Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
The officer glanced at Elsie and replied, “She’s being investigated for assault. According to Peggy, after Owen attacked her, he got scared she’d report it-so he called his sister. The two of them ganged up on her, trying to beat her into silence.”
Yunice almost laughed out loud.
A bunch of wolves eating each other alive.
She turned her amused gaze toward Peggy, who was sitting on the bench, covering her face with one hand and crying-while sneaking glances at Yunice out of the corner of her eye.
Yunice calmly asked the officer, “How exactly do you prove it’s rape? Even if there’s DNA and physical injuries, what if it was consensual and she just changed her mind after the fact?”
Cases like that were common. Once someone claimed regret, the man couldn’t clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
That was more or less what the officer meant. If Peggy insisted it was forced, Owen would need hard evidence to prove she’d consented – otherwise, it was legally rape.
Of course, if Peggy withdrew the report, then it could be downgraded to a private dispute and settled outside of court.
So, whether Owen walked or got locked up came down entirely to Peggy’s decision.
Yunice asked, “Can I talk to Peggy? She’s a friend of mine.”
Since she looked so gentle and harmless, the officer figured she wouldn’t be a threat and allowed her to speak to Peggy under the supervision of a female officer.
Elsie, sitting right across from Peggy, noticed Yunice walking toward her and sneered in contempt.
Owen had clearly lost his mind. He could’ve pulled in a stranger from the street, and it would’ve been better than calling Yunice.
If anyone in the world wanted to see the Saunders family go down, it was her. With Yunice involved, a five-year sentence could easily turn into ten.
She glanced back at Owen – he had his hands wrapped around the bars, eyes fixed on Yunice with a mix of hope and desperation, as if she were his last lifeline.
Elsie scoffed. If Yunice hadn’t married well, she wouldn’t even have a seat at the table, let alone a say in anything.
And Peggy? She was a shameless thug. If Yunice couldn’t even deal with her, what could she possibly accomplish?
Yunice stopped a meter away from Peggy, keeping a polite distance. She didn’t look aggressive at all.
“You’re saying my brother assaulted you?” she asked quietly.
Peggy tensed up, but her face stayed unreadable. She was emboldened by the idea of power – Yunice lived in Pavilion Hall and clearly had a wealthy backer, which made Peggy cautious.
Peggy clenched her fists and replied coldly, “Yes. Don’t think you can stand above this just because you’re his sister.”
Yunice asked again, “The police said we could settle this privately. Is that something you’re interested in?”
Peggy snorted. “What’s the point of telling you? Can you make decisions for your brother?”
Yunice shook her head slowly, a smirk playing at her lips. “I don’t speak for anyone. But I’m a competent doctor – I can uncover the truth. Some people just aren’t good at hiding what’s in their hearts.”
Peggy hadn’t been taking her seriously, but something in Yunice’s tone made her pause. She looked at her warily.
Was it just paranoia, or did Yunice really know something?
Yunice continued, “I’m in favor of settling this quietly. So if you’ve got conditions, say them. I’ll go negotiate for you. Dragging this into court won’t help anyone.”
The more Peggy listened, the more off it felt. If Yunice really wanted to protect Owen and saw through her bluff, wouldn’t she want this to go to trial and expose the lie?
So why was she encouraging a private settlement?
Peggy couldn’t figure out what Yunice was scheming, but her own goal was to avoid a courtroom too. That was never the outcome she actually wanted.
Putting on her usual arrogance, Peggy said, “I’ve already been defiled. No man will want me now. As long as he agrees to marry me and take responsibility, I’ll be willing to compromise and marry him – grudgingly.”
Yunice’s smile curled higher, amusement flickering in her brow.
It was perfect. Peggy had shown up at just the right time, like a gift from the heavens.
With a lifted chin and bright eyes, Yunice said, “Alright. I’ll go talk to him. If he doesn’t agree, then send him to court. Let him rot behind bars and become a total disgrace.”
Peggy stared at her, confused. What the hell was she up to?
When Yunice turned to leave, Peggy couldn’t take it anymore. She called out, uneasy, “Hey, what are you really trying to do?”
Yunice replied without turning around, “No one wants their own brother labeled a rapist, right? I mean, a man and a woman alone in a hotel room all night – who would believe nothing happened? If he’s already been marked, might as well make it official. As his sister, I can’t just let my brother go to prison.”
Peggy was left stunned, watching Yunice walk away, completely baffled.
Why did Yunice look so… happy?
Wait – wasn’t she Owen’s real sister? Weren’t they supposed to be loving family?
Peggy had set her sights on Owen specifically because of Yunice’s power.
She figured any woman who could marry that well had to come from a strong background. And if Yunice came from a good family, that meant Owen had real value too.
Peggy’s whole stunt had one goal – to climb the social ladder, find a good father for her child, and lock in a bright future.
With Owen right in her sights, she wasn’t letting go.
Seeing Yunice return, her expression calm and unreadable, Owen assumed she brought good news.
He reached a hand through the bars, trying to grab hers. “Yunice, how did it go? Is she willing to settle?”
As he spoke, he coached her, “Peggy’s unbelievably shameless and unreasonable. Don’t believe a word she says. Just use your influence to shut her down. If she has nowhere to take her claims, she’ll back off. And she said she has a video. We need to destroy it. That’s the only way to stop her.”
He was convinced Wyatt had the power to crush anything, and as long as Yunice stepped in, someone like Peggy wouldn’t be able to stir up a thing.
Yunice waited until he finished, then said, “Peggy agreed to a private settlement. Her conditions sound reasonable.”
Owen frowned. “Why settle at all? I asked you here to solve the problem!”
Didn’t she get it? He could’ve settled on his own. He escalated this because he didn’t want to settle.
If she wasn’t going to help, then why even come?
Yunice chuckled. “I’m not a magician. What do you expect me to do – wave a wand and make it all disappear?”
“You’re the one who messed up. You expect me, your sister, to clean it up for you? I’m humiliated just standing here.”
Owen’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Yunice kept going. “What kind of decent man gets drunk and ends up in a hotel with a woman? You acted like a dog in heat and got caught. You think you’re a victim? Please. You’re a grown man – don’t tell me you couldn’t push her away. If you didn’t want it, why’d you let it go that far? Honestly, it looks like you were playing hard to get.”
Owen stood there, stunned. It took him a few seconds to stammer, “Yunice… are you possessed or something?”
What the hell was she saying?
Yunice’s tone turned even sharper. “What’s done is done. Your name is mud. Who’s gonna marry you now? You want to blow this up in court and drag our whole family through the dirt? We can’t afford to look like fools just because you already do.”
Owen’s mouth fell open. Why did all of this sound so familiar?
The memory was fuzzy, but something tugged at the back of his mind.
He didn’t care about that right now. He just wanted to be cleared.