The Strongest Curse Master-Chapter 147: Confession

"Mom, tell me we aren’t letting them just walk away," Danny demanded, his voice sharp with rage. He turned to Pam, his eyes blazing with disbelief. He had never doubted Ava’s accusation against Brooke—not for a second. Having gone to school with the Rockworth twins, he already suspected that the gold bar incident was Brooke’s doing. But without evidence, his hands were tied. Now that Ava had come forward, Danny wanted to teach the twins a lesson. Yet, Ava had already handled it in her own way. All that remained was David but the cops standing nearby.

He looked to his mother, desperation flickering in his eyes, hoping she would press charges—criminal conspiracy, slander, anything she could throw at Brooke and the Rockworths. Though Pam had once moonlighted as a model during her college years, she was still a law major.

Pam sighed, her lips pursed as she watched the Rockworths retreat. "Settle down, honey," she said softly but firmly. "It’s better they slink away with their tails between their legs before your father gets here. I’m not getting any younger, I don’t think I have the patience to wait for your father to finish his time for homicide." Her voice was steady, but the tension in her jaw betrayed her ease.

Danny bristled, but Pam’s words hung heavy in the air. Her eyes darted briefly toward the parking lot, a silent prayer forming in her heart that neither her husband nor her younger sister would show up right now. Dan’s temper was infamous, a wildfire waiting for a spark. Mandy’s temper, while rarer, was no less terrifying when unleashed. Pam shuddered at the thought of either of them confronting the Rockworths.

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The crowd stood in uneasy agreement. Mary, Ace, the Martins, locals, and even the officers—nodded solemnly. Dan’s quick and explosive temper was no secret to anyone in town. The Rockworths had gone too far this time, and if Dan got his hands on David, no one doubted the outcome. Dan wiping the floor with David, but obviously he wouldn’t stop there and punch his ticket to the afterlife.

Out-of-town spectators murmured and gossiped learning the truth. The drama unfolding before them was more entertaining than any telenova they watched as it was a live testament to a small town’s blood fueds being passed from one genration to another.

"Pam, inform Ms. Banks she doesn’t need to come to my office tomorrow. I’m dropping all charges against the boy, and I apologize for any inconvenience my officers may have caused," the Sheriff stated with a formal tone. He was about to turn away when Pam quipped with a sharp smile, "Oh no, don’t trouble yourself with that. Both my husband and Mandy will be at your office first thing in the morning."

The Sheriff froze mid-step, his shoulders stiffening as Pam’s words sank in. He glanced back at her, bitterness flickering in his expression understanding that the Landers weren’t planning to let this matter slide. Swallowing his frustration, he nodded curtly at Pam before turning to Layla. "Ma’am, please don’t worry. I’ll handle things accordingly."

"Listen up, old man—AH!" Ava interrupted, glaring daggers at the Sheriff as she rudely addressed him. Before she could finish her sentence, her father grabbed her ear and twisted it firmly. Wincing but defiant, Ava shot the Sheriff a fiery look and warned, "No funny business. I’ll be watching. If I’m not satisfied with the outcome, prepare for early retirement."

The Sheriff’s jaw tightened as he fought to control his rising temper. His thoughts raced: ’Who is this insolent girl?’ But before he could speak, Layla stepped forward and calmly added, "If I were you, I’d take her words seriously."

The Sheriff blinked, his expression shifting from indignation to realization. He studied Ava briefly, his gaze narrowing, before nodding at Layla with newfound caution. "I understand, ma’am," he said stiffly, then turned and hurried to his vehicle, his steps quick and deliberate as if he were escaping.

"Ava, your mother and I raised you better than this!" Principal Martin scolded his daughter, still gripping her ear. His voice was stern, his eyes hard with disappointment. Before he could launch into the lecture forming on his lips, Ava twisted free from his grip and strode away without a word, leaving him momentarily stunned.

The Principal shook his head, regaining his composure, and turned toward Layla, who stood nearby. Earlier, after hearing from Layla that a girl was missing, the Martins had joined the search party instead of heading home. Now that the girl was found, they were finally leaving, making it possible for this incident to happen.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Principal Martin, I wanted to come say hi earlier, but with the storm and everything, the timing just was not right," Mary said, her tone warm but tinged with weariness.

"Mrs. Lander, it doesn’t matter. I could’ve reached out as well," Principal Martin replied with a polite nod. His expression softened as he asked, "By the way, how is Lyra doing?"

Mary’s face lit up with pride. "Still pursuing her dreams," she said simply, her smile genuine despite the tense events of the day.

…

With her hands buried in the pockets of her hoodie, Ava strolled toward Ace, her steps unhurried. As he glanced in her direction, she smirked and asked, "Hey, you. So, you still wanna kick me?"

Ace’s brow furrowed slightly, his expression unreadable as he responded, "You kissed me. Why?"

Even though Layla had explained the situation to him and his family, he couldn’t shake his disbelief. Ace and Ava had essentially grown up together in the same school, and the idea that she had suddenly developed a crush on him out of nowhere didn’t sit right with him.

"Because I wanted to," Ava replied simply, a faint, teasing smile playing on her lips. It was only half the truth. The other reason was that back then, she hadn’t been able to wriggle free of his grip, and when her gaze fell on his lips, a sudden, impulsive desire had overtaken her. She kissed him because she felt like it—something entirely her own, not part of any combat arts training. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she leaned forward slightly and added, "Why? Do you want to kiss me?"

Nearby, Danny froze mid-step, his jaw dropping as he overheard the exchange between his cousin and the red-haired beauty. His wide-eyed shock deepened as Ace rejected her with a blunt, "No. But your sister told me you have a crush on me. Do you?"

Ace wasn’t playing games. He had endured his fair share of prank proposals and staged love confessions chats at his old school, and he wasn’t about to fall for another. Knowing Ava’s association with those delinquents, he was wary and assumed she might be pulling a similar trick.

"What if I was?" Ava asked, her voice quieter now, her eyes darting downward shyly. She hadn’t expected Ace to be so bold and direct, but she found she liked it. At least this way, they could skip the unnecessary drama and dive straight into the fun part.

"If you were," Ace began, his tone measured, "I’d ask you: why now?" Seeing the confusion flicker across her face, he elaborated, "We’ve been schoolmates for almost twelve years. Why now? What changed?"

Before answering, Ava shot a sharp glare at Danny, who quickly shut his gaping mouth. Realizing he was intruding, Danny threw the pair a knowing smile before turning on his heel. He strolled toward the adults, who were chatting while waiting for their family members to bring the car around.

Seeing that Danny had gone far enough, Ava took a deep breath, her lips curling into a warm, gentle smile. "Earlier today, after that staff room incident, I talked to some of our old classmates. I learned that the only reason you let Mark bully and beat you around, despite being stronger than him, was because he was threatening you with your sister. That... and the fact that you’re a lot more handsome now than before," she added with a teasing lilt, "and also stronger than me."

Ace’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered her words. "Thanks for being honest with me," he said, his tone measured. "But let me ask you something: would you have gone out with the old me?"

Ace’s question hung in the air, weighted with resentment. He struggled to forgive their old classmates who had known what he was going through yet did nothing to help him. Ava, had been one of them, and her being principal’s daughter yet doing nothing stung the most.

Ava’s expression froze, her smile fading as she caught the edge in his voice. Quickly, she locked eyes with him and asked, "Are you rejecting me? I can’t believe this. This can’t be happening again." Her voice sharpened, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Tell me, why should I go out with a loser? Would you have gone out with me if I was a fat loser? Would you have even bothered to talk to a fat, ugly version of me?"

She stepped closer, her voice rising slightly, but not enough to draw attention. "Do you know how hard I worked to be me and look the way I do? You should know—because you have worked very hard to look the way you do now. Tell me, why should I settle for someone who’s ignorant and too weak to even stand up for himself when I’m striving to reach higher every day? Grow up!"