Chapter 10 - Diane Tried To Lie One Last Time
When Ryan confronted Diane formally, she arrived in a cream boardroom at the resort offices with her chin high and her lawyer at her side.
She was still trying to win.
She claimed the videos were misleading.
She said Emma had been emotionally unstable.
She described the chicken incident as “an attempt to make sure Emma ate protein.”
Ryan nearly got up from his chair.
His lawyer put a hand on his sleeve and quietly said, “Let the footage speak.”
So they did.
The screen showed Diane spitting on the drumstick.
The room fell silent.
Then came the clip of Diane screaming at Lily.
Then the clip of the forced apology.
Then the clip of the guardianship papers.
Diane’s lawyer stopped taking notes halfway through.
When the footage ended, Ryan leaned forward and asked one question.
“Would you like to keep pretending this is a misunderstanding?”
Diane’s face tightened.
“She turned my own son against me.”
“No,” Ryan said. “You did that yourself.”
For the first time in Ryan’s life, his mother had no force field left. No family loyalty. No plausible deniability. No ability to rely on his hesitation.
She still looked proud.
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But she no longer looked powerful.
There is a difference.
