Carol slumped on the floor. She heard nothing about Frances or a secretary-general when she agreed to take the job. She wasn't educated, so she didn't understand some of what they were talking about, but she wasn't stupid—a man who could command such deference from Kreil was surely someone important. She dared not speak. She tried to sneak away amid the arguments, but Aria had persistently blocked her path, whether intentionally or not. Carol looked at Aria resentfully. Aria said with a smile, "We have both the plaintiff and the defendant—myself—here. Chief Green, Mr. Yaeger, and Mr. Murray, I'll have to trouble you with something. Please interrogate both of us at the same time."That was what Jacob was most afraid of. If they were to be interrogated simultaneously, everything would eventually surface!Lucas studied Frances' face and spoke with the air of someone in an important position. "What do you think, Frances?"Lucas wanted to gauge the severity of corruption in South
Three agonizing hours had passed since Aria had been taken to the police station. Clueless about the situation, anxiety gnawed at her. She learned from her connections that extricating Aria wouldn't be easy. Karen had smartly chosen the perfect time to strike, coming when Sam was not around. To her, Sam was troublesome.Karen scrolled through her phone, maintaining a façade of calm. "Mom, look at how many people are scolding you online. Aria's matter can't be settled easily. She did assault a police officer, after all."She clicked on one of the comments. "Look at this comment. It's spot on. 'How dare someone who rose from poverty dare to attack our national heroes? Such streamers should all be captured and sentenced for severe crimes!'"Georgina saw that comment, which was one of the many malicious attacks on her account. However, her worry wasn't for herself but for Aria's future. She feared Aria's life would be ruined by this. Karen stared at Georgina before grabbing her bag,
Georgina said, "I've been through this before, so I know the record will be for life if she's really implicated. She's young and just started studying medicine. She can't let this hold her back."Knowing this, Karen was confident she could succeed. Georgina would surely give her the livestream account. After all, Karen understood that Aria's future meant more to Georgina than anything else."Where do I sign?" Georgina asked flatly.Karen instructed with a smile, "Here and here."However, Georgina was very cautious. "How can I be sure you'll keep your promise and bail Aria out? Do you intend just to bring up the Layne family name? They're from Janovin. What connections do they have in Southbury?" Karen cursed inwardly. Georgina was proving more troublesome than anticipated.Karen responded proudly. "Of course, I won't just bring up their name. I have my own connections. I'm friends with Chief Thompson from Waterfront Police Station."While saying that, she showed Georgina the co
"Of course." Joel also had a sharp eye.Kreil shuddered and spilled their entire plan in a panicked torrent. While he was clueless about the ordeal online, he confessed to arranging Carol, who claimed that her grandson had fallen into a coma after consuming medication prescribed by Aria. The mastermind, however, was Karen. She'd exploited Heartbound Hall's livestream to frame Aria publicly, ensuring many witnesses. Thus, even if Aria were innocent, her reputation would be tarnished. Kreil saw Aria as a powerless nobody. Fighting back would be seen as resisting arrest. Once detained, Kreil would deal with Aria based on her attitude. Otherwise, she could grovel before Karen until she was pleased. No matter her response, they were confident they'd strip her of her reputation. Yet, Kreil hadn't anticipated the secretary-general's involvement when they took Aria in.Without Joel and Lucas around, Kreil's plan would have succeeded. Upon hearing that, Frances grew furious. Having wo
Every like, every share on a post or video about StrawberryShortcake lined Ninemyth Entertainment's pockets. The more people discussed or berated her, the more money Ninemyth Entertainment made. StrawberryShortcake got involved in this mess without doing anything. Although she sued them for defamation, it was futile. It was impossible to track down the real person behind the fake IDs. Moreover, there were too many people insulting her. The law couldn't catch them all.In the end, StrawberryShortcake broke down and asked if they would only believe her if she died.At that, Ninemyth Entertainment seized this opportunity and intensified the rumors."She's just all talk. I bet she won't actually kill herself.""She can't take it, so she's putting up this act.""Go on and die, then."These comments, a relentless torrent, crashed down on her.Her parents were left bereft, mourning the loss of their daughter. Meanwhile, Ninemyth Entertainment reveled in their ill-gotten gains—unsca
For some reason, the front desk failed to recognize Karen. Karen couldn't believe she had to ask permission to enter her own company.However, Karen was still happy. She finally got her hands on such a popular livestream account. She could earn money without even doing anything. Thus, she didn't take such a trivial matter to heart."You were too nice to that brat before. How could you give Aria money after chasing her out? Using this tactic, she'll realize she's nothing without our family," Karen said excitedly, placing her coffee cup on the table. However, Marshall was only concerned about one thing. "What did Georgina say when you went to see her?"Karen replied nonchalantly, "What else could she say? Of course, she wants to bail Aria out! The livestream account will be ours in an hour."Marshall refilled her coffee and further probed. "Then?"Karen sneered. "It's entirely up to us whether to release her. Whether she leaves with a police record depends on her attitude. If Aria
When Marshall saw police officers and Labor Bureau officials at his office, he nearly dropped the phone. He wondered what could have happened to bring them there. Trying to remain calm, Marshall walked forward. "Officers, you…"However, the police officers ignored him and flashed Karen their badges. "Are you Karen Layne?""Yes.""There's a case that requires your cooperation for an investigation. Please come with us."Karen thought they were referring to Aria's case. After all, Kreil did say someone would come looking for her as part of the procedure.Thus, Karen was not worried at all. She replied calmly, "Chief Thompson asked you guys to come over, right? Come and sit down. I'll get you some coffee. Thank you for all of your hard work. If it wasn't for you—"The police officer interjected with a straight face. "Let's talk about the case at the station. You have the right to remain silent."Only then did Karen realize that something was off. "Are you guys from Waterfront Poli
Karen had seen everything through the glass partition. Her head was in a mess. She could barely walk a straight line, only wanting to take a clearer look.However, the two police officers who brought her inside refused to let her look around. Instead, they brought her into another interrogation room. With a click, they secured her to the interrogation chair.Karen's face had turned pale. However, she remained resolute. "I want to see Chief Thompson."She knew what awaited her in the room. Thus, she continued, "If he doesn't show up, I won't say a word."To her surprise, the officers complied with her request. They exchanged glances with the surveillance camera as if waiting to receive instructions."That's an easy request. She wants to meet Chief Thompson, right? Let's bring him to her."Karen felt a sudden wave of fear when the door closed. Still, she reassured herself that everything would be fine as long as Kreil appeared. In the worst-case scenario, there was Jacob. He couldn