"Alicia, it was her! She pushed me!" Nicole sobbed from where she sat on the ground, her face streaked with tears. "I'm calling Grandpa. He'll hear about this!"
Pulling out her phone, Nicole quickly dialed Reginald. "Grandpa, Alicia pushed me down the steps. It hurts so much..."
Alicia took a slow, unsteady breath, standing frozen in place, unsure what to do next. She didn't want to walk into the trap of defending herselfâshe knew that with these people, no matter how much she explained, no one would believe her.
Maddox and Tyrone, alerted by the commotion, hurried outside.
When they saw Nicole sprawled at the bottom of the steps, Tyrone actually looked relieved. He pulled Alicia into his arms protectively. "What happened?"
"Tyrone, it was Alicia! She pushed me!" Nicole wailed, still on the ground.
Maddox's face twisted with concern as he rushed to check Nicole's injuries. Seeing her bloodied face, his worry morphed into anger. He whipped his head around to glare at Alicia. "Alicia, you've crossed a line! Apologize to Nicole right now!"
Alicia stayed silent, rooted to the spot.
"Tyrone, you're really going to defend her over this?" the old man barked at Tyrone, face red with rage.
Alicia glanced at Tyrone, shaking her head slightly. She hadn't done it.
Tyrone's grip on her tightened. "There aren't any cameras here. Who can prove Alicia pushed her?"
Nicole turned to the housekeeper. "The housekeeper saw it. She can testify."
The housekeeper flinched, then quickly nodded. "Y-yes, I sawâ"
"What exactly did you see?" Tyrone's voice was icy, cutting her off.
The housekeeper's eyes darted downward, her hands twisting nervously. "Actually, I... I didn't see anything."
She hurried to correct herself. After all, she worked for the Lynch familyâshe couldn't afford to cross Tyrone.
"Tyrone, is this intimidation now? You're just going to shield her with no evidence?" Maddox shot back, standing firmly by Nicole's side.
Tyrone stepped in front of Alicia, shielding her with his body. "Without proof, Grandpa, how can you be so sure Nicole is telling the truth?"
"Nicole doesn't lie! She's your grandfather's granddaughter and your fiancée!" the old man snapped, practically shaking with indignation.
"Oh, and Alicia doesn't lie, either. She's my wifeâthe mother of your future grandchildren," Tyrone replied coolly, glancing back at Alicia. "We're going back to the hotel. No need to come here again, not if we're just going to be accused of things we didn't do."
Alicia stared at the ground, avoiding Tyrone's eyes. For as long as she could remember, no one had ever defended her like this. Not even Vincentâ
when she'd been with him, he'd always taken the other person's side, claiming it was best to let things blow over and keep the peace.
"Tyrone!" the old man tried to protest, but the family doctor had arrived, so he turned his attention to Nicole's injuries.
Reginald and Jade hurried over a minute later.
"Grandpa, it was Alicia, she pushed me," Nicole whimpered, milking every ounce of sympathy she could.
Jade's expression hardened. "Alicia, how could you be so cruel?"
"Really? Did you bring evidence and a functioning brain, or just your mouth?" Tyrone shot back, frowning at Jade.
Jade blinked, taken aback. She turned to Nicole. "My sister's hurt this badly, says Alicia pushed her, and you call her a liar? She has to answer for this!"
"Listening to you makes me physically sick. Maybe you should take responsibility for that and just shut up," Tyrone said, his patience clearly gone as he led Alicia away.
Alicia realized that when she was with Tyrone, she didn't have to explain herself or argue her innocence; he stood up for her, no questions asked.
Tyrone was always there to push back, to defend her fiercely. So thisâthis was what it felt like to have someone fight for you.
"Don't fall into the trap of always proving yourself. And don't hold back your anger just to keep the peace," Tyrone said, opening the car door and looking at Alicia. "No point making yourself sick with resentment."
Better to let the other person stew than to let herself suffer in silence.
"But what if nobody's there to back me up when I snap?" Alicia whispered, her voice trembling.
She remembered the last time she lost controlâshe'd smashed a vase over Henry's head and almost got arrested.
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 117 Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse ï¤Chapter 760 - 756: Encountering a Man with Evil Intentions "So long as you stay within the law, I'll always be here to back you up," Tyrone promised, settling her into the passenger seat before driving away.