Chapter 7

Josie Cohen POV:

Demetri' s face darkened, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He didn' t look triumphant, but... discomfited. My 'yes' clearly wasn't the response he'd anticipated.

"Is your brother still in the hospital?" he asked, his voice unexpectedly quiet. "He won't be able to participate in a live stream."

The sudden concern, so out of place, stung. He was worried about Bennie, but not about me. "He's... recovering," I managed to say, my voice tight. "And what does that matter to you? You were ready to send him to juvenile detention."

"You wouldn't understand," he muttered, shaking his head slightly. His words were like needles, piercing my already bruised heart. He hadn't changed. He still saw me as someone incapable of understanding, someone beyond redemption.

I met his gaze, my own eyes probably reflecting the same coldness I saw in his. "Oh, I understand perfectly, Demetri. You want me to admit to a lie, to validate your fiancée's fabricated trauma, and to solidify your image as her noble protector. All for a sum of money I desperately need."

He flinched, his jaw tightening. "You always twist things, Josie. You always refuse to acknowledge your fault." He took a deep breath, his voice hardening. "This apology will be thorough. It will address every accusation Claudia made. And it will be sincere. Or the deal is off."

The coldness in his eyes was absolute, a mirror of the chasm between us. There was no going back.

He then added, without a hint of irony, "And since your brother was involved in two separate incidents, both of which you were aware of, the apology will come from both of you. You and Bennie. Together."

My breath caught. Bennie? He wanted my injured brother, barely out of intensive care, to apologize publicly for something he didn't even initiate? This was pure malice.

"And it will be a full, unedited, live stream," Demetri continued, oblivious to my shock. "No retakes. No excuses. I'll send you the details." He turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, feeling like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.

I slumped against the wall, a bitter laugh bubbling up from deep inside my chest. Demetri. So principled. So righteous. So utterly, completely cruel.

True to his word, the lawsuit against Harper Valentine was swift and brutal. Demetri, once he decided to act, was a force of nature. Within days, the full compensation, a staggering sum, landed in my account.

I immediately transferred the bulk of it to the hospital for Bennie's care. Then, with a bitter irony that twisted my gut, I transferred Demetri's legal fee. It was an astronomical amount, certainly enough to make up for my inability to bring him down.

With the immediate financial crisis averted, a desperate hope ignited within me. I rushed to Bennie' s room, eager to share the good news. He could get the best care now, the best rehabilitation.

As I approached his open door, I heard voices. Bennie' s friend, Lucas, was whispering excitedly. "Dude, I told you! They pulled through! The cameras were there! And they have proof!"

My footsteps faltered. Proof? What proof? My heart hammered against my ribs as I stopped just outside the door, straining to hear.

"Are you sure?" Bennie's voice was weak, but full of something close to hope. "The security footage from the school? You actually got it?"

"Yeah!" Lucas exclaimed. "My uncle works for the school district. He owes my dad a favor. He found the original full-length video! It clearly shows Leo pushing you first, calling your sister a slut, and saying your parents got what they deserved for raising a freak like you! He was the aggressor, man! You just defended yourself!"

My blood ran cold. Lucas had been right. Lucas had confirmed it. Bennie hadn't been the aggressor. Leo had started it, provoked him with vile insults about our dead parents, about me. My hands clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms. The rage was a cold, pure fire.

"So, this... this video clears your name?" I asked, stepping into the room, my voice trembling.

Lucas jumped, startled, then nodded vigorously. "Yeah! It completely changes everything!" He fumbled with his phone. "I can show you. Look."

I took his phone, my fingers shaking as I watched the grainy footage. It was all there. Leo, sneering, pushing Bennie, spewing hateful words. Bennie, initially trying to walk away, then finally snapping, a whirlwind of fists. My heart ached, not just for Bennie, but for the injustice we had both endured.

"Yes," I breathed, my voice thick with emotion. "Yes, it clears his name."

As I walked out of Bennie's room with Lucas, we passed a group of nurses huddled by the station, their voices hushed but excited.

"Did you hear Claudia's statement?" one whispered, eyes wide. "She clarified everything about Leo and Bennie. Said Bennie was a troubled kid, but she prays for him. And she highlighted Demetri's compassion for her and her family even more!"

"Oh, she's such a saint," another gushed. "Such a kind, forgiving soul. Always thinking of others, even after all she's been through."

My stomach turned. Claudia. Still playing the victim. Still using every situation to elevate herself, to cast me and Bennie as the villains. And Demetri... was he still a part of her charade? Was he still blind?

I walked back into Bennie' s room, a new resolve hardening my shoulders. He was sitting up, Lucas beside him.

"You're going to apologize, Josie?" Bennie asked, his voice sharp, a fresh wave of anger in his eyes. "After everything? After they framed me?"

I looked at him, at the raw hurt in his eyes, the anger that still simmered beneath the surface. My throat tightened. "Bennie," I began, my voice soft. "I've paid off all our debts. The money from the lawsuit will cover your full rehabilitation, for as long as it takes. We can even find a specialist in New York, a place where no one knows our past."

He stared at me, his expression unreadable. "What are you talking about?"

"This," I said, holding up Lucas' s phone, the video still playing. "This changes everything. We don't have to apologize for anything, Bennie. We're getting out of here. We're starting over."

Bennie' s eyes widened, then filled with a flood of emotions – disbelief, relief, and finally, a fragile hope. He reached out, his injured hand trembling slightly, and took the phone. He watched the video, his breath catching in his throat.

"So, you... you're not going to apologize?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "To Demetri? To Claudia?"

"No," I said, my voice firm, all traces of doubt gone. "Not for their lies. Not for their manipulations. We owe them nothing. I'm going to take you to New York, Bennie. A new life, a fresh start. No more looking back."

He looked at me, a flicker of something in his eyes I hadn't seen in years. Not defiance, not anger, but... trust. "And Demetri? What about him? He'll think you're still running. He'll think you're still guilty."

I smiled, a genuine, albeit weary, smile. "Let him think what he wants. His opinions don't define us anymore." I gently caressed his hair. "I'm not letting anyone hurt you again. No one."

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from Jordan, my steadfast college friend. Josie, you won't believe what I found! Claudia's entire "bullying trauma" at USC? It was a complete fabrication! I have the video evidence from the campus security cameras! She orchestrated the whole thing!

My heart leaped into my throat. Jordan. My brilliant, resourceful friend. She'd done it. She'd found the truth.