Reborn From Oblivion

Detention Center.

Officer Baldwin swung open the door for Nathalie. "You're free to go. The charges have been dropped."

This was nowhere near the ending Nathalie had envisioned. Her meticulous scheming had evaporated into thin air.

Nathalie lost it right there. She blocked Officer Baldwin, demanding justice. "Officer Baldwin, I beat Cameron up so badly he's practically out of commission. How can I walk away without any charges? Isn't this making a mockery of the law?"noveldrama

Officer Baldwin let out a weary sigh, feeling utterly exasperated. "Ashley, if it were anyone else, they'd be looking at at least six months behind bars for this kind of ruckus. But you got incredibly lucky. The victim decided to drop the charges. Just get out of here, okay?"

Nathalie was seething, her face flushed with anger, almost ready to curse Cameron's entire family tree. "Who needs his forgiveness? I don't care about it. This just means I'll have to go back and knock some sense into him again!"

Officer Baldwin rubbed his temples, clearly worn out. "Ashley, word on the street is you've got a bit of a mental health history, which technically means you're not held accountable for the assault. So don't think you can waltz back in by hitting him again."

Nathalie was blindsided. "I have a mental health history? Who came up with that?"

"Number 13."

Nathalie was speechless.

Her eyes welled up with frustration, and she muttered under her breath, "If he doesn't want me in jail, then he should just meet me on his own terms."

Finally, Officer Baldwin delivered a piece of good news. "Number 13 agreed to see you."

Nathalie was initially stunned, then filled with joy.

"Thank you, Officer Baldwin."

She started pacing nervously. "I'm about to see Nathan. What should I even say to him?"

Officer Baldwin suggested, "Ashley, why not head home, take a shower, and get a good night's sleep? You can see him tomorrow."

Nathalie lifted her sleeve to sniff her clothes. Maybe she had gotten a bit too enthusiastic in yesterday's scuffle; there was a faint scent of blood lingering on her clothes.

"Alright, I'll head home, freshen up, and come back tomorrow." Nathalie thought she should be at her best for their meeting.

Nathalie left the detention center, brimming with excitement.

When she got home, she was

planning on how to apologize to her father. Little did she know, Lincoln had already prepared a feast, announcing, "Vivian, this is a special dinner I whipped up just for you to celebrate."

Nathalie was taken aback. "A celebration?"

She had just been in a brawl, yet instead of scolding her, her father was throwing her a party?

Lizzy, grinning from ear to ear, added, "Sis, Mr. Lincoln said now that you're all grown up, you've finally learned to stand up for yourself. That's something worth celebrating with champagne."

Nathalie, tears brimming in her eyes, hugged her father tightly, murmuring, "Dad, you're amazing."

That evening, the Stewart household was a hub of joy and harmony.

Nathalie snapped a family photo and posted it online. "Dad threw me a celebration dinner for finally learning to stand up for myself. His love is seriously off the charts."

Greta, who had been keeping tabs

on Nathalie, saw the post and was practically livid. She stormed over Cameron, phone in hand, ranting, "Cameron, look at Nathalie's social media. She threw a party after she beat you up."

Cameron stared at the photo grid, where Nathalie's smile was both dazzling and a bit too sharp for comfort.

In his mind, after their initial meeting, Nathalie rarely looked this happy. Cameron closed his eyes, feeling utterly drained. "She's got every reason to celebrate. Without you or me, her life seems to be getting better and better."