He Gave Me Hearing, Then Taught Me What Silence Really Means novel Chapter 52

"This is enough to change your life. Brooks is currently unemployed, his wife is expecting, and your mortgage is about to default next month, isn't it? Take Juniper back to Oakley. Keep her out of the capital, and this money is yours."

Beatrice wrung her hands together. She had already boarded the bus back to Oakley when men in sharp suits had intercepted her.

Standing before Yvonne, the deep-seated inferiority of a lifetime of poverty crushed her. Memories flashed back—Yvonne visiting their rundown home years ago, the neighbors whispering, Juniper standing alone in the shadows, and the stinging slaps Beatrice had dealt her own daughter.

Beatrice cast a hesitant glance at Juniper, who remained completely silent.

Juniper didn't utter a word, acting as if the millions sitting on the table meant absolutely nothing.

Beatrice swallowed hard. She reached for the check, but Yvonne casually placed her manicured fingers over it. "Beatrice, Juniper is your daughter. We discussed her unhealthy obsession with my son years ago. You promised you would keep her in line. Yet, here she is in the city."

Beatrice's hand hovered over the life-changing sum, her entire body trembling. "I..."

"Your daughter is mentally unstable."

Yvonne stated it with chilling certainty, her voice light as a feather.

Juniper shot to her feet, glaring daggers at Yvonne.

Even seated, Yvonne exuded an aristocratic arrogance. She met Juniper's furious gaze with a soft scoff. "The psychiatric facility has your records. Your entire family can testify to your episodes. All it takes is a signature from your next of kin, and you'll be committed again."

That was the brutal reality. Next of kin held absolute medical authority. They could sign away her rights, consent to forced treatments, and lock a perfectly sane woman in a padded cell.

Yvonne stood up gracefully, unbothered by Juniper's glaring outrage. "You have the dowager's protection, so I won't touch you. But that doesn't mean your family will let you walk free. Trading a daughter for millions of dollars? Your mother should be thrilled. After all, her son is the only one who matters."

With that, she picked up her six-figure Birkin bag and strolled out, entirely confident that Beatrice would take the bait.

And she was right.

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