to meet my mom. How about tomorrow?"

Faye Sinclair turned to look at Sierra, then said, "There’s something I must tell you. One of Sierra’s legs is a prosthetic."

"I already know about that. I love Sierra, and it doesn’t change anything for me."

"Even though you know, if you take Sierra home, you still must tell your parents about it in person. I hope that after they know, they can still accept Sierra with open arms. That’s what’s most important."

Aaron Sterling understood what she meant. "I understand. I’ll do as you say."

"Mm, that’s good. Here, eat. I cooked all of this myself. Have some more."

Aaron Sterling nodded and looked at Sierra, who was sitting across from him. Their eyes met, a spark of love passing between them.

After dinner, Aaron Sterling chatted for a while longer before he had to leave. Faye Sinclair told Sierra to see him out.

The moment they stepped out of the living room, they held hands tightly, all the way until Aaron Sterling got into his car outside the main gate.

"I’m a little worried."

Aaron Sterling fastened his seatbelt and looked at her outside the window. "Worried about what?"

"I’m worried your parents won’t accept me."

"I’ll tell my parents tonight when I get back. Don’t worry. I’ll message you after I tell them."

Sierra Ainsworth became even more nervous. She wrung her hands and nodded. "Okay, I’ll wait for your message."

He started the engine. "Sierra, I’m heading back now."

"Okay, drive safe."

Aaron agreed and drove home.

On the way, his mind was filled with images of his wedding with Sierra. The daydream only stopped when he pulled up to his house, but it further fueled his desire to tell his parents he had a girlfriend.

"You’re still up?" he asked, seeing his parents sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"What were you doing out so late?" Mrs. Sterling asked.

"I... went to my girlfriend’s house for dinner. Her parents were really welcoming and friendly," he blurted out.

Mrs. Sterling asked, surprised, "Aaron, when did you get a girlfriend?"

"For a while now. I just haven’t had a chance to tell you."

Mrs. Sterling beckoned to him. "Come sit over here."

This was just what Aaron Sterling wanted. He walked over and sat down across from his parents.

Mr. Sterling followed up, "A college classmate?"

"Yeah, Dad."

"Then why haven’t you brought her home for your mom and me to meet?"

Aaron Sterling chuckled. "Do you even need to meet her? It’s the person from the blind date you arranged last time. It’s Sierra Ainsworth."

Mr. and Mrs. Sterling exchanged a glance. "That’s great. Did her parents mention any conditions?"

"No, but her mother said there was one thing I had to tell you and Dad."

Mrs. Sterling was surprised. "What is it?"

"Sierra has a prosthetic leg."

Hearing this, the expressions on Mr. and Mrs. Sterling’s faces changed. Mrs. Sterling, in particular, was in disbelief. "What? A prosthetic? Are you saying her real leg is... gone?"

Aaron Sterling nodded. "Yes. I’ve seen it. Sierra does have a prosthetic leg. Because it’s artificial, her walk is a little different from ours."

"Does she limp?" Mrs. Sterling never would have imagined that a girl from such a good family would actually be disabled. "Then this marriage is off. The future matriarch of our family absolutely cannot be someone our social circle would laugh at!"