Chapter 211 First Love
Chapter 211 First Love
The lead officer pulled out an arrest warrant, his tone grave.
"We've received a request for assistance from Interpol. Stanley is suspected of illegal mining operations abroad, corruption, bribery, and the massacre of local residents. He's also alleged to have conducted business with terrorist organizations. We need to arrest him according to the law. Please cooperate."
Matthew examined the contents of the arrest warrant, his expression darkening instantly.
Everyone around them stared at Stanley in shock.
Celeste heard these accusations with disbelief, standing frozen in place. She had been standing right beside Stanley when he took that phone call and heard everything clearly—all this evidence had supposedly come from Olivia's email account.
After a few seconds, she suddenly let out a shriek, pointing her finger at Olivia in the distance.
"Impossible! This is absolutely fake! It's you! You bitch forged this evidence! My brother Stanley would never do such things!"
Molly immediately stepped forward, standing beside her mother and shouting at the police, "Don't listen to Olivia! My uncle isn't that kind of person—Olivia is obviously framing him!"
Olivia's expression darkened. "I never sent any information to the police."
Matthew nodded beside her. "My wife has been with me these past few days. I know very well whether she sent that email or not; she hasn't even opened her email account."
However, the lead officer made a phone call, and after several minutes, he shook his head.
"I'm sorry, everyone. Whether Olivia sent the email is irrelevant at this point, because our department was able to easily verify all the criminal activities based on the evidence in those emails."
Once again, everyone present was stunned. Stanley's face grew ashen—he knew he must have been betrayed by someone close to him.
The surrounding guests began murmuring among themselves.
"I never imagined Stanley would be so bold as to commit so many illegal acts."
"Maybe he really was framed. Olivia doesn't get along with the Howard family—she certainly has motive."
"The police confirmed it's real evidence. Could Matthew be involved in this somehow?"
Someone in the crowd looked toward Nathan, asking with a smile, "Mr. Nathan Smith, your daughter is being falsely accused—aren't you going to speak up for her?"
Nathan's smile froze momentarily as he quickly calculated in his mind.
He knew Olivia had a poor relationship with the family, but now, in front of so many guests, he had to maintain his persona as a loving father. Taking a deep breath, he strode quickly to Olivia's side, positioning himself in front of her, and addressed Celeste and Molly.
"Mrs. Celeste Howard, Miss Molly Howard, you need evidence before making accusations. You can't just slander people. Olivia isn't that kind of person—there must be some misunderstanding."
Olivia looked at her father standing protectively in front of her. She knew he was just putting on an act, so she offered no response.
Just then, Mason approached. He looked at the police, his voice carrying a note of suppressed anger.
"Are you certain you have sufficient evidence? The Howard family has been established in the business world for years without any criminal violations."
"Mr. Mason Howard, we have evidence provided by Interpol that is extremely comprehensive," the lead officer replied firmly. "If Stanley truly is innocent, the investigation will clear his name, but right now he must come with us."
Mason fell silent for two seconds, then turned to Stanley with a questioning tone, "Is what they're saying true? What exactly have you been doing overseas?"
Celeste suddenly rushed forward, grabbing Mason's arm, her voice tearful yet full of accusation.
"What gives you the right to interrogate Stanley! I know—all these years, you've never loved me, so naturally you don't like Stanley either. You've always been thinking about your first love, haven't you?"
Mason was stunned, never expecting Celeste to suddenly bring up this matter. He frowned, "What are you talking about? We're discussing Stanley's situation, not our relationship."
"Why can't we discuss it?"
Celeste became even more agitated, her eyes reddening.
"When Stanley's in trouble, your first instinct isn't to believe in him, but to tell him to cooperate with the investigation. Are you secretly hoping he'll be thrown in prison? You don't have me in your heart, or this family—all you have is your dead first love!"
"Shut up! Why are you bringing her up?" Mason instinctively glanced toward Olivia, raising his voice. "Stanley's situation has massive implications. The Sunlight Future Program can't be compromised, and the Howard family's reputation can't be destroyed. I have to handle this rationally!"
"Handle it rationally? In your eyes, there's only your precious program and your reputation—you never think about Stanley and me!" Celeste cried out, "I've given everything to this family, bore children, managed the household, but what about you? You've never had me in your heart. That tulip field at the manor—you've kept it all these years because those were her favorite flowers, weren't they? That locked notebook in your study—she gave that to you, too, didn't she? Don't think I don't know that woman was Olivia's mother! The reason you keep blocking me from making Matthew divorce Olivia is because you want Matthew to fulfill the regrets you had back then!"
Olivia heard these words and froze completely. She looked at Mason, her eyes full of shock. She had no idea that her mother had once shared a past with Mason.
Nathan's expression instantly turned grim. That woman had been his ex-wife, and now Celeste was having this discussion in front of everyone, making him feel utterly humiliated.
In the corner, Ryan's eyes lit up upon hearing this secret, a cold smile playing at his lips. Who would have thought the Howard family had so many dirty secrets?
Mason closed his eyes, his voice carrying a note of exhaustion, "I know you're upset, but Stanley's situation can't be delayed any longer. He must cooperate with the police investigation—this is a matter of principle. I promise you, if he truly hasn't done anything wrong, I'll find a way to bring him home safely."
"I don't agree! Over my dead body!" As Celeste spoke, she tried to throw herself at the police, but Molly quickly pulled her back.
The police watched the scene unfold with furrowed brows. The lead officer stepped forward and addressed Stanley, "Stanley, come with us. You can explain everything at the station."
Stanley stood motionless, his face ashen and his eyes evasive.
"No! You can't take him away! Let go of Stanley—he could never do such things!" Celeste saw Stanley about to be taken away and cried even harder, trying to intervene, but Matthew held her back.
"Mom, stop making a scene. Interfering now won't help—it'll only embarrass the Howard family further." Matthew's voice carried a note of helplessness.
"Get away from me! All you care about is your wife—you never think of me as your mother. Now your uncle is about to be taken away by the police, and you're still siding with outsiders. I don't have a son like you—get out of my sight!"
Celeste angrily pushed Matthew away, her eyes bloodshot like an enraged lioness.
The surrounding guests watched this spectacle, their murmuring growing louder. The birthday celebration at the Howard Manor had completely devolved into chaos, revealing so many secrets and scandals.
Olivia stood frozen, her mind in turmoil. Her mother's past with Mason, Stanley's impending arrest—none of this had been in her expectations. She had no idea what would happen next; she only felt that the situation with the Howard family was more complicated than she had imagined.
In the corner, Scarlett clutched the detonator, her heart filled with anxiety. She didn't care about the Howard family's drama—she only knew that once Stanley was arrested, a large portion of the Howard family would likely go to the police station, and her plan to blow everyone up would fail.
"Damn it, I can't worry about all that now. Even if police officers are killed in the blast, it doesn't matter. As long as I return to my home country today, no one will know it was me."
Scarlett's eyes filled with madness. She couldn't wait for Jacob to show up anymore. She was going to detonate the bomb and kill everyone now.