When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)

Clyde's expression finally softened after we got into the car.

"Man, playing the role of a tough guy really suits you, doesn't it? Didn't I do a good job back there?"

"Yeah, thumbs up for you."

I silently gave him a thumbs-up. "So, how did a great actor like you end up getting hurt?"

Clyde coughed awkwardly, seemingly a bit embarrassed.

"Would you believe me if I said I got into a fight?"

"That's hard to believe."

I stared at him in disbelief. I really couldn't.

Back in school, Clyde was known for being formidable.

He had a reputation for dealing with anyone who bothered me, and now he's Mr. Patterson. How could he have been beaten?

He glanced at me sheepishly, then quickly puffed out his chest.

"There were like a dozen of them, okay? Considering that, this is just a scratch."

"So, you got hurt because you were protecting Lisa?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he hurried to explain.

It turned out that not all the people involved in the construction project were willing to leave; some were forced out.

It's hard to imagine that kind of thing still happening.

At first, Talbot's iron-fisted approach worked, especially with the backing from powerful allies. The opposition had no choice but to leave, accepting minimal compensation.

But then, led by someone, they decided to make a stand.

After all, each family was short of over a million in compensation, so naturally, they didn't want to back down.

Except for a few households, which only had elderly couples and didn't show up, the rest brought relatives and friends.

Met

Just today, while Clyde and Lisa were doing their rounds, someone thought Clyde was one of the big shots from the Crawford family. group surrounded them, and a brawl broke out between the security guards and the protesters, resulting in several injuries.

"Talbot must have pocketed a lot from this. I did a quick calculation, and about two dozen families were forced out like this."

"Some families, with no one to fight

for them, just swallowed the loss

But those with children and a bit of influence showed up today to cause trouble."

"You, as the lord of this project, how much are you going to take? Your methods are really unsightly!"Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

I silently calculated the total compensation for the two dozen families. Talbot was indeed making a fortune!

"What about the police? Didn't they come to take a report?"

"They did, but they brushed it off, clearly not interested in digging deeper."

Clyde's attitude confirmed that the police weren't keen on intervening.

Indeed, beyond the assault, which was a matter for the police, everything else would have to go through legal proceedings. Moreover, the Crawford family had influence in many parts of Ironvale, making it an even tougher situation to handle.

I had thought about meeting with those who caused the disturbance with Clyde, hoping maybe to find some evidence of Talbot's crimes, but then something happened that evening.

Eliana's trembling voice came through the phone.

"Melanie, you... you might want to stay indoors, there's been another incident!"

"The people who protested at the Crawford family's construction site today were involved in a car accident, dozens died!"

"The news is calling it an accident, but it doesn't look like one to me!"

Seeing the news link she sent me, Clyde and I exchanged a look of shock.

A van and a truck collided, with the van going significantly over the speed limit, resulting in the death of everyone involved in both vehicles. Eliana kept urging me over the phone, clearly terrified.

"Melanie, are you listening? Don't go out if it's not necessary, just... just stay safe for now."

"Maybe you should head back. This place doesn't seem safe."

"I'm not fully aware of the situation on the ground, but I managed to find out about the truck driver. I saw him at the hospital the other day!"