Stolen Youth, Reclaimed Destiny

was practically rolling off her in waves. It wasn't just about the monetary value

coffed, stepping forward. "After she went to a

gain. "Bethany, stop it

pped, twisting away fro

d smile was gone, replaced by a thin, tight line. She c

o regain control. She looked at me, her eyes pleading, but there was a hard

depended on it. The public setting, the witnes

as my

reached out as if to touch the box

ing on. It wasn't a hard bump, just enough to jostle it. The velvet box tipped, and t

said, my voice fu

tarving animal finding a piece of bread. Her fingers closed around

" she declared

or' s throat, a raw, panicked sound

She lunged not at me, but at Bethany, her hand

Eleanor shrieked.

he watch to her chest. "No way! Sh

d, mouths agape. Ethan just stood there, frozen, useless. Eleanor, the queen of poise a

t as young as she wanted to be, lost her balance and wen

stopped

ide her, carefully avoiding her injured wrist. Then I turned to Bethany, my voic

es kept flicking back to the watch still clut

Bethany mumbled,

ith pain and fury. The fury was not just from the fall, or the public humiliation. It was the fury of a predat

Mother, we should get you inside. Let

mp towards the house, leaning on her son, her eyes burning with a hateful fire directed at Bethany. I had

ting her plan to work. She acted like giving the watch to Bethany was a catastrophe of epic proportions. Did the watch only work on me? Or was there a rule to this d