Chapter 65 Witness Perjury
Amelia wanted to hold onto Lucas's arm and act all intimate with him in front of the cameras.
Lucas glanced at Amelia with an indifferent expression, and Alfred quickly stepped forward to block her.
"You!" Amelia wanted to lash out at Alfred, but suddenly remembered the cameras were everywhere.
She quickly put on a pitiful expression and looked at Lucas, but he had already walked ahead, leaving her with only his back.
To prevent Amelia from losing her composure in front of the reporters, Michelle hurriedly pulled her back to her side.
Lucas walked to the first row, where a news agency reporter gave up three seats. Lucas sat in the middle one, leaving both sides empty, with Alfred and several Caporegimes standing behind him.
The scene gradually quieted down.
Lucas looked up at me, glanced at James, "I'm here for the press conference. Aren't we starting?"
James realized he'd been intimidated by Lucas's presence and had actually forgotten what he was supposed to do, showing a frustrated expression.
He cleared his throat and continued reading the opening remarks.
Few people in the room were actually listening.
Even I couldn't help but zone out, my gaze drifting toward Lucas.
His wound definitely hadn't healed enough for him to be discharged, yet here he was, his lips pale, looking like he could collapse at any moment.
Why was he pushing himself so hard? Who did he come here for?
Me? Or Amelia?
Realizing I was thinking about something so pointless, I quickly stopped myself and focused my attention on Michelle and Amelia.
The situation unfolded without much suspense. I stated that the notes definitely belonged to me, and Amelia immediately produced that letter.
The letter was written by Doyle to me before New Year's one year, reminding me to relax appropriately during the break, not to slack off in my studies, and to be careful not to expose my identity.
"This was written to me by Mr. Cunningham the year before he passed away." As soon as Amelia spoke, her eyes reddened.
Brian clicked his tongue and complained in my ear, "She's pretty good at that skill - crying on command."
Amelia said, "When Mr. Cunningham took me as his student, I was still six months away from turning eighteen. Actually, when I was young in my hometown, I had already met Mr. Cunningham when he was doing free medical consultations in Silverpine Town."
"Mr. Cunningham said I had considerable talent in medicine, but at that time, my fate took a dramatic turn. I went from Silverpine Town to Dawnharbor to reunite with my father, separating me from Mr. Cunningham. Less than a year later, Mr. Cunningham passed away. Although my formal medical training was brief, I was truly Mr. Cunningham's last student!"
Amelia's lines were definitely carefully polished - nothing like her usual way of speaking.
Jonas awkwardly kept rubbing the goosebumps on his arms, "Does she think she's performing in a play? Her tone is so dramatic!"
Brian looked at me with some concern. I patted his arm, giving him a reassuring look.
Amelia's lie was indeed cleverly crafted. Doyle had lived in seclusion during the last two years of his life, and she was using this time period to boldly bet that no one could catch her in the lie.
A reporter raised a question, "Why did Mr. Cunningham ask you to hide your identity?"
Amelia calmly gave her prepared answer, "Because I hadn't learned anything yet. Mr. Cunningham wanted me to keep a low profile."
"Well, you've been really 'low profile.'" Brian couldn't help but say sarcastically.
Amelia gritted her teeth, held back her temper, and put on an act of being afraid of Brian.
Michelle patted Amelia's back comfortingly and said to the reporter, "Amelia is just too honest. She never told me about this until a few days ago when she saw Doyle's notes. She couldn't bear to see Doyle's belongings become tools for merchants to profit from, so she finally told me."
She pulled out a handwriting analysis report, "Everyone, please look. This letter is definitely written by Doyle himself! You can compare it with the handwriting in the notes - it's absolutely not forged."
I guessed this letter was found by Michelle in my mother's vanity.
I had organized the letters just for easy reference, but my mother thought letters had commemorative value, especially handwritten ones. She liked to collect them and keep them in pretty boxes.
She even saved birthday cards sent to her every year by banks, cake shops, and jewelry stores.
The content of this letter didn't mention any names. Michelle probably assumed my mother was the recipient, so she boldly took the letter out to deceive everyone.
She was also carefully observing my and Brian's expressions, trying to guess if we knew the truth.
I caught a trace of jealous hatred in her eyes - jealousy and resentment toward my mother.
But my brothers and I still haven't been able to figure out what grudge exists between Michelle and my mother.
I was deep in thought when Amelia suddenly said to me, "Isabella, no matter what means you used to get Mr. Cunningham's belongings, you're not the true owner of the notes! Please return them to me!"
"Do the notes have your name on them? If I'm not its owner, does that make you the owner?" I asked coldly with a sneer.
Amelia nodded, "I knew you wouldn't admit it easily! I have a witness - Tyler, the editor-in-chief of the International Review of Clinical Innovations magazine, is an old friend of Mr. Cunningham's. Mr. Cunningham once said he wanted to write a comprehensive book of prescriptions for me."
Tyler arrived later than everyone else, only getting there five minutes ago.
He had thin limbs but a big belly, sparse hair, and thick drooping eyelids that made him look half-asleep, but on closer inspection, you could see his small eyes were sharp and calculating.
After entering, he stood quietly to the side without greeting Michelle and Amelia, as if deliberately avoiding them to appear impartial.
The reporters looked at Tyler, asking him to confirm.
Tyler quickly glanced at me, probably not even getting a clear look at my face.
He pulled out his phone from his pocket, "I have a recording."
This probably wasn't part of Michelle's plan. She frowned hard. Then Tyler pressed play. Everyone expected to hear Doyle's voice, but instead, the phone played a conversation between Michelle, Amelia, and Tyler.
Michelle said, "You just need to provide testimony."
Tyler objected, "This is fake. You have no connection to Doyle whatsoever!"
Amelia threatened, "Think about your family! Your granddaughter is only four years old. I heard children that age are very prone to dying young."
Tyler said, "You're threatening me!"
Amelia replied, "It's not like you're giving false testimony in court. What are you afraid of? As long as you do what we say, I guarantee your family will be safe and sound. I'll also give you money."
The recording ended there.
The reporters erupted.
Amelia was stunned at first, then her body trembled slightly. Now she finally snapped back to reality and shouted at Tyler, "It's fake! I never said those things!"
Michelle suddenly turned to look at me, "It was you, wasn't it?"
I frowned in confusion and asked her, "What are you talking about? Can you please explain what this false testimony is about?"
Michelle gave a cold laugh, stopped looking at me, and didn't try to defend herself.
Amelia was surrounded and pressed by reporters, jumping up and down in panic, "The recording is fake! I only mentioned giving him money; I didn't threaten him."
She quickly shut her mouth and looked at Michelle for help in a panic.
Michelle actually raised her hand and slapped her!
"Amelia, you actually deceived me and everyone else! You've disappointed me so much!" Michelle didn't hesitate to push all the blame onto Amelia, leaving the scene decisively and quickly.
Amelia was slapped in public, and by Michelle no less. She couldn't help but burst into tears.