Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Lily was tidying up her hair, and she was caught off guard by Maryanne's question. She paused mid-motion and replied, "Not yet. We'll have to reschedule to another time."

Maryanne scoffed. "Xavier the Hound must be too busy handling that bitch's case to divorce you. The whole city's in an uproar over a dog while his own brother-in-law is facing criminal charges-imagine the scandal if people found out!" Maryanne had wanted to vent since she first saw the news but held back all night, worried about hurting Lily's feelings. Still, she could not contain herself any longer.

Lily tied her hair into a ponytail and managed a small smile, pretending not to care. "It works out since I don't have time for the divorce either.

She o

grabbed her purse and left, planning to visit the police station to check on any surveillance footage from around the accident site. Just as she merged into traffic, her phone rang.

It was Hazel, and the urgent ringtone made Lily's heart skip a beat. After that morning's ultimatum, another call so soon could not be good news.

As soon as Lily answered the call, Hazel's panicked voice mixed with angry shouts came through. "Lily, get to Jadeford General Hospital quickly! They're here, and they're going to hurt us-

The call cut off abruptly. Lily could not tell whether "they" meant the victim's family or angry Internet vigilantes. She immediately made a U-turn and sped toward Jadeford General Hospital.

Since Maryanne's apartment was close to the hospital, Lily arrived within ten minutes. Before she could even enter the parking lot, she saw a crowd surrounding Bobby's car.

The mob was throwing eggs and vegetables at the car, making it impossible to move. Through the windshield, she could barely make out Bobby and Hazel inside.

Lily jumped out of her car, intending to get more security guards, but before she could take two steps, Bobby lowered his window slightly and shouted, "That's my daughter-go after her if you want revenge!"

An egg flew through the window gap and hit him in the mouth just as he finished speaking, forcing him to roll up the window quickly.

"What about Lily?" Hazel asked frantically,

Bobby spat and wiped his mouth. "She's young and can take a few hits! Maybe this will motivate her to resolve Hayden's case faster. Hayden's suffering more in detention anyway..." Chap 2noveldrama

As he saw the crowd turning toward Lily, he quickly started the engine and drove away.

The mob consisted of angry Internet vigilantes rather than the victim's family, and they were looking for an outlet for their pent-up frustrations under the guise of justice. Lily tried to run but collided with someone and fell. The crowd pelted her with vegetables, water bottles, and other sharp objects.

Fortunately, several security guards arrived and held back the mob, who stopped their

physical assault but continued throwing things. Onlookers whispered and pointed, while some sympathetic witnesses called the police.

The troublemakers scattered when the police were mentioned, leaving Lily with wet hair and a bleeding knee. A young nurse rushed over and asked, "Miss, are you alright? Let me help you get that treated."

The nurse's face was full of sympathy. She had witnessed everything, including how Lily's parents had thrown her to the wolves.

across the

However, Lily's gaze was fixed on a couple standing at the hospital's entrance. Even distance and through the crowd, she spotted him immediately-perhaps it was his striking presence, or it was just Lily's ability to recognize Xavier anywhere instantly. Xavier had his arm around Sarah, who wore a small bandage on her forehead. They were surrounded by reporters with microphones.

Sarah said, "I never expected someone to be so violent. When he found out I was pressing charges, he attacked me on sight. I was terrified, but thankfully, Xavier was there to protect me!"