At the same time, the lawyer had already brought Charlotte into the detention center. Charlotte was in such a place for the first time, her face slightly pale, head lowered as she followed behind the lawyer without saying a word.
The lawyer led her to a room where after the guard checked the procedures, they were allowed inside. Charlotte sat shoulder-to-shoulder with the lawyer in front of an iron window.
Soon, she saw Victoria being escorted in by two female guards. Victoria wore an orange prison uniform, shiny handcuffs on her wrists, looking extremely worn out.
“Victoria!” Charlotte stood up excitedly from her chair, continuously tapping the iron bed.
“Mrs. Charlotte, please calm down and take your seat,” the lawyer reminded her.
Only then did Charlotte sit down, tearfully looking at Victoria and urgently saying, “Victoria, how did you end up like this?”
Victoria frowned at her, annoyed that Charlotte was wasting time with such useless questions.
Ignoring Charlotte, she turned to the lawyer.
The lawyer opened his notebook and said, “Miss Victoria, I’ve analyzed your case. Currently, Torin’s testimony is very damaging to you.”
“I know,” Victoria said calmly, gripping her clothes tightly with both hands.
She hadn’t expected Torin to be so useless, not even capable of killing someone accidentally. Useless as he was, he had still been easily scared into confessing.
“I understand, lawyer. Could you please step out for a moment? I have a few things I want to discuss alone with my mother,” Victoria said to Lawyer.
She didn’t even wait for him to finish speaking, nor did she ask how long she might be sentenced for.
Because she didn’t want to spend another day in jail.
The lawyer nodded and left. Now only Charlotte and Victoria were left in the room.
Charlotte burst into uncontrollable tears. “Victoria, have you lost your mind? You actually had someone drive to hit Andrew and Isabella. Do you know how many years in prison you’ll get for attempted murder? You’re still so young…”
“Enough, what’s the use of saying these things now!” Victoria impatiently interrupted her. “Now, only Dad can get me out. Do as I say…”
At this point, Charlotte was already in a panic. No matter what Victoria said, she desperately nodded along. But Victoria’s words still made her flustered.
“Mom, Dad killed Mr. Allen, you must have evidence in hand, right?” Victoria spoke affirmatively, not inquiring. She knew her mother well; if Charlotte didn’t have leverage, she wouldn’t bring up this matter with her.
Charlotte nodded and truthfully replied, “Your father has a habit of talking in his sleep. He mentioned Mr. Allen several times, and I was cautious enough to record it with a voice recorder. But sleep talk isn’t admissible, let alone evidence to identify him as the murderer.”
“Whether he’s the murderer or not is none of my concern.” Victoria smiled coldly, continuing, “The recording in your hand isn’t evidence, but once exposed, it’s enough to ruin David’s reputation. You’ve lived with him for a lifetime; what he cares most about, do you still not understand? What he values most is his future and his reputation. Therefore, this recording, threatening him, is enough.”
“Victoria, even if I threaten him, he’s just a deputy mayor. He doesn’t have the ability to get you out,” Charlotte still looked despondent.
Victoria’s gaze turned icy, her lips curved with a hint of fierceness. “Dad and the police chief are old classmates. Over the years, they’ve colluded to do plenty of shady things. Dad owes favors to the chief; he won’t refuse. As the chief of public security, it’s easy for him to handle a prisoner in the detention center.”
“Your meaning is…” Charlotte finally understood Victoria’s implication. Her eyes widened in shock, looking anxious and uneasy.
Victoria nodded, her tone grim. “As long as Torin, that witness, dies, with no one to testify against me, I’ll naturally be acquitted.”
“But that’s still a human life,” Charlotte whispered, her voice strained and uneasy.
She wasn’t a good person herself, but the idea of being involved in someone’s death terrified Charlotte.
Victoria furrowed her brow, feeling her mother was becoming more and more useless with age. “Mom, if that man doesn’t die, I’ll be the one who does. Mom, are you going to stand by and watch me die?”
Through the iron bars, Victoria tightly grasped Charlotte’s hand.
Charlotte’s hand was cold and stiff, her face pale, lips trembling, unable to speak for a while.
It wasn’t until the guard at the door knocked and reminded them, “Visiting time is over.”
Charlotte startled, stumbling as she stood up.
Seeing her mother leaving like this, Victoria lost control and stood up from her seat, gripping the railing with both hands, shouting harshly, “Mom!”
Immediately, two female guards rushed forward from behind and restrained Victoria.
Struggling, Victoria was pressed against the iron bars by the guards, eyes wide with disbelief as she cried out, “Mom, Mom, please save me, you have to save me, I don’t want to die…”
With teary eyes, Charlotte looked at her daughter, nervously nodding and crying, “Mom understands, Mom understands!”
Charlotte walked out of the detention center in tears, then hurriedly headed to the Harris family estate.
Returning to the Harris family estate, the gatekeeper was all new faces and didn’t recognize her, blocking her from entering.
Elowen staggered out of the villa, looking extremely arrogant, a perfect image of the mistress of the house. She mocked, “Oh, who did I think it was? Turns out it’s you coming back. Charlotte, I advise you not to come in. Victoria’s arrest has disgraced us all. David and Mrs. Ada are furious. If you go in now, you’ll only be kicked out.”
Charlotte had no mind to deal with Elowen now, only sneering sarcastically, “Now that David is getting older, it’s not bad for him to keep a pet. But It’s just annoying to keep one that barks so much.”
Charlotte insulted Elowen, who just snorted disdainfully, completely unconcerned. This old woman could only gain a little verbal advantage. Anyway, she wouldn’t let her in.
As Elowen turned to leave, Charlotte suddenly shouted at the top of her voice, “David, you coward, I might avoid you, but those rotten things you’ve done, I won’t hesitate to expose them…”
Charlotte hadn’t finished speaking when David angrily rushed out of the villa, glancing coldly at her, then ordering the gatekeeper to let her in.
Charlotte, in high heels, walked proudly past Elowen.
She followed David into the villa.
The living room’s LCD TV was on, broadcasting local entertainment news about the famous actress Victoria’s arrest on suspicion of hiring a hitman.
David’s anger surged instantly. He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and smashed it hard against the TV screen. Then he shouted at Charlotte, “Charlotte, you have the nerve to come back! Look at the daughter you raised so well, capable of even hiring someone to commit murder. She’s brought shame upon me!”
“Victoria was just confused for a moment. She knows she was wrong. David, after all, she’s your daughter. At this time, you can’t just wash your hands of her,” Charlotte pleaded softly and gently.
“How can I not wash my hands of her!” David didn’t show her any kindness. “What grudge does she have against Isabella to the extent that she would attempt to kill her sister and brother-in-law? Andrew is not someone to be trifled with. Even if I want to intervene, I can’t. You tell that unfilial daughter of yours to fend for herself in there. I’ll pretend I never had a daughter like her!”
David was clearly eager to distance himself from Victoria. In his eyes, there had always been only business, never any family ties.