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Chapter_81
Lauren trembled as she gripped her teddy bear tighter, her small body shaking under the force of Betty’s anger. Her eyes welled with tears, but she refused to cry out. Instead, she bit her lip, enduring the pain in silence.
“Stop it!” Jonah’s voice suddenly cut through the tension as he entered the room, his tone sharp and commanding. “Betty, get your hands off her!”
Betty froze, her grip on Lauren’s hair loosening slightly as she turned to face Jonah. There was a flash of surprise in her eyes, but it quickly turned to defiance.
“Why should I stop? She’s betrayed us! She’s siding with that village girl, Alice! You don’t even know what she’s capable of!” Betty’s voice was a venomous hiss, but Jonah wasn’t fazed.
“Enough, Betty!” Jonah’s voice rang out with authority. “If you touch her again, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Betty glared at him, but the anger in her eyes was now mixed with a flicker of fear. She let go of Lauren’s hair completely and took a step back, her chest heaving in frustration. “You’re just as weak as she is, letting that girl influence you!”
Lauren held onto her teddy bear, her face pale as she watched her older sister retreat. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she was grateful for Jonah’s intervention. She knew Betty would have gone further if he hadn’t come in when he did.
Jonah walked over to Lauren and gently helped her sit down, his hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder. “You okay?” he asked quietly, his voice softening.
Lauren nodded slowly, still holding her teddy bear tightly. “I’m fine, just… scared.”
Jonah sighed deeply. “You don’t deserve this, Lauren. No one does.”
He shot one last cold look at Betty before turning his attention back to his younger sister. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
Betty seethed, but she knew Jonah wasn’t the type to back down. Instead, she left the room in a huff, muttering under her breath. The door slammed shut behind her, and the room was finally quiet.
Jonah turned back to Lauren, kneeling down to meet her eyes. “Look, I know things are complicated right now. But you don’t have to choose sides. You can support Alice without betraying your family. Just… be careful, okay?”
Lauren nodded, her small frame still trembling slightly. “I don’t want anyone to fight. I just don’t want Alice to be hurt.”
Jonah gave her a small, understanding smile. “I know. Just remember, you have a family who loves you. We’ll protect you, no matter what.”
As he left the room, Lauren felt a mixture of relief and anxiety. She wanted to help Alice, but the pressure from her family was mounting. Would she be able to balance it all, or would she be forced to choose a side?
Outside the room, Jonah made a mental note to keep a closer eye on things. Betty’s outbursts were becoming more dangerous, and he wasn’t sure how long he could prevent her from doing something irreversible. But right now, Lauren needed him, and he would do whatever it took to make sure she felt safe.
The tangled web of family loyalty, secrets, and resentment was growing thicker, and everyone in the Taylor family seemed to be caught in its threads. But Jonah knew one thing for sure—he would protect his sister, no matter what it took.