Chapter 23 The Real Betrayal
+8 Pearls
Electrodes glinted coldly against Elsa’s temple as the memory playback rig buzzed softly on her head. Suddenly, she raised her cuffed hands and slammed them against the table.
This had nothing to do with her. Why was she being dragged into all of this?
Elsa bit down hard on her lip, eyes vacant as she muttered over and over, “No… it wasn’t me… I don’t know what happened…”
The livestream chat paused for a beat–then exploded.
“Caught red–handed and still trying to blame others!”
“LMAO, dragging others down with her before she dies!”
“Someone gag her already!”
“Wait, hold on… didn’t the memory show nothing about Dawson dying because of her?”
Elsa ignored the barrage of hate flashing across the screen and locked her gaze onto Lincoln, sitting silently in the
observation seats.
If he spoke up–if he just said one word–this whole mess of fabricated charges could be cleared.
But the man remained perfectly composed, detached, like none of this had anything to do with him.
Elsa’s chest tightened. She looked away, her voice hoarse but steady in the tense courtroom.
“Before I escaped, Dong Hua made a phone call. If you trace the call records, you’ll see he was in contact with someone else after I left.”
The entire room went still.
The judge furrowed his brow, flipping through the case file. “Defendant, do you have proof of this?”
Elsa let out a cold laugh and glanced toward the Moore family,
Those people–her so–called family–weren’t going to help her. Not now. Not ever.
She had been taken from their house that night. All anyone had to do was check the surveillance footage.
But they’d all acted like outsiders.
It was almost comical.
Staring down the Moore family, Elsa slowly closed her eyes. Her thoughts surged like a tidal wave.
Then, she inhaled deeply and said, loud and clear, “I know who the real killer is.”
Instantly, the courtroom erupted.
People whispered frantically, unsure what twist Elsa was trying to pull this time.
Bang!
“Order in the court!” the judge barked, slamming the gavel.
The room quieted again.
The judge looked Elsa straight in the eye. “Defendant, are you aware that false testimony is punishable by law?”
Elsa nodded hard. “Yes. I’m aware.”
The livestream exploded again.
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Chapter 23 The Real Betrayal
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“Wait–wait–did I hear that right? She says she knows the killer?!”
“You heard it! I even screen recorded it–word for word!”
“Not another twist–my heart can’t take this!”
“Let’s see where this goes…”
+8 Pearls
In the gallery, Felix’s temple bulged with rage. Mandy dug her nails into Peter’s arm. Quinn quietly played with her dress hem, expression unreadable.
Peter hissed, “Mom, you’re hurting me.”
Startled, Mandy blinked and pulled her hand away, offering a weak smile. “Sorry, sweetie…”
But deep red marks now lined Peter’s arm.
The judge turned to Elsa. “Then tell us, who is the person you’re accusing?”
Elsa lifted her head, eyes sharp as steel. She pointed directly at the Moore family.
“It was them.”
Her voice rang clear through the courtroom. “They struck a deal with Mr. Dawson. They planned to sell me for a hefty price.” “Objection!” the Moore family’s lawyer shot to his feet. “That’s pure speculation with no evidence!”
The judge didn’t flinch.
“Objection overruled.”
His gavel slammed down once more.
“I hereby summon the chairman of Moore Corp, along with his children, Peter and Quinn, to testify!”
A bailiff yanked Quinn to her feet. She stumbled.
She lifted her tearful eyes to Elsa at the defendant’s bench, voice trembling with exaggerated innocence. “Elsa.. how could you falsely accuse us like this….”
Peter jerked away from the bailiff, yanked his tie loose, and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Elsa! Have you lost your damn mind?!”
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