Chapter 103
The air seemed to freere, as
itself had stopped,
The crowd watching the drama all wore expressions of shock and disbelief.
They wondered, Aria Saxon married Liam Cole when she was only twenty. Could it be that she had been married off as a child bride in her teens?
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed, her face lcy and full of fury. “What the hell are you spewing? Keep spreading lles, and rip your mouth apart
Liam had no intention of letting this matter go public. His first marriage to a woman who’d been sold off as a child bride to some crippled old farmer was a humiliation he wanted buried forever, But Arla wouldn’t back down, constantly targeting him and Hannah,
For the sake of the family’s reputation, he couldn’t let her keep running wild and making a mockery of them.
Hannah fell a rush of satisfaction as she spoke, “I didn’t want to bring this up, but you left me no choice.” She turned to Aria, her expression fut of feigned pity. “You were born into the Saxon family and should’ve lived a life of privilege.
“But because of one mistake, you ended up growing up in some remate, impoverished area. At just ten years old, you were sold off to marry a man in his forties. When I first heard about it, I was shocked and even falt sorry for you. But that doesn’t give you the right to come after us.
“Bringing this up might have been wrong, and if the internet wants to drag me for it, take it.”
Liam pulled her close, his arm draped protectively over her shoulder, his voice gentle yet firm. “Hannah, I fell for you first. If people want to blame someone, let them blame me.”
Anu’s lips curved into a faint smile as she looked at them. “Got any proof?”
“Of course.” Hannah met her gaze directly, her tone unwavering. “We’ve got the indenture your adoptive parents signed. They sold you for one thousand dollars when you were just ten.”
Ania asked flatly, “Really? And who can prove it?”
Hannah said proudly, “Henry Lester admitted it himself
Aria let out a cold laugh, her words sharp and cutting. “You talk about women standing together against injustice, yet here you are, waving around an Indenture to accuse me of bigamy. Everyone says you’re the pride of Mandino City, Gibson–pure, elegant, and unmatched. But I suppose that’s just a
Le after witnessing your true colors!
Even if the story about being sold as a child bride were true, Aria was supposed to be the victim. Why should she be the one blamed?
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, their sympathy for Aria growing while their disdain for Hannah became evident.
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Hannah blurted out, “You’re right, you are a victim. We never wanted to reopen your wounds. But you kept pushing us to this point. Besides, Henry Lester didn’t restrict your freedom. If you didn’t want it, why didn’t you go to the police? Why stay silent all these years?”
Aria calmly asked, “Ms. Gibson, are you blaming victims of abuse for not reporting it?”
What kind of parents would sell their own child? Reporting them wouldn’t magically stop their abusive behavior, would it?
Hannah pressed her lips together, her face stiffening for a moment. She took a deep breath and snapped, her voice sharp, “I’ve already admitted that exposing this was wrong and am willing to take the blame. You don’t need to twist the narrative to ruin my reputation.”
Aria chuckled. “No wonder I felt like I recognized you the first time we met, Ms. Gibson Turns out you’re just like Liam–always eager to paint yourself as
When Hannah was about to refute in anger, Aria cut her off, her voice steady and firm, “Human trafficking is a crime. Don’t try to sugarcoat it by cal some child bride deal.”
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Chapter 103
Liem froze for a moment before quickly questioning “So, you’re admitting that your foster parents sold you to Henry Lester be a child brides
Arla countered, “And how exactly does that connect to your accusation of me committing higamy?”
