Chapter 177

That single sentence detonated like a thunderclap in everyone's ears.

The entire venue erupted. Camera shutters fired in rapid succession, the livestream chat exploded with comments, and tens of millions of online viewers went wild.

Only Grace stood frozen in place, her body rigid, mind blank. Every ounce of her attention locked onto Louisa, pupils contracting violently, disbelief written across her face.

She had triple-checked. The attending physician had explicitly confirmed that Louisa's speech nerves were severely damaged—there was absolutely no possibility of her speaking anytime soon. Worst case, she'd be mute for life.

Grace snapped back to reality and lunged forward two steps, her voice shrill and incredulous. "How can you talk? Aren't you supposed to be mute?!"

The words escaped her lips, and the room fell silent. Everyone caught the fatal slip in her question.

Ice settled in Louisa's eyes. A cold smile curved her lips as she fired back, "Does it surprise you that I can speak? Or were you hoping, deep down, that I'd stay silent forever—trapped in that hospital bed, keeping all your dirty little secrets buried?"

Panic flashed across Grace's face. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but before she could, Louisa's icy voice cut through the hall again, shredding every last piece of her disguise.

"Everyone's been wondering why I suddenly ended up in the ICU, critically injured." Louisa's gaze swept over the flustered Grace as she laid bare the bloody truth for all to see. "Today, I'll tell you exactly what happened. I didn't end up in that hospital because of some accident. I'm there because of you, Grace."

Louisa drew a slow breath, her words blunt and merciless. "We had an argument. You lost your temper, grabbed an antique vase off the table, and smashed it into the back of my skull. Knocked me out cold. Not only did you refuse to get me medical help right away, you took advantage of my unconscious state to exploit loopholes in the Lane Group's system. You embezzled massive amounts of company funds. Lined your pockets. Spent it all without a second thought."

The room exploded again.

Business moguls exchanged horrified glances, whispering urgently.

Assault. Embezzlement. Either charge alone could destroy Grace's future completely.

Grace's face turned deathly pale, blood draining from her veins. After a moment of pure panic, she tore off her fragile mask and screamed her denial. "You're lying!"

She whirled toward the cameras, forcing herself to address the media, desperate to salvage the situation. "Don't believe her one-sided story! She suffered severe head trauma—she's not in her right mind! Everything she's saying is delusional nonsense! Jasmine conspired with her to frame me with these lies!"

"Frame you?" Louisa let out a cold laugh, her presence crushing. "Made a mistake and all you can do is make excuses. You've always been this selfish and vile."

"Enough!" Grace's eyes turned bloodshot, her voice hysterical. "Without evidence, this is all just empty talk! You two are working together to steal everything from me!"

Just as Grace tried to manipulate public opinion, Jean stepped forward calmly. In her hands were sealed documents stamped with official forensic authentication seals. She held them up directly in front of the cameras.

"You want evidence? Here it is."

Jean ignored Grace's tense expression and addressed the media and guests in a clear, commanding voice. "These two expedited forensic reports—one is a blood relation test between Louisa and Jasmine. The other compares Louisa and Grace."

She gestured for the reporters to film close-ups, pronouncing Grace's fate word by word. "The first report clearly indicates that Louisa and Jasmine's DNA is a high match. They share a direct mother-daughter relationship. The data is irrefutable."

"As for the second report, the conclusion is simple and direct—it completely rules out any blood relation between Grace and Louisa. From the very beginning, they have shared no familial connection whatsoever."

Jean then pulled out another envelope and opened it, revealing hundreds of pages of documents. "And these—are all evidence of Grace's financial crimes!"

The verdict was in.

Twenty years of stolen identity. Twenty years of twisted lies. In this moment, everything was laid bare under the blazing light.

Guests gasped collectively. Reporters frantically photographed the authentication reports and evidence files. The livestream froze on the bright red official seals.

The chat descended into chaos, flooded with furious condemnations of Grace.

In the center of the crowd, Jasmine stood frozen, eyes instantly brimming with tears. After all this time, the biological mother she'd desperately searched for her entire life had never been far away. That person had always been by her side—the one she'd fought so hard to protect.

Every ounce of grievance, heartache, and confusion erupted in that instant. Jasmine could no longer hold back. She rushed through the crowd, dropped to her knees before the wheelchair, and wrapped her arms tightly around Louisa.

"Mom."

That single word, delayed by over twenty years, came out choked and broken, wrapped in endless pain. Jasmine buried her face in Louisa's shoulder and sobbed.

Louisa's eyes reddened too. Her trembling hand reached up to stroke Jasmine's hair, her heart overflowing with guilt and love. "I'm sorry, Jas. I'm so sorry. I let you suffer for so many years."

Mother and daughter clung to each other, tears flowing freely.

Reporters turned their cameras to capture this long-overdue reunion. The tender moment moved countless people online and off.

In stark contrast stood Grace, isolated and helpless.

She stared blankly at the embracing mother and daughter.

[Twenty years of stolen identity—what shameless audacity]

[She assaulted her foster mother, embezzled funds, slandered innocent people—this woman needs to be locked up!]

[She stole the life that belonged to Jasmine, then repeatedly tried to harm her—absolutely venomous]

The relentless flood of condemnation crushed the last thread of Grace's sanity. Her carefully constructed superiority and vanity crumbled completely. Extreme jealousy drove her into madness.

Why?

Why was Jasmine born with everything handed to her? Why did the life Grace had painstakingly built over twenty years have to collapse overnight? Why was everyone siding with Jasmine? Why was everyone pushing her into the abyss?

If she couldn't have happiness, if everyone wanted her dead, then no one would get to be happy!

Murderous intent blazed in Grace's eyes, her face twisting into something deranged.

She spun around, her gaze locking viciously onto Louisa in the wheelchair. This woman was the source of everything!

She lunged sideways and grabbed a heavy gilded metal candelabra from the decorative table. Her arm bulged with veins, her entire body radiating violence.

"If you two are so devoted to each other, then I'll send you both to hell together!"