Chapter 296 Chapter 296

Chapter 296 Chapter 296
Chapter 296

Agent Miller plugged the metallic flash drive directly into the laptop resting on the low glass coffee table in Maria’s sitting room. The laptop screen quickly opened up a organized folder filled with hundreds of document scans, bank transfer slips, audio recordings, and private digital notes. Maria sat closely beside Isabelle on the velvet couch, staring at the screen with wide, disbelief-filled eyes as folder after folder was clicked open. Agent Miller and Ariana stood behind the couch, completely speechless as they watched the dark reality of Sam Keystone's obsession unfold right before them.

The screen displayed clear bank statements showing massive, direct wire transfers from Sam’s personal offshore accounts sent straight to the personal account of the university dean. Right beside those transfer slips were copied email threads where Sam explicitly instructed the dean to bury every formal complaint Isabelle had ever submitted regarding Ethan Castellan. Sam had systematically ensured that the university administration turned a blind eye, making it look as though Ethan was abusing his power while using his money to hide his actions.

Then came the personal notes written in Sam’s own handwriting and digitized into PDF files. The documents contained years of bitter thoughts, detailing how Sam had watched Ethan surpass him in sports, academics, and business ever since they were children. In one long entry, Sam wrote step-by-step instructions on how he planned to stage Isabelle’s suicide, set Ethan up as the prime suspect, and slowly tear Ethan's life and reputation to shreds.

Maria covered her mouth with both hands, tears streaming down her face as she read through the bitter words projected on the screen. "How could you do this, Sam?" Maria lamented, her voice trembling with intense grief. "They used to be best friends. In fact, they were called brothers when they were kids."
Isabelle shook her head softly, her hands folded tightly in her lap as she looked at the computer screen. "I was confused too, Mrs. Castellan. I was just as confused when I found these files in his safe."

"This is just disheartening," Maria said, her hands shaking as she wiped her wet cheeks. "They had known each other since they were toddlers. They first met through his late mother, Bianca Keystone, at a charity event, and that was how their friendship started. How could someone harbour so much hatred for years while smiling in my son's face?"
Agent Miller sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as she carefully observed the evidence displayed on the screen. "Betrayal happens, Mrs. Castellan," Agent Miller added gently. "Especially when one person becomes more successful than the other. Envy can drive people to pull off unbelievable things. Right now, our main focus is securing Ethan’s safe return and ensuring the capture of Sam Keystone before he slips out of our reach again."

"The world needs to stop seeing my son as the villain!" Maria cried, turning her head toward the high windows of her living room. "He didn't do any of those horrible things! They ruined his name, they ruined his life, and now everyone thinks he's a monster or a corpse!"
Ariana sat down on the edge of the sofa near Maria, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders and squeezing her hand gently. "Please stop crying, Mrs. Castellan," Ariana comforted her. "I know Ethan is okay, and soon the whole world is going to find out the absolute truth about everything that happened."

Maria sat up straight, wiping her tears aggressively with a napkin as her grief suddenly turned into pure, burning anger. She gripped the edge of the sofa cushion, her eyes fixed on the television screen in the corner of the room where local news stations were still running headlines about Richard Castellan calling a sudden press conference to claim the Castellan estate.

"And that devil of a man, Richard Castellan!" Maria spurred out, her voice loud and sharp. "Ethan worked so hard to take the Castellans this far! All Richard ever did was depend on the Monroes and ride on everyone else's success, while his own son worked so hard day and night to get the Castellan name to where it is today! And now, all Richard could do was announce his own son dead without even seeing a body, just so he could step in and claim everything Ethan built!"

Maria stood up from the couch, her face firm with pure determination as she looked at Agent Miller and Isabelle. "I will destroy you, Richard. I swear I won't let him take away what belongs to my son."
Agent Miller closed the laptop screen with a firm snap and slipped the metallic flash drive back into her pocket. "We have more than enough evidence right here to stop Richard’s move legally and put Sam behind bars for good.