The Daughter in the Shadows (by Una Norris) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54 No More Obeying

Later that evening a Powell family butler rushed over and whispered something to Jackson His expression changes instantly -brows furrowing as he gave the butler a sharps decisive look. Then, without missing a beat, he turned back to the crowd with a smooth, practiced simile, like nothing had happened.

Twelve–year–old Yumice followed behind the butler as he hurried out of the balloom. She quietly overheard him telling a maid to lock up the back courtyard–someone had jumped. They couldn’t let the news get out and rum Mr. Paul’s birthday party

Yunice spun around and bolted toward the back county asi

A woman lay flat on the cold, stone tiles–her body twisted, blood pooling beneath the back of her head and seeping into the cracks between the bricks

She was still alive–barely. Blood ran from her mouth and ears, and her body witches weakly

Yunice dropped to her knees and pulled a Woundis pill from her pocket, slipping it between the woman’s lips

But it was no use. Wyatt’s mother died anyway.

And now Paul had the nerve to ask her. “What’s so special about Wyatt anyway

Maybe he’d forgotten everything he did as a kid–how he used to drag her along to mess with Wyan like it was some kind of

Yunice had never touched Wyatt herself, but that didn’t make her innocent. She’d been there. And even now, all these years. later, the guilt still clung to her.

Maybe Wyatt didn’t even remember seeing her back then.

But Yunice hadn’t. The way she looked out for him now, the way she stood up for him, was really just her way of making up for the girl she used to be–the one who stayed quiet and did nothing

The more she thought about it, the more hollow it all seemed.

As if doing the right thing now could erase what she’d let happen lock then. As if pretending it never happened would somehow make it disappear.

She hated the old version of herself–the girl who obeyed every word, and followed every order.

And she hated Paul even

more.

She shoved his arm off her collarbone. She must’ve hit a sore spot, because he winced and let out a sharp breath.

“Easy” That hurts” Paul snapped, chitching his arm. He frowned, then said. “I know I was wrong to hit you. And that ring cut you! I’m not wearing it anymore” He rolled up his sleeve and showed her the braise spreading across his arm. “I didn’t exactly walk away clean either. Can we just call it even

He was clearly trying to smooth things over. And when Yunice didn’t say anything, he did something rare for him–he actually tried to lighten the mood. “My arm’s killing me. Can you at least put some medicine on it? Yours always worked the

back then. Yunice couldn’t stand seethig him hurt. Even the smallest bump, and she’d be chasing him around with that old jar of medicine, insisting on taking care of it.

He used to find it annoying Called her a nag. He said she was like a clingy mom

But now, Yunice met his eyes without flinching, her face unreadable. “What makes you think you can still tell me what to do?” she said, her voice calm but cold. Just because you’re in pain, I’m supposes to take care of you! Like I owe you something!

Something about the way she said it made Paul instinctively take a step

The tense standoff between them broke, but Paul didn’t move. He stood there, waiting–hoping Yunice would give in and say something to ease the tension.

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