Chapter 13 Mark

Nova watched him seriously, feeling a bit anxious inside. "Don't worry, I'll handle this." Tristan turned back, his face seemingly softer for a moment. Had she seen that wrong? "Hello, this actually has nothing to do with her. I was the one who hit Victor. If there's a problem, come to me." Nova had barely walked a few steps when she heard the person behind her taking all the responsibility upon himself. Her feelings were mixed. Wasn't Tristan being too good to her? He could have easily stayed out of this. Why did he have to get involved? "It's not like that! I'm involved in this too." Nova quickly stepped forward, wanting to explain. But Tristan cut her off. "Look at her, how could she possibly have caused serious injury to that boss? That fat pig of a boss? I hit him." The police, provoked by his words, immediately detained him. Nova watched helplessly as the person in front of her was taken away. Before getting into the car, Tristan still wore a smile, even mouthing to her, "Don't worry!" It wasn't until he was gone that Nova somewhat came back to her senses. "Nova, where's your colleague?" Margaret, who had been busy in the kitchen preparing several dishes, hadn't seen Tristan in the house. "He had some urgent business at the company. He just stepped out," Nova lied. When Margaret turned and saw Nova's face, she was shocked. "Why are you crying?" Had she cried? Nova touched her cheek and, indeed, it was wet. "Oh, it's just that the wind was too strong earlier, and got in my eyes," she explained. Not wanting Margaret to worry, Nova quickly sat down to eat as if nothing was wrong. But the scene from earlier lingered in her mind, her fingers trembling slightly, and sweat beads forming in her palms. She was usually so strong, but she couldn't keep calm now. No way! Tristan had stood up for her, and she had to get him out. But how? Nova was already struggling to survive, and she was even in debt. How was she supposed to manage this? After much thought, Nova decided there was only one person she could turn to—her estranged father, Mark. She hadn’t spoken to him since her parents' divorce, and they weren’t exactly close. But desperate times called for desperate measures. After weighing her options, Nova decided to make a trip home. Before leaving, she specifically told Margaret that she might go out and come back late. When she arrived in front of a villa, her feelings were complicated, unsure of how to start. A man in a slightly snug gray suit was rushing out of the villa, clutching his briefcase. Nova seized the moment and hurried towards him, swallowing nervously. "Dad." The word felt awkward coming out of her mouth. The man paused mid-stride, turning to see it was Nova. "What are you doing here?" Mark asked, his tone dripping with irritation. "Here for money? Can't you show a little dignity? Why can't you earn your own?" That was exactly why Nova despised her father and disliked being around him. She hadn't even said anything yet, and he was already jumping to conclusions. Nova couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity. But she knew why she was there and quickly collected herself. "My friend... he got into a fight because he was helping me. I was hoping you could use your connections to bail him out." Nova said, bracing herself for the barrage of insults that might follow. Mark looked at Nova coldly, his expression unyielding as he listened to her story as if it was some kind of joke. "Wow, finally showing some creativity with your tall tales, huh?" "Just spit it out if you're here for money." "Talk about the blind leading the blind! What exactly did your mom teach you?" As expected, a harsh scolding followed. Hearing his last comment, Nova couldn't help but smirk. "Exactly! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" "If the old one's no good, the young one's bound to be worse. But at the end of the day, I'm still your daughter, you should deal with it." Nova couldn't take her father's insults anymore and spat out those words almost instinctively. Mark was livid, his finger trembling as he pointed at her, "Look at you, always mixing with the wrong crowd!" "Tristan isn't bad company!" Nova instinctively defended. He was the one who had always been there for her. Unlike her father, who had never really been a parent, always ready to criticize when it mattered most. "Not bad? Then why did he end up in jail? Anyone who lands in there is no good! Why can't you be more like your little sister? Look at her, so well-behaved, never causing trouble." Oh, please. Always bringing up his new wife and her family. It seemed his stepmother really had some tricks up her sleeve to have twisted her dad like this. "What am I supposed to learn from her? How to wreck homes like her mom?" Nova bluntly criticized her stepmother's destructive actions. Suddenly, Mark's face went dark with anger. Before Nova knew it, a sharp slap landed across her face...