4/4 Chapter 13 Cornered , Not Broken Chapter 13 Cornered , Not Broken Cassius flew into a rage . What was up with Azalea's attitude ? To Fiss Come If the school hadn't called him today , he wouldn't have even known she'd secretly switched back to the academic class . Who gave her permission ? Seeing the mocking look in her eyes only fueled his fury . She'd been scolded several times and already had the nerve to cut ties and run away from home . Now , she even dared to talk back to him ? What , if he kept letting her be , would she start thinking she was untouchable ? The more he thought about it , the angrier he got . He raised his hand and slapped her across the face . Caught off guard , Azalea took the hit directly . But she raised her hand the next second and slapped him right back . Cassius was stunned . He hadn't expected her to fight back . Azalea grabbed the pair of scissors lying on the coffee table with lightning speed . Her eyes were sharp and hostile , staring at him like a cornered wolf , " Cassius , if you dare touch me again , I'll drag you down with me . " Cassius had never seen her like this before . In his mind , Azalea was always that timid little thing with her head down , always meek and quiet . She wouldn't even protest when she got yelled at . She'd just try to calm them down and ensure they didn't stress themselves out . The slap alone was enough to enrage him . But now , she dared to point scissors at him ? His face darkened . " Azalea , do you even know what you're doing right now ? " " I know exactly what I'm doing , " Azalea replied , unflinching . " I'm protecting myself . " These past three years , I never had enough to eat in the Larks . I did everything you guys asked me to . At the hospital , Wesley had already slapped me once . I don't owe your family anything anymore . And from now on , if anyone from your family dares to lay a finger on me again , then we die together . " Watching things spiral out of control , the homeroom teacher felt her eyelid twitch . She quickly stepped in to stop Cassius . " Mr. Lark , let's talk this through . Azalea , you too , put the scissors down . " The teacher's voice pulled Cassius back to his senses . He rubbed his sore cheek . This was still a school . Azalea could throw away her dignity , but he couldn't . Swallowing his rage , he sneered , " Alright , Azalea . Let's see how long you can keep acting tough ." With that , he turned and left . O 1/4 Chapter 18 Cornered , Not Broken He had plenty of ways to deal with her . Azalea watched him leave with a smirk . What was there to fear ? She had nothing to lose . 410 Free Catra She turned to the homeroom teacher and politely thanked her before heading back to class as if nothing had happened . After everyone left , the teacher quietly took out her phone and sent a message summarizing everything that had just happened to someone . The first thing Cassius did after leaving the school was to call his assistant . " Tell Azalea's current landlord to kick her out . Also , make sure she gets blacklisted by every place that might be willing to take her in . " That evening , after school , Azalea planned to stop by an gaming café to relax with a game or two . But as soon as she reached the entrance , she was stopped . The owner looked her up and down and gave a flimsy excuse . " There's been a crackdown lately . I'm not letting in students anymore . " Azalea glanced at a middle schooler standing closest to the door , a question mark popping up in her mind . So , does the crackdown only apply to high schoolers ? Still , there was no point arguing . She walked away . But when she returned to her rental apartment , the frustration in her heart completely transformed into fury . All of her things had been packed up and tossed outside . As she approached , the landlord looked at her coldly . " You're back ? That's good , Take your stuff and leave . " He shoved a wad of cash into her hand . It was the full refund of the rent she'd paid . Azalea clenched her fingers around the money , forcing herself not to explode . What was the point of yelling ? It wouldn't change anything . Unlike the gaming café incident , this was obvious , Cassius ' handiwork . She gathered her things and rolled her suitcase to a nearby hotel . Just as she expected , they refused to let her check - in . No surprise there .. If Cassius thought this kind of tactic would make her crawl back and beg , he was dreaming . Even if she died out on the street / she'd never lower her head to the Larks again . Night fell . Azalea ended up in a park , sitting alone on a bench . Looked like she'd be spending the night here . She didn't believe there wasn't a single corner of Draywick where she could find a place to stay . ||| O 2/4 ་ ་ ་་་ 494 +10 Fies Colv Chapter 13 Cornered , Not Broken But she had to admit , she was still too weak . She needed to get stronger . It was the only way to stand up to the Larks . The only way to ensure that she'rt be the one calling the shots next time . Her gaze hardened . Then the night wind picked up , and her determined resolve deflated like a popped balloon . Right . First , she had to figure out where to sleep tonight . She let out a deep sigh. " Wow , it's not even been a full day , and you've already turned into a stray cat ? " a teasing voice rang out above her . Azalea looked up , dazed . Under the streetlight , Hubert stood in a crisp white shirt and black pants , one hand in his pocket . Compared to last time , his hairstyle looked much more formal , slicked back with hair gel , adding a certain sense of distance . His words sounded playful , but there wasn't a hint of amusement on his face . His eyes , in fact , carried a flicker of something darker . " I've apparently been blacklisted from every place I could stay , " Azalea said . For some reason , the moment she saw Hubert , the pressure in her chest eased a little . She even managed a small , albeit forced , smile . Hubert reached over and ruffled her hair . " If you don't feel like smiling , then don't . " Hubert's voice was casual . " It's not that big of a deal . I haven't blacklisted you yet ." Azalea's expression stiffened , and the curve of her lips slowly dropped . " Hubert , why are you helping me ? " Don't tell me you just happened to be passing by this park , then decided on a whim to take a stroll , and by pure coincidence , you saw me sitting here , homeless , and had the sudden urge to take me in out of the goodness of your heart . " Hubert spread his hands with a helpless expression . " You already said all my excuses . What am I supposed to say now ? " Azalea stared at him seriously , lips pressed together . She could only think of one reason : maybe Hubert liked her face and wanted to play with her . " If you're trying to … " she started , but Hubert cut her off . His eyes were more serious than she'd ever seen . " Azalea , I'm not the kind of guy who messes around with high school girls . " My brother and his wife got into an accident saving a little girl . You could say I have a soft spot for people like you because of that . " Oh . O 3/4 ภาพ น Chapter 13 Cornered , Not Broken Azalea chuckled lightly . So Hubert really didn't need to toy with a girl like her . If he had bad intentions , now would've been the perfect moment to act . But he hadn't done anything . +10 Free Coins She'd heard bits and pieces about Hubert's older brother in her past life . His words weren't impossible to believe . In fact , he had even founded a charity in his brother's name , one dedicated to funding education for underprivileged girls in rural areas . Azalea stood up , dusted herself off , and gave him a bright smile . " Then I'll thank you for taking me in , Mr. Lennox . " That smile was dazzling . Hubert was momentarily stunned . The emotions in his eyes grew deeper . What had the Larks done to turn this bright , smiling girl into someone so guarded and cold ? He quietly took her suitcase and walked behind her , maintaining a step ' distance as they exited the park . Outside , the same two bodyguards from before were waiting . Their eyes lit up as they watched the scene unfold . " Mr. Lennox flew back on the earliest flight just to pick up Ms. Yarrow ! " one whispered . " That's nothing ! I stood behind him today when her homeroom teacher texted him updates on her situation ! " " Wait , wasn't he the one who sent Hex to deal with William ? " " I think we're getting a wedding invitation soon , " muttered the first one . " You sure ? " said the second guard . " Don't forget how cold Mr. Lennox usually is . He might just be helping her out of pity . " The first one gave him a look that said Yeah , right . Inside the car , Azalea sat beside Hubert . He gave the driver an address . " First to Ashbourne Villa , then to Crestmere Estate . Ashbourne is where I usually stay . You'll live there for now . I'll move to Crestmere Estate with Wylie . " I figured whether you stay with me or I bring you to Wylie , you'd be uncomfortable . " " Thank you , " Azalea murmured . She'd never imagined someone would think things through for her like this . ။ Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!