Their Punching Bag Became The Storm novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Confronting Chase and Emily

Chapter 9 Confronting Chase and Emily

Emily thought, ‘What, an idiot! She’s such a useless teammate. If I didn’t know for sure that Kayla had no idea about the whole real–and–fake heiress swap between me and Whitney, I’d think she was doing this on purpose.

‘Whether I’m the heiress or not, Kayla said that on camera. Isn’t she putting me in the hot seat and making it look like I’m abusing my privilege as the heiress and pushing people around? She’s handing the audience a reason to roast me.’

Emily forced herself to swallow the anger rising in her chest, trying to keep her expression composed and her voice sweet.

“Kayla, don’t say stuff like that,” Emily said.

She let go of Kayla’s arm and shot her an annoyed look. “We’re all contestants here. Everyone’s equal. There’s no special treatment or status on this show.”

As she spoke, she glanced down at her foot, pretended to be tough despite the pain, and gave a couple of hops on the ground.

She forced a brave smile. “My foot’s fine, really. You don’t need to worry. Since I’m on this show, I’m ready to get hurt sometimes.

“We’re lucky to join this show. We’re a team, and I really don’t want my situation to mess up our team spirit.”

After saying that, she subtly patted the back of Chase’s hand.

Then, she shot Ryan a look that screamed, “I’m tough and pure. I’m nothing like those drama queens out there.”

But Ryan’s eyes stayed fixed on Whitney the whole time.

There was a subtle, almost teasing smile flickering in his gaze.

Emily’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

‘What’s going on with Ryan and Whitney?‘ Emily thought.

“Whitney, what are you still fussing about? Emily’s already let it go. Do you really have to keep trying to one–up her?” Chase’s angry voice cut through the air, snapping Emily out of her thoughts.

Chase watched Emily, clearly hurting, push herself to appease Whitney’s jealousy and prove her injury wasn’t serious.

Seeing her red eyes and how she fought back tears tore him up inside.

He shot Whitney a look, disappoint!ver his face.

Successfully unlocked!

Normally, Whitney could pick on Eyed at home, but that was family business behind closed doors.

Chapter 9 Confronting Chase and Emily

But now, out in public, Whitney kept causing drama, with zero sense of the family’s Teputation of teamwork.

‘Figures. Once a wild girl, always a wild girl. No matter what you do, she’ll never fit in, Chase thought.

Whitney gave him an expressionless stare. “It’s not a big deal if your head’s empty. You never had a brain anyway.

“But if you’re both brainless and blind, maybe you should stop embarrassing yourself here.”

Emily quickly grabbed Chase’s hand, her eyes red with tears as she hurried to defend him. “Chase just cares about me too much. Whitney, if you’ve got a problem with me, take it out on me. Don’t take it out on Chase.”

She looked like she’d endure anything for Chase, no matter how unfair.

Whitney didn’t hold back. She

to St. ut for Emily. “You’re the one who makes a big

deal out of a tiny scrape. You ent

always trying to stir things up.

one who keeps shoving the camera in my face,

“And you’re the one who won’t stop picking at my injured foot, accusing me of playing the sympathy card. All I did was ask you to clear your name, and you instantly start freaking out. If you’re innocent, what are you so worked up about?”

Whitney fired back without mercy, and Emily’s eyes were getting redder, her voice starting to choke up as she fought back tears.

Chase, feeling terrible for Emily, didn’t think twice. He stepped up and swung his hand, aiming a slap at Whitney’s face.

“Whitney, you’ve gone too far!” Chase yelled.

Whitney’s eyes went cold.

‘Does Chase think I’m still that soft, brainless Whitney who couldn’t bring herself to hurt him?’ she thought.

She didn’t bother to dodge. She was about to grab his wrist and twist it hard.

Before she could react, a slender hand flashed before her eyes.

It moved even faster, grabbing Chase’s wrist mid–air and stopping him cold. Ryan’s cold, almost otherworldly face appeared suddenly in Whitney’s line of sight. His thin lips curled into a mocking smirk. “Chase, do your fans know you hit girls?” Ryan’s grip on Chase’s wrist seemed effortless, almost like he was only holding it. But no matter how hard Chase struggled, he couldn’t break free from Ryan’s grip. He could even hear the sharp crack of bones breaking in his wrist.

Chapter 9 Confronting Chase and Emily

Chase broke out in a cold sweat, his eyes wide, but he was so stunned by the pain that he couldn’t yett like he usually would.

Instead, he forced himself to endure the stabbing agony, struggling to speak with a trembling voice. “MMr. Pierce, you’ve got it all wrong. I wasn’t trying to hit…”

‘He’s the type who bullies the weak but grovels to the strong,’ Whitney thought. Whenever Whitney was involved, he was quick to shout and throw a tantrum over nothing.

But when it came to the powerful Ryan, even if Ryan beat him black and blue, Chase wouldn’t dare utter a word.

Seeing Chase so frustrated and powerless, Whitney was totally loving it.

This felt even sweeter than if she’d snapped his wrist herself.

And thanks to that, Ryan was suddenly way more appealing in her eyes.

‘After the show’s over, I’ll find a chance to give him a checkup and see what kind of illness he’s actually got, Whitney thought. ‘If it’s not a hassle, I’ll cure him. Consider it my way of thanking him for stepping in.’

Ryan kept that faint, mocking smile on his lips, but his refined eyes were completely devoid of emotion, icy and chilling. “Chase, the Top Streamer, what exactly do you think I’ve misunderstood?”

The way he spat out “Top Streamer” made the sarcasm sting even more.

Chase’s face turned pale. He couldn’t wrap his head around why Ryan, usually out of everyone’s league, would take Whitney’s side.

And he did it in front of the cameras, not sparing Chase a shred of dignity.

With that thought, Chase blamed all his humiliation and the throbbing pain in his wrist on Whitney.

His eyes were blazing red with fury.

He didn’t dare lash out at Ryan, so he turned his glare on Whitney instead.

But the moment Chase tried to glare at Whitney, Ryan stepped in front of him, cutting off his line of sight completely with his tall figure.

“I get that you care about Emily, Chase, but you can’t blindly slandering others because you feel sorry for her. I don’t think that’s what a good brother should do,” Ryan said. Ryan wasn’t even wearing a mic yet, but his cool, magnetic voice still carried clearly to everyone watching the livestream.

“I saw exactly how bad Whitney’s foot was just now,” Ryan said, arching an eyebrow. Chase, are your eyes for decoration? Just a few vague words from Emily, and you lose all sense of judgment.”

Chapter 9 Confronting Chase and Emily

He let out a cold, mocking chuckle.

Chase’s face turned gloomy.

Emily’s expression twisted as she was humiliated by the public call–out.

She was trembling with rage, eyes rimmed red, but didn’t dare utter a single word.

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