Chapter 161
Zara bit her lower lip, her mind tangled in indecision.
If she told Cecil everything, it would be tantamount to confessing her crimes. Once she lost her value to him, she'd still be facing a dead end.
"Mr. Wilson, you've misunderstood. I know nothing about Charlotte's situation. I was just being used myself. I never conspired with Elizabeth to frame her."
"Charlotte was my meal ticket. Why would I ever join others to harm her?" Zara declared with conviction, sounding convincingly sincere.
Cecil scoffed coldly, turning to Marcus Robinson standing beside him, his tone flat. "Marcus, you saved an ungrateful wretch."
Marcus nodded. "Indeed."
"Mr. Wilson, there's a kennel about ten miles from here with dozens of fierce dogs. I hear they haven't been fed for several days now," Marcus said.
Cecil raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested. "I'm such a softhearted person. I just can't bear to see animals go hungry."
He fixed Zara with a fierce gaze, his eyes sharp and dangerous.
"And here we have some ready-made food?" Marcus played along with Cecil, their dynamic perfectly synchronized.
Zara's heart tightened.
They wanted to feed her to the dogs?
No!
"Mr. Wilson, you can't do this!" she cried.
"If I die, you'll have no witness against Elizabeth!"
Cecil listened to Zara's plea with amusement. "I thought you said you knew nothing?"
As Cecil threw her earlier words back at her, Zara's face instantly turned pale.
Now she was truly trapped in a dilemma, with no way out.
If she didn't make a choice now, she would certainly die.
"Mr. Wilson, I can help you testify against Elizabeth, but I have one condition," she said.
Cecil smirked. "How dare you negotiate with me?"
Zara lowered her head but still summoned the courage to say.
"I just want to live."
"I'll help you testify against Elizabeth, but she'll certainly try to kill me. I need to ensure my safety before I can help you with peace of mind."
She had already walked along the edge of death once and had no desire to repeat the experience.
Cecil smiled slyly, agreeing quite readily. "Fine."
He continued to dangle the bait. "If you can help me bring down the West family, I can help you change your identity and send you abroad to start a new life."
Zara's eyes lit up, her entire demeanor suddenly energized.
"I won't disappoint you."
Cecil smiled as he extended his hand to Zara. "Pleasure doing business with you."
The next day.
Zara, accompanied by several bodyguards and a lawyer, rushed to the police station to file her report.
Two hours later, after paying a late fee, Zara was granted bail pending trial.
Another hour passed, and social media exploded.
Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Zara occupied the top three trending spots, with the West Group and the Wilson Group also trending.
Zara made a public apology, crying profusely while displaying her pitiful state to gain sympathy. She detailed the truth behind Charlotte's rape case.
She admitted that she had been tempted by Elizabeth's bribes and, on the day of the incident, deliberately failed to fulfill her duties as Charlotte's manager by not staying by her side, leaving Charlotte vulnerable and giving the perpetrators their opportunity.
Zara also released a video tearfully accusing Elizabeth of being ruthless. After the incident, Elizabeth had attempted to silence her by sending her to Havoc Heights, where she was tortured and nearly lost her life.
Fans and netizens expressed heartbreak over Charlotte's ordeal and strongly condemned the actions of Zara and Elizabeth.
The West Group's official social media accounts were flooded with comments, and Elizabeth was taken in by the police for questioning.
Catherine scrolled through the comments while enjoying her lunch.
Netizens were calling Elizabeth the "queen of cruel mothers-in-law," lamenting how Charlotte suffered whether married or not.
Some users joked: [Want to get married? My mother will arrange for you to be gang-raped, that kind of deal.]
Others offered heartfelt advice: [When choosing a partner, keep your eyes open! Besides checking the man's character, you must also investigate his mother's character!]
In less than half a day, Elizabeth's reputation was in tatters.
Catherine looked at the trending topics with immense satisfaction.
Cecil was quite efficient.
He was quite the perfect tool for revenge.
She hadn't wasted her time pretending in front of him every day.
It was the weekend, and though Philip didn't need to go to the office, he was overwhelmed with urgent matters.
As soon as the news about Elizabeth broke, Philip's phone wouldn't stop ringing.
He changed into a dark gray suit and walked down the stairs while answering calls.
"Dad, don't worry. I'll handle this. You take care of Mom, alright?"
Philip hung up and strode toward the dining room.
Seeing Philip approach, Catherine quickly rose from her dining chair and went to meet him.
She walked up to Philip and reached out to adjust his tie, playing the role of a gentle, virtuous wife.
"Darling, won't you eat something before you go out? I made spaghetti bolognese."
Philip's eyes flashed with a dangerous light as he grabbed Catherine's wrist. "Are you satisfied now?" he asked coldly.
Seeing Elizabeth's reputation in ruins and the West Group in chaos again—she must be delighted, right?
Catherine looked up at him with innocent wide eyes, her voice soft and tender. "I don't know what you mean. I'm just worried about you."
"How are you? Are you okay?"
Philip tossed aside her placating hand, his expression filled with frost.
Catherine pouted and stepped back, not daring to further provoke Philip while he was angry.
Philip stood with a grim face, turning to leave, but suddenly seemed to remember something and walked back to Catherine.
Catherine looked up at the now stern Philip, her bright eyes blinking innocently. "What is it?"
Philip scrutinized Catherine seriously, his powerful presence making her feel intimidated.
"What else are you planning to do?"
Even with Elizabeth's reputation in ruins, the West Group wouldn't fall so easily. She and Cecil must have follow-up plans.
Catherine shrugged, looking at Philip with apparent confusion. "I really don't know anything."
"This was all Cecil's plan. I have no idea what he's doing." She unhesitatingly pushed the blame onto Cecil.
Philip stared at her intently, making Catherine feel uneasy.
She instinctively wanted to move away from him.
Philip suddenly grabbed her arm, his voice icy.
"If anything happens to my sister, you'd better watch out!"
Catherine was frightened by Philip's words, feeling afraid inside but still defiantly responded, "Philip, don't put this on me! I'm innocent."
"You? Innocent?" Philip's ice-cold voice suppressed his anger as he struggled to control his rage.
Catherine raised her head, straightened her back, and put on an appearance of righteousness.
"If Elizabeth didn't do those terrible things, the law will naturally clear her name!"
Philip gazed deeply at Catherine for a long moment before finally releasing her arm.
"You've thoroughly infuriated Terry this time. When I tell you to be careful, it's not a warning—it's concern!"
With that, he walked away without looking back.
"Why can't she be released on bail?"
Terry's expression was contorted with rage as he stood in the police station lobby, pounding his fist on the front desk. "On what grounds are you detaining my wife?"
"We have a witness accusing Elizabeth of soliciting crime. The case is still under further investigation. Given the seriousness of Elizabeth's alleged involvement, we cannot approve her bail."
Terry grabbed the lawyer standing behind him, viciously ordering, "Useless! Say something to refute them!"
They couldn't even arrange bail—this high-priced legal team he'd hired was utterly worthless!
"Mr. West, this is a police station. Please maintain civil behavior."
The lawyer wiped sweat from his forehead, bowing apologetically to Terry.
"Mr. West, given the current situation, we truly cannot secure Mrs. West's release on bail."
"Get lost!" Terry spat out a curse, not wanting to hear any more excuses.
If they weren't in a police station, he would have taught these useless people a lesson long ago.
Compared to Terry's volatility, James remained much calmer when facing problems.
"Dad, please calm down. Losing your temper won't solve anything."
Terry's face had turned red with anger. He clenched his fists and shouted.
"I want to see my wife!"
"I'm sorry, during detention, you cannot see Elizabeth."
"You bastards."
"Dad!" James quickly rushed forward to restrain his emotionally charged father, preventing him from causing a scene at the police station.