When fate plays its hand

No one knew when or how the Snider family would retaliate against the Cliffords, and Joli couldn’t risk gambling with his family’s safety. At that moment, he was trapped in a dilemma.

Sam noticed his inner turmoil but chose not to press the matter further. Everyone had their path to follow, and as outsiders, it was best to respect that without getting too involved.

As expected, Joli couldn’t sleep that night.

Miranda, Sebastian, and Madison checked into a local motel where Paul and Sam stayed. The place was nothing special, but nobody minded since they were too preoccupied with Joli’s decision.

“Still up?”

Miranda had been sitting in the lobby for a while, and her eyes were fixed on the infinite darkness outside the window. She seemed lost in thought until a man’s voice broke her concentration.

“Dr. Jefferson.” She turned and smiled when she saw who it was. “You’re not asleep either?

Paul replied, “I can’t sleep.” Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.

She asked, “Is it because of Joli?”

“You’re thinking about him too?”

Miranda nodded.

“You didn’t say much earlier. What’s bothering you?” he asked.

She hesitated, and her silence stretched long enough for him to assume she wouldn’t respond. Then, she said, “I don’t think this is right.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Miranda replied, “While we’re trying to help Joli solve his predicament, all we’re doing is figuring out how to avoid retaliation from the Sneiders. But why should his family have to back down?

“The Cliffords didn’t do anything wrong. It’s the Sneiders who’ve been taking advantage, forcing deals, and resorting to violence. And yet, it’s the victims who are supposed to give way. Doesn’t that strike you as absurd?”

The Sneiders were the ones at fault, not the Cliffords. So, why should they be the ones to run and hide?

Sam’s reasoning didn’t sit well with her. Given the uncertainty of whether the Sneiders would ever face any consequences, he felt that moving away seemed like the only practical choice for Joli. No matter how she tried to think about it, this suggestion frustrated her.

Paul said, “Sometimes, taking a step back isn’t about running away. We should let things calm down before making any moves.”

“Is that so?” Miranda blinked in surprise.

But Sam told her, “Whether or not the Snider family faces the consequences doesn’t matter. In a place like this–where infrastructure is lacking, communication is limited, and the local culture is corrupt–there will always be someone ready to seize control.

“Even without the Snider family, other families like the Cromwells, the Lanfords, or the Warricks will just step in to take their place. Where there are people, there’s a power struggle. We can’t change the system, but we can at least focus on keeping ourselves safe.

“You might think I’m heartless, but that’s just the reality. The Clifford family will leave eventually. So why not sooner? I just advised Joli to take the most practical path.”

Miranda felt a wave of unease after hearing Sam’s explanation. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what felt off. It just didn’t sit right–the idea that victims should be the ones running and that their survival depended on avoiding conflict rather than standing their ground.

But Paul’s words had enlightened her. “Thank you, Dr. Jefferson. I think I get it now.” She stood up with a smile and headed upstairs to her room.

Paul sat there and looked bewildered. He wondered what she had figured out.

The lights in the Clifford residence living room had burned all night.

When Paul and the others returned the following morning, it seemed that Ollie and Joli had already made up their minds and reached a consensus.

Joli said, “Dr. Jefferson, Mr. Cooper, my dad and I have decided…”