Chapter 177
A
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No one wanted to have blood on their hands. Getting mixed up in a death was nothing but trouble, and it meant endless questioning and investigations down the line.
It was smarter to just wash your hands of it now.
No one tried to interfere with Marina. They simply watched as she calmly took out her phone and called the police, then dialed for ambulance.
After giving the address and the private room number to the operator, Marina put her phone away and sat back down.
It was only then that Lavern snapped out of it, staring at Marina with a look of total shock.
“Marina, you called the cops to have me arrested?” he blurted out.
His face fell, hurt.
Marina stayed cool, unmoved by Lavern’s pitiful look.
“I just don’t want any trouble,” Marina said. “I witnessed a crime, and if I have to cooperate with all those investigations, it’ll take up all my time. My time shouldn’t be wasted on stuff like this.”
Everyone nodded along with Marina, backing her up.
“Yeah, Lavern, she stuck with you for a while. Why did you have to be so harsh?” someone said.
“If you didn’t want to hook up, could she really have tied you to the bed or something?” another chimed in.
“Exactly! You were so cruel. Is what she said all true?” someone else added.
Everyone was talking at once, and it felt like the truth was about to spill out.
Yara took a deep breath, her face turning pale for a split second.
But her close friends immediately jumped in to back her up.
“Come on, Yara would never get with Lavern! She’s so close with Marina. And wasn’t she the one who played matchmaker for them? Did you all forget?” one of them said.
Everyone fell silent while agreeing quietly.
Yara’s face was pale as she looked up at Marina, her eyes red with emotion.
“Marina, do you really believe what she said? Do you actually think there’s something between me and Lavern?” she asked.
Marina gave her a faint smile, treating Yara just like she always had.
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“Yara, honestly, this really doesn’t matter at all,” Marina replied. “Lavern and I have already broken up. Even i there is something between you two, it doesn’t affect me.”
Yara started crying, her voice thick with tears and hurt as she choked out, “Do you trust me, or do you trust her?”
Her question hung in the air, finger pointed towards Shawna, and suddenly, all eyes were on Marina.
Shawna was still lying on the floor, in so much pain she couldn’t even stand.
Noticing Marina hadn’t answered, Shawna quickly spoke up.
“Ms. Finley, everything I said is true. You’ve got to believe me-” she started.
“Shut up!” Lavern exploded, shouting at her in a fit of rage.
If the guys restraining him weren’t afraid he’d actually kill her, Shawna would’ve had another footprint on h by now.
Shawna bit down hard on her lip, her eyes full of bitter resentment. She’d totally snapped.
“Secrets never stay hidden, Lavern! You’re just a spineless loser who can’t even own up to what you did!” she screamed.
Lavern was furious, but his friends held him back, making sure he couldn’t move.
No one wanted things to get out of hand.
Yara stormed over to Shawna, bent down, and slapped her hard across the face. “You lunatic! You do disgusting things and then try to drag me down with you? Lavern and I are just friends, not the gutter filth you imagine!
“You really think everyone’s like you, chasing after money and luxury, jumping into bed with anyone just for bit of cash and comfort?
“I’m nothing like you!”
Yara thought Shawna would catch the warning and the hint in her
eyes.
But instead of backing down, Shawna suddenly grabbed a fistful of Yara’s hair, and no matter who tried to pull her off, she just wouldn’t let go.
Having already lost a handful of hair earlier, Yara screamed as fresh agony ripped across her scalp.
Some people were trying to break them up, others were holding Lavern back, and a bunch of folks were just standing around, watching the drama unfold.
The scene was spectacular.
Marina was getting tired of standing, so she just pulled out a chair and sat down. Seeing everyone else still on their feet, she said quietly, “Aren’t your feet killing you? Just grab a seat and watch. It’s like front row movie
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apter 177
viewing, it’s so entertaining.”
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Everyone around Marina thought, ‘How did she manage to be so calm–as if she were just a spectator?‘
When the cops finally showed up, the place was still a total mess.
As soon as they walked in, they started pulling everyone apart.
Yara was bawling, her face streaked with tears, but she didn’t dare run to Lavern for comfort. Instead, she sobbed to the officers that she wanted a medical exam.
Shawna was yelling that she needed one too, making the officer doing the reports visibly exhausted.
Just as the cops finally managed to get things under control, Shawna suddenly leaned sideways and fainted from pain.
Just then, the ambulance arrived and took Shawna away.
Once the officers had gotten the gist of what happened, one of them called out to the crowd. “Who made the call?”
Marina sat up straight in her chair and raised her hand, looking all proper and well–behaved.
“I did,” she said.
The officer approached her for questioning, but Harvey quickly stepped forward, “I’m also a witness, and I organized this gathering. Since the incident happened at my event, I should take responsibility.”
The officer took down Harvey’s number and asked him to keep his phone handy in case they needed to reach out. Then they escorted Lavern and Yara out.
As soon as the three of them left, the room was buzzing with gossip.
“What’s up with Lavern and Yara? You think there’s really something going on between them?” someone whispered.
“Yara looked totally freaked out just now. She was as pale as a ghost,” another person chimed in.
“That girl obviously has some real evidence against Lavern. He looked like he was about to blow a fuse from embarrassment,” someone else added.
“Man, Lavern…” someone muttered.
The room was buzzing with gossip, and some people even started asking Marina directly.
“Marina, you really don’t know anything about this?” someone asked.
“I really didn’t,” Marina replied, shaking her head. Just three words, then she fell silent.
Everyone was impressed by how chill she was–seriously, her nerves were made of steel.
Chapter 177
Before anyone could ask more, Harvey cut them off.
“Okay, that’s enough,” he said. “Marina’s a victim too, you know. Why are you all bombarding her with questions?”
Everyone just laughed awkwardly, not sure what else to say.
Marina joined in with a smile, like the whole mess hadn’t fazed her one bit.
She just sat there quietly, taking in all the gossip, just like she always did back in her school days.
Harvey took a seat beside her, taking charge of the dinner and making sure everything ran smoothly.
Whenever the others tried to egg Marina on to drink, he always stepped in to shield her, making sure she didn’t have to if she didn’t want to.
After dinner, someone suggested they hit up a karaoke bar for the next round.
Marina remembered she’d promised Daron to meet up later, so she shot them down without a second thought.
“You guys go have fun. I’ve got something to take care of, so I gotta head out. Enjoy yourselves,” Marina said.
Everyone had had a few drinks, so people were saying whatever popped into their heads.
“Marina, you’re still as dull and such a buzzkill as you were back in high school. No wonder Lavern went looking elsewhere,” one of Yara’s besties blurted out.
The moment she said that, the whole room froze.
Marina had always sensed a subtle hostility in this girl since their school days, but tonight, watching the drama unfold, she finally saw the truth in her eyes.
“You’re so entertaining. Why don’t you line up to be Lavern’s next pick? I’m sure he’d love that,” Marina said.
Marina was all smiles, not a hint of annoyance on her face, grinning as if she were genuinely trying to offer helpful advice.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
