THE CEO’S ACCIDENTAL BRIDE

CHAPTER 9

Upon hearing this, Maya pressed forward, grabbed Tessa by the hair, and gave two hard slaps without hesitation. "How could you do something so heartless? Do I really need to remind you what you have done?"

She had never laid a hand on anyone before; Tessa was the first, and right now, she wished she could even strangle her.

In a low voice, Tessa let out a mocking laugh that only the two of them could hear. "So what if I have done something? Maya, if you have the guts, go ahead and finish me off right now. Otherwise, I promise you'll regret this!" Not only did she refuse to admit her wrongdoing, but she also dared to act so brazenly.

Maya’s last shred of reason vanished, and she unleashed her pent-up fury on Tessa, venting her overwhelming anger.

Tessa didn’t fight back; she simply endured the blows, a cold smile playing at the corner of her mouth. As the crowd around them grew larger, causing a traffic jam, someone finally shouted, "Call the police! If this keeps up, that woman is going to die! Call the police!" Hearing this, Tessa suddenly began to scream, "Help! A teacher is hitting me! A teacher is attacking me in public!"

Upon hearing this, the onlookers' disdain for Maya deepened. As a teacher, how could she resort to violence in public like this?

Moments later, a police car pulled up, and two officers stepped out, asking, "What’s going on here?"

All eyes turned to Maya. "She’s a teacher, and she just assaulted the other woman in the street! The victim didn’t even fight back; we can all testify to that!"

The police approached and each grabbed one of Maya’s arms. "You’re coming with us. Everyone else, disperse!"

Maya’s mind was still clouded, and she struggled, twisting and shouting, "Let go of me! Let me go!"

But the officers weren’t about to listen to her words. They dragged her toward the police car, along with Tessa and the witnesses. A short distance away, in a black Range Rover, Charles Darwin squinted slightly, having witnessed the entire scene unfold before his eyes.

It wasn't his intention to watch this; the traffic jam had forced him to slow down, leaving him no choice but to take in this drama.

He couldn't help but acknowledge the woman's fierce demeanor...

"Sir, should we head back to the office or to the apartment?" the driver asked as the traffic finally cleared, letting out a sigh of relief.

"The apartment." Charles casually tossed out the two words, his expression remaining as calm and unruffled as ever.

***********

At the police station.

The two officers sat at their desks, while Maya, Tessa, and a witness sat across from them.

"Please repeat what happened from the beginning," the officer on the left said, gesturing toward the witness. The witness nodded and meticulously recounted the entire incident, detailing everything that had occurred.

During this, Tessa let out soft sobs, her shoulders shaking as she portrayed the victim's plight, making her seem utterly pitiful.

Meanwhile, Maya had regained her composure. She glanced at Tessa's performance and felt a wave of irony wash over her.

As the saying goes, "Character is destiny." How could Tessa be so shameless?

Once the witness finished, the officer on the right completed the notes and said, "Thank you for cooperating with our investigation. You’re free to go now."

"Alright, but please make sure to punish her severely.Teachers these days are getting more and more outrageous, just the other day, there was a case of a teacher molesting a child that hasn’t even been resolved, and now there’s a public assault! You really need to punish her; teachers are losing the public's trust nowadays!" The witness shook his head in accordance with his words and left, clearly frustrated.

"Excuse me, when can I leave?" Maya asked anxiously, sitting in the chair and watching the police officer across from her flipping through documents.

Hearing this, the officer looked up. "Miss, do you really think you can leave after publicly assaulting someone?"

At this, Tessa Kelly couldn't help but smirk, delighting in her predicament and she was blooming with joy.

“You assaulted this woman in public, and there’s plenty of evidence and witnesses. As a teacher, you should know better than to break the law. You’re going to spend ten days in detention," the officer who had taken her statement said, frowning as he approached her with a serious expression. The most pressing issue was to get out of here.

Maya furrowed her brow and calmly replied, "Then I request a stay of the administrative detention!"

The two officers exchanged glances and nodded. "That’s possible."

Maya’s face lit up with hope, and her tense heart finally relaxed. "How long shall I wait until I am free to leave?"

"Half an hour."

Although Tessa didn’t understand what a stay of administrative detention meant, she perked up at the mention of half an hour until Maya could leave and decided to put on a show.

"Are you really going to let her go? This isn’t the first time she’s assaulted me! She hits me regularly, but because we’re family, I’ve endured it to avoid family shame. I never expected her to escalate things like this. Are you really going to let her go? I’m so scared!"

"Repeat offender?" The officer paused, pen in hand, glancing at Maya. "Request denied..."

Suddenly, Maya jumped to her feet, her emotions running high, her voice echoing throughout the police station. "I’m not a repeat offender! How can you only listen to her side of the story? Everything needs evidence, where’s your proof?"

"The witness is right here," the officer pointed to Tessa, who hadn’t left yet. Then, he proceeded to lock the overly agitated Maya in the holding cell.

"Ten days in detention! Hmph! Let’s see how you show your face around me again!" Tessa scoffed, satisfied as she walked away.

The holding cell had heating, so Maya felt no chill in the air. But her heart was cold, as icy as a stone. Today, she had indeed acted impulsively, losing her rationality. She had thought Tessa was just a gambling addict, lazy and gluttonous, but she never expected Tessa to be so heartless.

As a family, Tessa had deliberately framed her for imprisonment. The saying "a woman’s betrayal can be particularly devastating" was truly spot on.

With a cold smile, Maya sat quietly in the cell. From now on, she wouldn’t need to show any mercy to Tessa, because someone like her wasn’t worth any kindness.

Her phone had been confiscated, and with her parents traveling, her brother working in another city, there was no one to come bail her out.

She had promised to move her things out tomorrow, but now that she was stuck here, would the new owner throw everything away? Maya felt a wave of anxiety wash over her.

*********

It was already eight o'clock in the evening, but Maya still hadn't arrived for class. Ethan glanced at the quartz clock in the living room, his hopeful gaze fixed on the apartment door.

Miss Cooper was always reliable; if she promised something, she would definitely follow through. Even if she couldn't make it, she would call him in advance.

The lack of a call meant she was likely on her way…