Elio smiled faintly. He intended to prevent Ivanka from pursuing this matter. But at that point, she would not possibly back down. He could only help her unconditionally.He said nothing, while Ivanka stared at him and said, “I hope you won’t intervene in this matter again. I can take care of the rest myself. Thank you, and let’s avoid contacting each other for the time being.”A while ago, she reached out to learn some secrets from him. But as her enemies increased in number, she did not want to drag an innocent man into this mess.Elio glanced at her expressionlessly. “I’m not interested in your affairs to begin with. You may leave now.”That was all he said. He did not bother to speak to her again.Ivanka gazed at the man before her. Even though he did not say anything else, she knew what he was thinking.After a long moment, she thanked him again and got up to leave.Elio stared after her. As she closed the door, he took out a cigarette and lit it.He took a puff and let ou
The judge’s verdict was like a bolt from the blue. Chiara’s face turned pale instantly.“How could this be?” She thought.How could it be a death sentence?It could have been life imprisonment or even ten years of imprisonment. Why would the judge sentence her mother to death? Chiara refused to accept it!But before she said anything, Lyla said, “Objection, your honor.”The law was fair. If someone had an objection, they must present their case so that it could be solved. Even defendants could appeal against the court’s decision.Therefore, no one snapped at Lyla for what she said. Everyone turned their eyes on her as she slowly rose from her seat.“You may speak,” said the judge.Lyla simply said, “This matter has nothing to do with my husband. I planned and executed it myself.”Everyone was flabbergasted.Were she and her husband fighting over the chance to take the blame?They all were rather astonished but thought that it was normal. Lyla and Theodore must have loved eac
At that moment, Chiara slowed down her breathing. She even held her breath for a while. She did not want to miss any of her mother’s words.Lyla had a microphone with her. So, everyone could hear what she was about to say.“Firstly, Fernando was already in poor health. You can check his medical records at the hospital. I’ve brought a copy for you to see, Your Honor.” As she said this, she opened her bag and took out a stack of medical reports.The judge’s assistant walked over, took the records, and handed them to the judge.As the judge reviewed the medical records, Lyla continued, “His health was deteriorating day by day. He didn’t have much time left and was suffering immensely every day. He begged us to help him end his life sooner, which was why I tampered with his food. Fernando was aware of this.”Ivanka’s expression darkened, but she knew this was not the time to interrupt.Everyone was surprised when they heard this. Lyla then added, “I used a slow-acting drug because
Ivanka was not the only one feeling upset; Suki and Sandy were also furious!Sandy, especially, could not hold back her anger and exclaimed, “Nonsense! That’s absolute cr*p! Did Lyla even consider her conscience before saying that?! They’ve been targeting Iv and her position for years! The recording is biased! Using that as evidence is ridiculous!”Suki quickly grabbed Sandy’s hand as Sandy grew louder and said, “Calm down.”Sandy realized her outburst, took a deep breath, and tried to control her emotions. However, on the inside, she could not help but curse at them!D*mn Theodore! D*mn Lyla! D*mn Chiara!The recording ended there.Lyla looked sorrowful as she said, “I never expected things to come to this. I understand if Ivanka misunderstood me. But I’m speaking the truth. I admit, I’m the one who killed Fernando. I know I’ve wronged him and Ivanka. I’m willing to accept legal consequences.”Her expression turned sadder as she continued, “I know I deserve to die. But I have
Sandy did not finish her sentence, but Suki understood what she was trying to say.Theodore recently spent two billion dollars to hire Ivanka to breach Barkworth Group’s secrets. They never donated anything, not even a cent!Where did that come from?!Sandy had no idea where the list of charities Lyla presented came from.Meanwhile, Lyla took a deep breath and said, “I’ve said all I needed to say, Your Honor.”After she finished, the entire courtroom fell silent.Everyone waited for the judge’s final verdict as the judge reviewed the documents.The judge spoke in a low voice, “Ms. Lyla, further investigation is needed regarding your statement. Regarding the shares, the court has ruled that all shares owned by Mr. Lane are to be returned to Ms. Iris, along with the profits from the past few years, totaling $175 million and 47% of the shares.”The amount of shares and income Theodore had was actually disproportionate. He had only recently acquired all the shares.Theodore, seate
Theodore took a deep breath to stay composed. He then said, “No objections, Your Honor.”The judge nodded and said indifferently, “Court is adjourned.”He stood up and left. Everyone else began to disperse as well.Since Lyla had become a suspect, she was to be detained.Two court security officers approached her to put handcuffs on her.Tears streamed down Chiara’s eyes. “Mom...”Before the security officers got hold of Lyla, she swiftly grabbed Chiara’s hand and said in a serious tone, “Chiara, don’t worry. It’s not like I got a death sentence. I’ll be fine. It’s just that I won’t be able to be by your side for a while. You’re not in the right state of mind and emotionally stable right now. You must talk to your father before contacting that person, okay? If things don’t work out, come find me. We’ll discuss it together. You must not act rashly.”Chiara nodded with teary eyes. She could not bear seeing Lyla being taken away. No one knew what the final verdict would be. Even
Tears streamed down Theodore’s face as he nodded and said, “Okay.”Lyla sniffled wordlessly. She just walked off with the officers.“Mom...” She heard Chiara’s heart-wrenching cries, but she did not turn back. She feared it would make her even more reluctant to leave.Turning away, she closed her eyes and held back tears.It was all that b*tch, Ivanka’s fault!Ivanka did not rush to leave. She observed Chiara, Lyla, and Theodore.Sandy and the others walked over to her.Sandy could not hold back and deliberately said, “Iv, what should we do now?”Ivanka turned to look at her. “We’ll talk once we’re out of here.”Sandy nodded silently.Ivanka noticed Theodore’s worn and guilty expression. She looked at him with a cold, mocking gaze before turning and walking out of the courtroom without giving him or Chiara another glance.Naturally, Sandy and the others followed her.Theodore approached Chiara. He sighed and hugged her when he saw her red and swollen eyes. “Let’s go home,
Sandy sounded extremely furious. Nonetheless, she could not make Lyla pay for the consequences. After seething silently for a moment, she said, “Clearly, the three of them are involved in it. But Theodore and Chiara could get away with it. Even Lyla is getting herself out without being punished!” Anna hissed, “I also didn’t expect things to turn out like this. Iv, what do you plan to do?”They had talked incessantly without giving Ivanka a chance to speak. Right after Anna asked the question, they turned to Ivanka, who was driving the car. Ivanka curled her lip. “It’s okay. I’m quite satisfied with how things turned out. After all, I don’t want Lyla to die instantly. If she dies, it’s not as satisfying as it would be.” Sandy felt puzzled. Anna realized something and asked, “Are you saying you expected this? Do you still have other ways?” Ivanka made a sound of acknowledgment. “Yes.” Hanson was puzzled. “Do you have any other plans?” Ivanka smirked. “Yes. I recently gain