chapter756

Lydia's smirk was pure sarcasm. "So, you get beat up outside, then run home and cry to your mom? Is that really all you've got?"

Fred's face turned red, and even his yellow hair seemed to bristle in anger.

"Lydia!"

"I already told you, you don't get to call me by my name. Do you want another round?"

Lydia stepped forward, and Fred immediately shrank back, his bravado cracking. He whispered over his shoulder to his two friends, Come on, let's take them together. There's no way they can handle all of us."

But his friends hesitated. Lydia might be a girl, but her moves were fast and sharp. And Connor... just standing there, saying nothing, he gave off a pressure that made them both uneasy.

They didn't even dare get close, let alone start a fight.

"Fred, maybe let's just leave it for today," one of them muttered.

"Yeah, Fred. Weren't we going to play some games? Let's go."

Fred almost exploded. "Are you kidding me right now? They just turned my face into ground beef and you want to go play games? I'm not going anywhere until I settle this!"

His friends looked defeated, but none of them were brave enough to step up. Fred was so furious he felt like he might burst. "Fine, whatever. Next time you get bullied at school, don't come running to me for help.

He whipped out his phone and dialed a number, his hands shaking.

The call went through right away. Fred's voice was loud and full of drama. "Mom! You have to come right now. I'm getting beat up in broad daylight. My knee's busted, my face is all swollen, my head is ringing. I think I have a concussion. Mom, hurry up. They're going to kill me..."

Whatever his mom said made him calm down. He hung up, then shot Lydia and Connor a smug look. "Just wait. You two are so dead. My stepdad is not someone you want to mess with."

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "So, you call your mom, and your mom calls your stepdad?"

Fred puffed up, looking all proud. "That's right. My stepdad's a big deal in the Capital. Even his cheapest car is a Maserati People like you from g the middle of nowhere will never even get close to someone like him."

Lydia just looked at him. "So, are you going to inherit all his money one day?"

Fred's face fell. The truth was, there was nothing for him to inherit. The guy had his own kids. Fred was just an outsider. If he really had a claim, he wouldn't be stuck in this dump with everyone else.

"So, you're not getting anything, but you're still out here bragging for him every day. That doesn't really seem fair to you."

Fred was practically steaming. Was Lydia doing this on purpose, cutting him down with just a few words?

Before he could say anything else, his mother arrived. She swept in, dripping with jewelry, her dark green dress hugging her figure, black heels clacking loud on the pavement.

The second Lydia saw her, her eyes narrowed.

Christie stormed over, taking one look at Fred's bruised face and losing it right away. "Freddie!"

Mom! It's them. They are gonna kill me! Fred pointed straight at Lydia and Connor, his voice shaking with rage.

Christie clutched her designer purse, looking down her nose at Lydia. "So, you're the ones who bullied my son? Get down and beg for forgiveness right now, and pay my son two million for his medical bills. Do that, and we'll forget about it. Otherwise, I'll make sure you're kicked out of the Capital for good."

Instead of getting angry, Lydia actually laughed. "What does your husband do that

he can just erase people from the Capital?"

Christie bristled. "You don't need to know what my husband does. Just know he's got real power. If you knew his name, you'd be terrified."

On her way over, Fred had already texted Christie about Lydia and Luke. Christie

had heard about the Smith family's fall, so she didn't care about Luke at all.

"It doesn't matter who's more

powerful," Lydia said, her eyes suddenly jcy. "Your son started this He bullied my brother first want him to apologize to my brother. She wasn't about to waste any more time with Christie.