CHAPTER 159: THE SLAP

When Scarlett arrived, Aveline had already secured the footage, from the moment Oscar’s men appeared at the gates to when they were dragged out by the cops. She handed it over. "This should keep them from wiggling out." Her tone was casual.

Scarlett raised a brow as she slipped the pen drive into her bag. She saw the mess downstairs when she came in, and the team had filled her in briefly about the incident.

"Linnie, for someone who claims to hate trouble, you’re getting rather efficient at handling it." She couldn’t believe Aveline was the same girl who had been avoiding trouble before it happened. And now, she was dealing with troubles one after another.

Aveline sighed. "Practice," and watched her employees already fussing over Scarlett, spoiling her with coffee and chatter. They truly liked Scarlett, though they had just had dinner together.

Meanwhile, Scarlett’s boyfriend, Nate, practically hovered like a bodyguard in the office.

After waiting, Aveline finally rolled her eyes and tugged Scarlett by the wrist. "Enough princess treatment. We’ve got to go file the charges," she said, dragging her toward the exit.

Scarlett tossed her hair with a grin. "I was enjoying it."

"Save it for later."

....

Outside the police station, the air was thick with noise, vehicles humming, a handful of reporters loitering as if they had sniffed out gossip. The station itself was the kind of place that smelled faintly of dust and sweat.

As soon as the duo stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. Oscar was seated on a bench, hands restless, jaw tight. The second he spotted Aveline, he sprang up, his voice like a blade.

"You! What the f*ck did you think you were doing, calling the cops on ME? Do you know who I am? Do you know the mistake you’ve made? You’ll regret this, Aveline Laurent. You think you’re untouchable?"

His men snickered behind him, though their eyes darted uneasily at the uniformed cops surrounding them.

Scarlett identified him as she had watched the security footage in the car. She leaned slightly toward Aveline, lips barely moving. "I expected him to be smarter. The president’s brother? He’s embarrassing himself."

Aveline’s hazel eyes narrowed, but her face stayed calm. For her, the situation reminded her of Seraphina. Oscar was just the front piece. She just didn’t know why Seraphina was doing it.

Before Oscar could launch into another tongue-lashing, the cops shoved him back onto the bench. "Sit down."

The ladies walked to the captain’s table. Scarlett smoothly pulled out a pen drive, sliding it across the surface with the ease of someone accustomed to it.

"Captain," she began, her voice clear and professional, "here is the surveillance footage establishing their actions from entry to arrest." She sat down beside Aveline as she continued, "The charges are as follows:

Criminal charges: • Criminal trespass and forced entry • Breaking and entering • Vandalism • Assault on two security guards and an employee • Battery on an employee • Criminal intimidation • Disorderly conduct • Endangering public safety

Civil charges: • Damages to property • Emotional distress • Loss of business"

She leaned back slightly, her tone turning sharp and precise. "We expect these to be pursued in full."

Oscar’s jaw dropped. His men exchanged baffled looks, whispering about when they had done all those things.

Oscar slammed his fist against the bench. "This is insane! We hardly did anything! Emotional distress? What emotional distress?! Look at her..."

He pointed at Aveline, who sat beside Scarlett, calm as ever. "...she was standing there like a statue. You’re telling me she was scared?"

Scarlett didn’t even blink. "My client doesn’t show it. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t."

The captain’s eyes shifted to Aveline. She gave a single, measured nod. That was all. Even the captain didn’t believe Aveline was scared. She was too composed for her own good.

The captain sighed, fingers drumming the desk. His brows furrowed in tension when Nate was standing just in the corner.

Clearing his throat, he started, "Given the identities involved, I’ll ask, would you like to compromise? Settle it quietly before this escalates out of control?"

After all, Oscar was the president’s brother, and Aveline was a Laurent. That would gather a whole lot of attention from the media, politics, and business.

Scarlett’s lips curled in a humorless smile. "We don’t compromise with criminals."

Oscar sprang to his feet again, pointing at the two women. "You think you can run a business in this city with that attitude? You’ll be finished. Mark my words. Apologize to me now, and maybe..."

Scarlett cut in smoothly, flicking her eyes to the captain. "Add that to the list. He’s threatening us in front of you."

The room went quiet except for the scratch of the captain’s pen. Oscar’s men suddenly looked a lot less sure of themselves.

The complaint writing dragged on into the evening. Oscar’s lawyers sat across the table, stone-faced, tossing in objections that held no weight.

Scarlett was unfazed, her pen gliding on the complaint sheet with the precision of a scalpel. Every time Oscar tried to interrupt with his foul tongue, the captain’s glare silenced him.

When the last signature was put down, Aveline exhaled quietly and pushed her chair back. She rose, grabbed her bag, and turned to leave.

Behind her, Oscar was still ranting, his voice a rasp of venom. "Filed your damn complaints?! None of this will stick. She is nothing but a spoiled princess playing at business! Laurent’s money has shielded her long enough..."

The words faded as Aveline and Scarlett exited the station.

And then it happened. Someone grabbed her shoulder with force and struck her.

Pak!

A sharp, ringing crack echoed at the entrance of the station. Aveline staggered a half-step, her head snapping to the side, a sting blooming across her cheek. Her shoulder wrenched.

Scarlett’s breath caught. Her hand lifted, trembling with the urge to slap back, but she forced it down, her jaw tight with restraint.

Aveline slowly turned, her hazel eyes narrowing at the sight of the woman standing before her. The fury in her eyes burned cold.

The woman leaned in just enough for her words to slice. "You will pay for this. For every step you’ve taken, you will regret it."

"You..." Scarlett was ready to pounce, but Aveline’s hand lifted faintly, a silent command to hold back.

Behind the woman, an entire team of lawyers followed into the station, marching like an army. She walked forward without looking back.

Scarlett suddenly recognized the woman. "That’s the president’s wife," she whispered, almost spitting the words.

Aveline touched her cheek, the stinging pain radiating like fire, but her composure didn’t falter.

But before either could recover, another commotion stirred at the entrance. Dahlia swept in, her mother at her side, both of them striding straight inside.

Aveline’s cheek still burned, the red mark stark against her fair skin. She stood straighter, hiding the ache with quiet pride, and turned to Scarlett. Her voice was even, but low enough that only Scarlett caught it. "Get the footage."

Scarlett blinked. "Linnie..."

"Now," she repeated, the firmness in her tone undeniable.

Scarlett clenched her jaw, nodding in response.

Aveline’s thoughts, however, churned. She had wanted this fight to be unseen. But Seraphina had gone wild. And today, with that slap, it felt as though Seraphina had already won her first move.

It wasn’t going to be any slow or unseen battle, but their pride and egos were at stake.

Scarlett rushed back inside the station, her heels clicking against the floor. She kept her head down, ignoring the parade inside the station.

Nate, who was watching the show unfold, turned to her. With one look at Scarlett’s pale face, he didn’t ask questions and took her aside.

"We need entrance footage. That woman slapped Linnie."

Nate simply nodded. "Wait." He rushed inside and returned shortly with a pen drive. "Here. Everything’s copied," Nate said quietly.

Scarlett clenched her jaw, pocketed the drive, and left without another word. She didn’t trust her voice to come out steady.

.....

The ride back to Grace and Bloom was tense with silence. Scarlett sat rigidly, eyes on the road. She only heard Aveline’s calm voice once, speaking briefly over the phone to Giselle Lancaster.

The rest of the drive, her mind replayed the sound of that ’pak’ echoing in the station, and the sight of the red mark blooming on Aveline’s cheek.

Her blood was boiling. She wanted to rush back to the station and grab that woman’s hair and smash her head against the wall.

By the time they reached Grace and Bloom, their silence had become almost eerie. She followed Aveline through the lobby.

Aveline, on the other hand, carried herself with deliberate calm. At the reception, she said evenly, "Send Tara to my chambers."

The receptionist straightened immediately, her eyes widening at the sight of Aveline’s red cheek. She didn’t get to respond in shock. Instead of dialing Tara, she rushed to the employees’ room and revealed Aveline’s condition.

It spread like fire across the office. By the time Aveline reached her floor, her whole team was standing at the stairs to her office. No one dared step upstairs.

Tara rushed into Aveline’s chambers, her eyes wide. "Miss Laurent, what happened at the station?" She nearly touched Aveline’s face out of worry.

Aveline sat at her desk, avoiding Tara’s hand, ignoring the sting still spreading across her cheekbones. She raised her gaze to Tara, voice even and clipped. "That’s not important. What matters is what we do now."

Tara hesitated, but Aveline continued. "Release the footage of the vandalism. Blur the faces."

Tara blinked, startled. "All the faces?"

"Yes. Caption it... ’How people trouble a new business.’ Then..."

She paused, connecting her pen drive to her laptop. "I will send another video. Blur everyone, but make it clear, businessman’s daughter, politician’s wife. No names. Just noise. Connect it to the right gossip channel. We need an uproar before they realize what happened."

Tara pressed her lips together, torn between outrage at the injustice and awe at Aveline’s composure. "Understood."

Aveline leaned back, fingers brushing her tender cheek for the briefest second. Her eyes, however, gleamed with cold fire.

Scarlett, silent by the side, finally exhaled. She had never feared anyone’s calm more than Aveline’s right now.