He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 347

He tried desperately to keep his composure, forcing his voice to sound casual.

"This isn't just about helping me. I'm trying to help your family, too," Yardley reasoned. "If your aunt gets dragged into this mess, it's going to affect your uncle's political career and stain the Croft family's reputation."

He paused, dropping his voice into a warning murmur. "Scarlett has gone completely off the rails this time. She just declared war on multiple elite families. Is it really worth burning down the city over some ancient history?"

Julian had remained impassive, but the phrase "ancient history" ignited a spark of fury he couldn't suppress.

He stood up abruptly, looking down at Yardley with a gaze so cold it could freeze water. "Ancient history? It's so easy for you to dismiss it, isn't it, Yardley?"

"You were desperate enough to swallow your pride and come begging at my door in the middle of the night to save your mother. Why is it so unacceptable for Scarlett to fight for her mother's justice?"

Yardley's underlying hypocrisy was brutally exposed again, and he bristled with embarrassment. He shot up from the chair, desperately trying to salvage his pride.

"I'm not here to beg you," Yardley snapped. "I came to warn you that your aunt is going to take a fall. If you don't care, fine. Pretend we never had this conversation."

He turned to walk out, a bitter sense of regret washing over him. Why had he even bothered coming here? He had practically offered himself up to be humiliated.

Before he could reach the door, Julian's voice rang out, firm and unyielding.

"Yardley, the truth doesn't expire. It doesn't matter how many years have passed; victims always have the right to hold their abusers accountable."

"The law applies to everyone. Power and money do not give you the right to trample on someone else's dignity. That applies to my aunt, and it applies to your mother."

"I know the kind of man my uncle is. If my aunt is truly guilty, he won't use his influence to cover it up. He will make her face the consequences."

Julian's tone turned razor-sharp. "So coming to me was a waste of time. In the Croft family, if you make a mistake, you pay the price. Our family's code of conduct isn't like yours."

Julian hadn't raised his voice or hurled a single insult, but every word felt like a physical slap across Yardley's face. His expression darkened into a stormy scowl, his pride burning like a lit fuse.

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