Chapter 0002

"The police retrieved hotel surveillance screenshots that show the perpetrator wearing a mask. Basing suspicion on nothing more than a similar build and hairstyle is clearly insufficient evidence.”

Helena’s voice was calm but precise, each word landing with conviction.

Eric felt a slight ringing in his ears from her firm tone.

Watching her, who was radiating professional confidence, he couldn’t help but recall how she once dominated the debate stage back in college with the same spirit.

The secondary officer, noticing Eric’s silence, couldn’t hold back. “The victim identified him personally, and we found DNA that matches Mr. Keller’s—that’s our strongest evidence!”

Helena’s sharp, clear gaze didn’t waver; she remained as composed as ever, unshaken. “After more than two hours of alleged assault, not a single fingerprint or any other biological trace was recovered from the victim or the scene. I have every reason to believe Kenneth is being framed.”

The secondary officer protested, “What if he knew how to cover his tracks, cleaning the scene thoroughly?”

“What if?” Helena’s lips curved slightly, and her eyes held a confident gleam. “What if he wasn’t there at all? It’s the police’s duty to eliminate reasonable doubt; the law doesn’t permit presumption of guilt.”

The officer was left speechless, eventually turning to Eric for backup, only to see him staring at Helena in a daze. Unable to resist, he nudged Eric with his elbow.

“You…do you really believe him?” Eric finally came to his senses, his voice hoarse as he asked.

Helena paused, taken aback.

Did she believe Kenneth?

Ever since she was adopted by the Keller family at ten, supposedly due to a favorable fortune reading, she had witnessed Kenneth’s defiance and disregard for rules and morals, his actions always based on his whims.

But when she received the news of his arrest around three in the morning, even knowing the police had collected his DNA, her first move hadn’t been to go to the station.

Instead, she’d instructed someone to look for evidence of his alibi.

Subconsciously, when it came to this matter, she actually trusted Kenneth!

No matter how he usually acted out, he’d never crossed that line.

This realization brought an inexplicable unease to her heart.

She averted her gaze from Eric and said softly but firmly, “I only trust the evidence.”

Eric watched her, remaining silent for a long time.

With the alibi evidence presented, Kenneth’s suspicion was reduced. Given his influential status, the police had no choice but to grant Helena’s request for bail.

“Someone actually managed to wrest a detainee from the captain’s hands—looks like we’re in for a miracle,” murmured an officer.

"Miss Lane works for the legal department at Keller Corporation, doesn’t she? She’s not only beautiful but also impressively skilled with criminal cases—definitely worth a second look."

"She’s actually two years his junior—they’re both alumni. With all her achievements, how did they not know each other back then?"

Eric stood by the window, the officers' murmurs buzzing in his ears, his sharp gaze fixed on the scene below.

The tall, commanding figure of a man walked out of the police station, following a slender woman. From behind, they looked like a perfect match, though it stung to watch.

Eric’s hands, hanging at his sides, clenched instinctively.

Memories from five years ago surfaced vividly.

At graduation, his family arranged for him to study abroad. Before leaving, he asked Helena to meet him, intending to confess his feelings. If she was willing, he’d take her with him; he’d even secured a spot for her at the same school.

But from evening until dawn, he waited for five long hours.

Helena never showed, and then she blocked his number.

Unable to let go, he sought her out that night, only to witness Helena stepping out of Kenneth’s car, her clothes disheveled.

Sensing his presence, Kenneth shifted to block her view, shielding her as they headed toward the house.

One of Kenneth’s security guards quickly covered Eric’s mouth and dragged him to the side entrance.

Eric struggled, desperate to confront Helena and find out what had happened but was met with Kenneth’s unrestrained fist.

"She’s mine. Try to get close to her again, and I don’t care if your last name’s Langston—I’ll kill you."

After that night, every attempt Eric made to see Helena was thwarted by Kenneth. Finally, Kenneth “accidentally” called him, letting him hear Helena say she didn’t want to see him and never would.

Eric had given himself five years to let go, yet he still couldn’t.

But now, he had come back only to find he was one step too late!

Back then, Eric sensed that Helena had feelings for him.

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the surge of resentment and resisted the urge to rush down and pull Helena away.

Kenneth, initially following leisurely behind Helena, suddenly quickened his pace as they approached the car, as though sensing something.

He wrapped an arm around her, his touch overly intimate.

Helena’s body went rigid, and she instinctively tried to push him off with a frown. "What’s gotten into you now?"

"Didn’t sleep all night—can’t walk straight," Kenneth replied, completely unbothered, practically leaning his full weight onto her shoulder.

Helena muttered, “Serves you right,” under her breath.

Realizing they were almost at the car and that she couldn’t budge him, she gave up and resigned herself to dragging him along like a dead weight.

Fortunately, ever since Kenneth had pushed her into the fountain when she was twelve, she’d kept up with self-defense training over the years, enough to prevent him from easily knocking her over.

Finally reaching the car, Kenneth, in a rare moment of consideration, opened the door for her and even held a hand above the frame to protect her from bumping her head.

Helena eyed him warily. “What are you up to now?”

From the first day she’d met Kenneth, she’d learned that the prettier the smile, the more dangerous the person.

"I'm Kenneth Keller; you can call me Ken!"

Helena had never seen such a beautiful boy before.

Standing in the sunlight, he looked like a porcelain doll that glowed. His bright smile eased some of her nervousness at being in her new home.

She shyly placed her hand in his.

But the next moment, his smile turned malicious and dangerous.

She felt something slimy squirm in her palm, and when she looked down, a small green snake was flicking its tongue at her. Horrified, Helena fainted instantly.

He was worse than the kids who bullied her back at the orphanage.

As Kenneth grew older, his methods of teasing and tormenting Helena became endlessly inventive.

Helena went from feeling nervous and afraid to a constant state of vigilance, learning to gauge the level of danger just by reading his expressions and movements.

Just like now.

Her entire body tensed, ready to respond at any moment.

Kenneth’s roguish grin spread across his finely sculpted face, softening with an unusual gentleness. “Coming all the way here early in the morning to rescue me from 'Judge Langston'—thanks for the effort, honey.”

Helena held his gaze for a few seconds, assessing the threat level. Confirming it was low, she mentally deactivated her alert. She rubbed her arms discreetly, trying to shake off the goosebumps, then leaned down and got into the car.

Kenneth shut the door for her and made his way around to the passenger side. Before getting in, he shot a smug, defiant grin and lifted his brows at a particular window of the police station, oozing satisfaction.

“Where did you actually go last night?” Helena finally asked after they’d driven a fair distance from the station.

Though she’d found enough evidence to prove Kenneth didn’t have time to commit the crime, the police had still found his DNA at the scene, a fact that couldn’t be overlooked.

Without clearing up this detail, his suspicion wouldn’t fully dissipate.

Knowing his movements would allow Helena to defend him more effectively and prevent further police scrutiny.

Kenneth reclined lazily in his seat, adopting his usual indifference. He shot back with her own words, “Did you forget about the prenuptial agreement you drafted yourself, Miss Lane?”

No interference. No questions.

It was the most crucial clause in their marriage agreement, second only to asset division—the very foundation of their contractual union.

“Mr. Keller, I have no intention of prying into your private life,” Helena said, keeping her eyes on the road as she gripped the steering wheel, patiently explaining, “Right now, you’re only out on bail. The police haven’t dropped their suspicions. Knowing your whereabouts last night is the only way to clear you.”

Kenneth suddenly sat up, turning to study the sharp lines of her profile. His eyes flickered slightly, and his voice held a faint, almost undetectable trace of tension. “Do you…believe I didn’t do it?”