The Prison Lord's Release

Chapter 10

After Preston left, only Norbert, Chloe, and Ella remained in the hearing room. Norbert turned toward the two girls and smiled.

"Fortunately, everything ended well."

Chloe let out a quiet breath before looking at him. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "Because of you, Ella was finally able to prove her innocence."

"It was the right thing to do. Ella shouldn't have been treated that way."

Ella looked up at him with bright eyes. "Thank you, Uncle!" she exclaimed happily.

Norbert smiled and patted her head. "You're welcome, Ella."

For a moment, Ella seemed to remember something. She looked at Norbert carefully, then asked a question that had been on her mind since their first meeting.

"Uncle, are you really my mother's brother?"

Norbert paused before answering. "I know it's difficult to believe someone you have only just met," he answered gently. "But I am your uncle, and I'll do my best to prove that we're family."

Ella studied his face, trying to decide whether she could trust him. "Will you come back to see me?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," Norbert promised. "I won't disappear without telling you."

Ella smiled a little and reached for Chloe's hand. She was still afraid of being abandoned, but Norbert's promise gave her hope.

Chloe watched them silently. She still had many questions about Norbert's identity, his wealth, and his connection to Preston, but she was grateful that he had protected Ella.

Just then, a strange sound broke the silence.

Growl.

Chloe froze when she realized the sound had come from her own stomach. Her face turned red, and she quickly looked away. Ella blinked before giggling.

"Sister Chloe, are you hungry?" she asked innocently.

Norbert burst into laughter. "Are you two hungry?" he asked with a warm smile. "Come on. I'll treat you both to a good meal!"

Chloe hesitated. She was still cautious around Norbert, but after everything that had happened, she found it difficult to refuse him.

"Are you sure?" she asked awkwardly.

"You both deserve a good meal after such a difficult day!"

Ella raised her hand. "I want to go!" she exclaimed.

Norbert laughed again. "Then it's settled. Let's go!"

He led them out of the hearing room, while Ella walked beside him and held Chloe's hand.

Meanwhile, the people passing by the school were startled by Marlene's screams as the security guards threw her out. Ever since marrying into the Turner Family, Marlene's name had frequently appeared in elite social circles. She was known for her arrogance and her habit of throwing her importance around.

However, no one had dared to criticize her since she became a member of the Turner Family. That was why her removal from the school left everyone wondering what had happened.

"What exactly happened? How could anyone dare to throw Marlene Turner out?"

"Lindenhall School is really asking for trouble. Aren't they afraid of the consequences?"

A driver in a black suit who had been waiting beside a car rushed over. He was about to help Marlene to her feet, but she roughly slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" Marlene snapped.

She got up on her own, breathing heavily. Her eyes swept over the school gates, filled with deep hatred.

"Preston Hale, just you wait! I'll make sure this school gets shut down!" she shouted furiously.

"And that insolent man!" she continued, recalling Norbert's face. "I'll show you what real power looks like!" she hissed through clenched teeth, her heart filled with vengeance.

She gestured to the driver, signaling him to help Ruby into the car. A few minutes later, the school gates opened again.

The moment Marlene saw Norbert walk with Chloe and Ella, her anger that had subsided flared up again. Without wasting a second, she strode toward them and blocked their path in front of the gates.

"Stop right there," she said coldly. "You orphanage brat!"

Chloe stopped in her tracks and turned around, pulling Ella behind her protectively.

"I thought we were already done here. I wonder what else Mrs. Turner wants from us," Chloe said, wondering where the Marlene who had begged Preston had gone, as she was acting arrogant again.

Marlene crossed her arms over her chest. Her gaze shifted to Ella, then back to Chloe, as if she were inspecting some cheap merchandise at a market.

"You really don't know your place, do you?" she sneered. "An orphan from a rundown orphanage dares to pick a fight with me?"

Chloe let out a heavy sigh. Marlene was still determined to make trouble for her and Ella.

"Listen carefully." Marlene took half a step closer. "If you want your life and that little brat's life to remain peaceful, you'll tell the school that Ruby never bullied her."

She pointed at Ella with the tip of her manicured fingernail.

"Tell them it was all just a misunderstanding! Orphans like her tend to imagine things when they don't get enough attention, don't they?"

The people around them were beginning to understand why Marlene had been expelled from the school. It turned out that her daughter had been caught bullying another student.

"I didn't think anyone would dare report her. That orphan has some serious guts."

"I've often heard rumors that her daughter likes picking on the weak. So it turns out they're true?"

Marlene shot a furious glare at the gossiping crowd, and they fell silent at once. She then turned back to Chloe, her expression growing even more hostile.

"Now that you understand, hurry up and do as I say!"

Deep down, Chloe knew she couldn't afford to go up against the Turner Family. After all, she was just an orphan, but that didn't mean she could let Marlene do whatever she pleased.

"Why should I do what you say? Ruby and you are the ones who should apologize. You accused Ella of stealing and humiliated her in front of her classmates."

Chloe's response only made Marlene even angrier. She had assumed that threatening Chloe would be enough to make her obey, but it seemed this girl was being far too stubborn.

"You ungrateful little brat! Fine, then... I can make two orphans like you learn what it feels like to have no one to protect you!" Marlene threatened, her eyes filled with menace.

However, her expression soon relaxed, and she spoke in a casual tone.

"But if you obediently do as I say, I might give you fifty thousand dollars and a few properties," she offered with an arrogant smile.

Marlene glanced at her five elaborately manicured fingernails.

"Well? You have nothing to lose. As an orphan from a poor orphanage, you couldn't earn that kind of wealth even if you worked for a hundred years," she added with a contemptuous smile.

She was certain Chloe would accept her offer. Poor people were always weak in the face of money, and Chloe was surely no exception.