CHAPTER 431: CHAPTER 431: I WON’T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO HER

Wendy Alden’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat.

She knew very well that once she left, she wouldn’t be able to escape the theft charge.

"I’m not leaving! I want to wait for my mom to come!"

As soon as she spoke, Wendy realized just how much she depended on the mother she resented.

Moreover, she had no one else to rely on now.

The police officer said, "You have to come with us to cooperate with the investigation. We’ll notify your guardian."

"No way! Either wait for my mom to come, or no one takes me anywhere."

As Wendy spoke, she hugged the bed railing with complete disregard for her image.

The police were speechless, and the teachers from the school kept shaking their heads.

"Classmate, I’ll go with you. Just cooperate a bit and don’t make things so difficult. Plus, when they take you away, they’ll ask you to put on a jacket. If the allegations are false, it won’t affect you."

But Wendy still repeated, "No way!"

There was no choice. Since Wendy wasn’t cooperating, the police decided to use force.

Just as they were about to drag her away, a simple-dressed woman entered the room—Wendy’s mother.

Seeing her, Wendy immediately ran over, her eyes filled with tears, and hid behind her mother.

"Mom! They’re trying to arrest me!"

Mrs. Alden gently tugged at Wendy’s sleeve, intending to ease her worries.

She had understood the situation somewhat before she arrived.

But instead of denying everything like Wendy, she directly asked, "How much is the hairpin worth? We’re willing to pay. You’re all classmates; there’s no need for such a fuss. Let’s settle this privately if possible. Good kids, consider it a favor to this auntie."

Mrs. Alden maintained a good attitude and expressed willingness to compensate, even making a gesture as if to kneel.

Jocelyn Hayes and Ariana Grant hadn’t expected Wendy’s mother to be so...reasonable; for a moment, they didn’t know what to do.

If Mrs. Alden had been as unyielding as Wendy, they could leave everything to the police.

But now...the two looked at the gray streaks in Mrs. Alden’s hair and couldn’t harden their hearts.

Ariana, who knew Ashley Shaw better, understood that if Ashley were here and saw Mrs. Alden’s good attitude, she would probably soften too.

And since their focus was on when Ashley might return, they exchanged glances and made a decision—settle privately.

Ariana signaled to Jocelyn with her eyes to speak.

She could scold people, but in serious situations, she found it hard to express herself.

Jocelyn stepped forward and said, "The owner of the hairpin isn’t here; we’re her friends, so we’ll decide. As long as you compensate for the hairpin, that’s it."

Mrs. Alden immediately expressed her gratitude.

Wendy wanted to say something but was shut down by a glare from her mother.

Mrs. Alden usually seemed submissive in front of her; now she took charge as a parent, surprising Wendy into silence.

Both parties were students, and the police wanted to minimize the situation to avoid ruining anyone’s future needlessly.

"Since both parties agree to settle privately, let’s do so. What’s the value of the hairpin? We’ll witness the compensation, and once it’s done, the matter ends."

Jocelyn genuinely didn’t know the exact amount, so she looked to Ariana for answers.

Ariana only remembered Ashley mentioning "over a million," without knowing the exact figure.

After hesitating for two seconds, she said to wait and made a WeChat call to Grandpa Prescott.

Grandpa Prescott was busy with company matters; seeing Ariana’s call, he instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Because usually Ashley would contact him, Ariana wouldn’t go over Ashley to call him.

Between sensed omen, Grandpa Prescott immediately paused his work to answer Ariana’s call.

Ariana briefly explained the situation, deliberately withholding Ashley’s involvement.

She knew that Ashley would prefer not to worry Grandpa Prescott.

Learning it was just a damaged hairpin, Grandpa Prescott felt slightly relieved.

But he wasn’t naive; knowing the item was stolen rather than accidentally damaged, compensation had to be made.

Grandpa Prescott said, "I don’t remember the exact amount, probably around two million."

Ariana blinked, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Though the hairpin looked unremarkable, when Ashley mentioned millions, Ariana had thought she was just scaring Wendy.

She hadn’t expected...it truly was worth a million.

On the phone, Grandpa Prescott said, "If necessary, I can ask someone to find the receipt and send it to you right away."

"Alright, if you find it, send it to my phone."

Grandpa Prescott directly gave orders, then asked, "By the way...is Ashley alright? It’s just a hairpin, tell her not to be upset."

Ariana casually replied, "She’s fine."

"Then let her answer the phone."

"..." Ariana was instantly at a loss, not knowing how to respond.

Grandpa Prescott was a sharp man, and he sensed something was off when Ariana suddenly went silent after his inquiry about Ashley.

"Ariana, are you hiding something from me?" Grandpa Prescott asked directly.

Ariana knew she couldn’t keep it hidden and had to confess, "Ashley isn’t here."

"Where is she?"

"I..."

Ariana hesitated, and Grandpa Prescott’s expression turned completely grim.

"Ariana, tell me the truth. What exactly happened?"

Ariana had no choice but to explain honestly.

Grandpa Prescott immediately frowned.

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier about such a serious matter?"

"I...I was afraid you’d worry."

"Aren’t I worrying now? What’s crucial is solving the issue."

"I’m sorry, Grandpa Prescott."

"No need to apologize, you were concerned about me. It’s just that you’re underestimating me; it’s not enough to affect my health."

Grandpa Prescott paused and then said, "It’s not your fault; it’s mine for not teaching you that any issue you can’t resolve on your own must be reported to me immediately. You two too often consider others."

The police urged Ariana, "Have you determined the amount?"

Grandpa Prescott heard this and said over the phone, "Handle the matter at hand first; I’ll take care of Ashley. I won’t let anything happen to her!"

Ariana had heard similar assurances from Owen Sinclair.

With two "important figures" pledging their support and with Jocelyn and Joyce Sutton’s assistance, she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Ending the call with Grandpa Prescott, Ariana relayed the amount he mentioned over the phone.

No one expected the previously willing-to-pay Mrs. Alden to suddenly explode.

"How much are you saying?!"