Chapter 252

Nicholas Hayes saw Emily suddenly turn and bolt away in tears. He hurried after her. "Emily, wait up!" But before he even took a couple of steps, she was already gone from sight. He stopped, staring at the spot where she’d disappeared, feeling completely messed up inside. The reason he snapped just now, even at his spoiled little sister, wasn’t just because of how reckless she acted at the party. What really lit him up was when Bennett Ford threw out that “fallen aristocrat” line. That hit hard—right in the gut. Sure, they could still put on a good show in front of average folks or smaller families, but in the eyes of the real powerhouses in Dijin, the Hayeses were just ants that could be crushed with a flick. But damn it, their family used to be a big deal in Dijin! If their parents hadn't died, if the family business hadn’t stalled, there’s no way they would’ve ended up like this—barely hanging on to what’s left of their status. Back when Patrick and Bennett Ford brought their pack o