The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 310

Heath had struck first. The best course of action was to de-escalate. But even the teacher couldn't stomach the outrageous demand. "I understand you're upset," she began tentatively, "but three hundred thousand seems a bit excessive..."

"You know nothing, so shut your mouth!" Mrs. Shaw snapped, glaring at her. "You can't even control your own students. We're being generous by not blaming you. Are you trying to get fired?"

The teacher's face flushed with humiliation, and she fell silent.

Holden had been leaning against a wall, trying to stay out of it. He despised these kinds of petty disputes; getting involved felt beneath him. He was about to step outside for a cigarette, but the parents' voices were so loud and grating he couldn't ignore them. And as he listened, he couldn’t help but be amused.

"Three hundred thousand," he said, his voice cutting through the tension. "Yes, I think that's a fair price."

Nova turned to him, a puzzled frown on her face. Holden took a slow drag from his cigarette and walked toward them.

"Holden, this has nothing to do with you," she said, her voice low and sharp. "If you're bored, you can leave."

"See? This gentleman understands," Mrs. Shaw said, latching onto Holden's apparent support. "Three hundred thousand is nothing! If you're their friend, you should help them out before they get what's coming to them."

She had noticed his expensive clothes and the gleaming watch on his wrist. A Rolex, if she wasn't mistaken. That alone was worth a fortune. This man was with Heath's sister; if they couldn't pay, surely he could.

"Three hundred thousand..." Holden mused, then blew a plume of smoke directly into Mrs. Shaw's face. "That's not a lot. But it should be enough to buy your son's life."

The woman coughed, her eyes wide with fury.

"You watch your mouth!" her husband roared.

Holden smirked. "My mouth is perfectly clean, unlike yours. And honestly, for a couple of extortionists, you have very little imagination. Three hundred thousand? My dog wouldn't settle for so little."

Nova stared. She hadn't expected him to defend her, and while his methods were inflammatory, she had to admit, it was satisfying to watch. The Shaws were so enraged they were speechless.

Heath shook his head again. The police had never been called. The Shaws had dragged him straight to the principal's office and threatened to ruin his and his family's lives.

"So you're trying to handle this privately?" Holden said with a grin, catching Nova's eye. "Perhaps I should call the police for you."

Nova understood. "Yes, let's call them. My final offer is thirty thousand. For three hundred thousand, I think we'll let the law handle it."

"Ms. Sawyer!" the teacher hissed, pulling her aside. The Shaws were friends with a school board member. If she couldn't smooth this over, she'd lose her job. Involving the police would be a disaster for the school's reputation, and in a battle of resources, the Shaws would win. Heath would be the one to suffer in the end.

Nova hesitated. She knew the teacher was right. If they pushed back, Heath might have to change schools, which could affect his studies and his future. The stakes were too high.

"Let's call the police," Holden said again, his voice firm. "And then I'll call a few media contacts I know. I'm sure they'd be interested in a story about the... culture at your fine school."

He knew exactly what Nova was worried about. This was why he hated dealing with the problems of the poor—so many complications.