Chapter 110

Ralph turned to Abigail, his eyes silently asking, “Whose side is James actually on?” Asking for hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation? That was absurd.

The woman, eyes red, asked in disbelief, “You’re really going to stand up for me?”

He had heard James was just as unpredictable as Sebastian, but…

James nodded and replied, “If the Gibson family wants to settle this with money, then name your price. If they can’t meet it, take them to court."

“When they get here, just tell them exactly what you want. If they can’t give it to you, do what I told you. Go through the legal route.”

Abigail stood silently to the side while the woman nodded, still tearful.

‘It’s not that the victim’s family wants to take this to court,’ Abigail thought. ‘It’s that the Gibson family doesn’t want to pay what they’re asking.'

Before long, Bianca arrived with Daniella in tow.

Bianca walked in ready to scold Abigail for being so cold and heartless. But the moment she saw James, who was smiling yet had eyes as cold as ice, she immediately pulled back.

Instead, Bianca just put on a sad face and said, “Abby, come on, we’re family. Why would you bring an outsider into this?”

Daniella noticed Ralph as well and gave him an apologetic look, saying, “You were never supposed to be involved in this, and yet you’ve come to the hospital more than once to speak on Stevie’s behalf."

“We really feel bad about it. We’re hoping Abby can help so it doesn’t keep wasting your time.”

Ralph said quietly, “Stevie is a good friend of mine. Of course, I’d help him.” While he said this, he looked straight at Abigail, but her face stayed blank.

The woman had no interest in getting dragged into their family drama. So, she spoke up right away. “If you’re here to settle, then I’ll be blunt. I want one million dollars in compensation. If not, I’m going straight to court.”

Bianca gasped, “One million dollars? What? Who do you think your son…”

Irritated, the woman cut her off sharply, “I’ve already made myself clear. If your son had taken mine to the hospital right away back then, I wouldn’t have asked for this much. I might not have even filed a case."

“But he ran. He hit my kid and ran, and now my son’s been in a coma ever since. Doesn’t that deserve a bigger settlement?”

“I think that’s a perfectly reasonable demand,” James said cheerfully. “You hit someone and fled the scene. Even if she asked for three million, you would still have to pay. Otherwise, enjoy three years in prison.”

Bianca snapped, “Abby, why are you letting some outsider interfere in our family’s business?” She clearly couldn’t stand what James was saying. As far as she was concerned, the Gibson family’s problems had nothing to do with him.

Abigail remained calm as she asked, “Well, weren’t you the one who said Daniella owed me an apology?”

Bianca’s face froze at her words, and she quickly tried to talk her down. “Abby, she’s your sister. I know what she did before was wrong, but she has already been punished. Do you really have to be this harsh with her?”

James didn’t like the sound of that. He stepped forward, blocking Abigail from view. “If you’re going to have her apologize, then do it. What’s with all the rambling? You think she came back to play happy family with you?”

Abigail said flatly, “Just apologize. Since you were so eager to drag me back to clean up your family’s mess, well, I’m here now. Time to keep your end of the deal.”

As she spoke, her face was blank, and her eyes were also cold and emotionless.

Daniella’s eyes reddened. She looked at Ralph, but he was staring at Abigail in silence. With no other option, Daniella finally said, “A…”

Apologizing was never on Daniella’s mind, but she hadn’t counted on Abigail showing up with James. After all, it was no secret that Sebastian’s crew was never known for showing mercy.

“Apologize to her!” James snapped, his eyes icy and his words sharp. “You never thought about this when you were making a scene at Haldan Group, did you? Every time you went after her, did you even think this day would come?”

He turned to the woman beside him. “The Gibson family has to fork over the money and apologize today. Otherwise, I’ve wasted my time coming here, don’t you think?”

She nodded, clearly satisfied and totally on board with what he said.

Bianca looked at Abigail, lips quivering and face white as a sheet. She sounded completely let down as she said, “So the only reason you agreed to come back was for…”

James cut in impatiently, “Oh, shut the hell up! No one forced her to come back. What, now you’re trying to twist this around and play the victim?

“I’m warning you, old lady. She’s our sister now. The Gibson family doesn’t get to walk all over her anymore. So, apologize now!”

Bianca flinched in fear.

Abigail stood there, cold and unmoved, saying nothing as she looked at the mother and daughter.

Daniella turned to Ralph in desperation, but he made no move to intervene.

James said coolly, “If she doesn’t apologize today, neither of you are leaving. We want the money and the apology, both. If you try to skip out on one…”

He paused before turning to the woman beside him with a cheerful smile. “You can sue them for me. I have all kinds of ways to dig up evidence, so you don’t need to worry about a thing.”

The woman gave Bianca a venomous look and spat, “You heard him. Apologize and pay up!”

Bianca looked like she might faint. With James bearing down on her, she looked around for help, but Ralph didn’t say a word, and Abigail acted like she barely even knew her.

Only now did Bianca truly understand what it felt like to be cornered with no way out. Her legs buckled slightly, and she instinctively reached out to steady herself on Daniella.

Abigail had endured countless humiliations back at Gibson Villa, and no one had ever stood up for her. But now, with James in front of her, there was no way she was letting anyone walk all over her again.