Chapter 9

I didn't wait for Vincent to come back. I checked out of the hotel alone and went straight home. My dad and Kevin were already waiting outside the house when I arrived. Neither of them said anything, but that silence said more than words ever could. With them, the quieter it was, the more dangerous it got. After I texted Vincent that I had left, he messaged back. "Ali, I've been swamped with work these past two days. Please apologize to your dad for me. Once things settle down, I'll take him out for a good time." Of course, he wouldn't lower his pride to face my family. Not even after everything they had done for him. Even after all the help and all the years of support, his pride still came first. In the past, I always covered for him. I would explain things away and smooth it over, but this time, I didn't reply at all. My dad brought a private doctor with him. After the exam, he handed over a full medical report. Kevin's eyes welled with quiet fury when he saw the bruises on my