Chapter 209

Viola Coleman looked pale as a sheet. She didn’t want to pick either option! "I’ll give you ten minutes to think. If you can’t decide, I’ll help you make the call," Julian Archer said smoothly. His tone was polite, but the way he stared at her, cold and sharp, was like having a stopwatch pointed right at her face. "You— You’re forcing me! I refuse to choose!" Viola snapped, visibly shaken. "Mom, let’s be fair here," Julian said, his voice low and steady. "Let me jog your memory. When I didn’t want Tessa Howard to come back, you promised me she wouldn’t stir trouble, wouldn’t go after my girlfriend. You said her return had nothing to do with us. I trusted you and didn’t stop you, right?" "…Yeah," Viola mumbled reluctantly. "Exactly. I respected your judgment. But I also made myself clear—if she did start anything, I’d kick her out of Cloudmere for good. You didn’t object back then. So, didn’t we have an agreement?" “…!" Viola’s eyes flew wide open. "Agreement? I never—" "Don’t try to pl