Chapter 198

Chapter 198

The voice from the recorder echoed through the luxurious private room.

Ralph's tearful account played out word for word—from receiving his cousin's instructions, to approaching Nash and luring him into online gambling and then real casinos, to anonymously sending letters inciting kidnapping. Every detail was so clear it sent chills down the spine.

The playback ended.

Elizabeth turned off the recorder, watching Ethan's face darken abruptly.

"Mr. Glover, do you have anything to say now?" Elizabeth's voice was as cold as winter ice. "This recording, plus bank transfer records and social tracking—is that enough evidence?"

Ethan stared at the recorder in Elizabeth's hand, his eyes ominously dark. His fingers tapped lightly on his knee, as if contemplating something.

He finally spoke, his voice eerily calm. "You think one recording can convict me?"

"Whether it can convict you, let the police decide." Elizabeth didn't back down. "But I believe once they have this starting point, they'll definitely dig up more evidence."

Cornelius stood to the side, his gaze moving between Elizabeth and Ethan.

Something wasn't right.

Ethan was too calm. This wasn't how someone caught red-handed should behave.

"Fine." Ethan suddenly laughed, his smile tinged with mockery. "Then let's hand it to the police. But I'm curious, Elizabeth—have you considered... whether this recording of yours might also be verified as fake, just like last time?"

Elizabeth's heart jolted.

Just then, the door to the private room swung open. Ethan's lawyer hurried in, leaning close to whisper in Ethan's ear.

After listening, Ethan's face showed a meaningful smile. "The police are downstairs already? All right, then I'll cooperate with the investigation."

He stood up, straightening his suit collar, and looked at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, I'm very curious to see how far you can take this. But... be careful. Don't drag yourself down with it."

With that, accompanied by his lawyer, he strode out of the room.

Elizabeth watched his retreating figure, gripping the recorder tightly.

Cornelius walked to her side, frowning. "He's too composed."

"I know." Elizabeth felt the same unease. "But with evidence in hand, he can't deny it."

Three days later, there were results.

Under Cornelius's pressure, the police dug up all of Nash's criminal records from the past three years. Not only did they confirm his kidnapping of Becky, they also found he'd participated in multiple underground black market deals.

Combined sentencing resulted in fifteen years in prison.

Karena was detained for six months for harboring a criminal and aiding crimes.

Ethan's personal assistant Bodhi was taken in for police questioning. Though Ethan himself insisted he knew nothing of his assistant's actions, under public pressure he was forced to issue a public apology and compensate Becky three million dollars in emotional damages.

On the surface, everything seemed perfectly resolved.

Elizabeth went to the hospital to visit Becky during her recovery.

In the hospital room, Becky was doing physical therapy. After two weeks of treatment, most of her physical injuries had healed, though she still needed time to recover mentally.

"Elizabeth." Seeing Elizabeth, Becky's eyes lit up. "Come sit."

Elizabeth placed the fruit she'd brought on the bedside table and sat beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Becky smiled, though exhaustion still lingered in her expression. "The doctor says I can be discharged in another two weeks. Elizabeth, thank you. If it weren't for you..."

"Don't say that." Elizabeth squeezed her hand. "You're my cousin. If I don't help you, who will?"

Becky's eyes reddened slightly. She nodded firmly.

After chatting for a while, Elizabeth stood up to get Becky some water from the water room. As she reached the stairwell door, she heard someone on the phone inside. That voice...

It was Ethan.

Elizabeth instinctively stopped, hiding behind the door.

"...Angelina, you're ruthless, using Elizabeth's hands to take me down?" Ethan's voice was cold as ice. "That thing with your cousin years ago—were you also..."

The rest was lowered. Elizabeth couldn't hear clearly.

The person on the phone must be Angelina, because Ethan's tone grew even darker. "What's the use of playing innocent with me now? You had someone plant that USB drive at Nash's place, didn't you? Forging a recording of me and Nash talking, then deliberately leaking clues to Elizabeth... using her hands to drag me down."

Elizabeth held her breath, her heartbeat suddenly racing.

The USB drive... the forged recording...

Could that USB drive really be a trap set by Angelina?

"Ethan, how can you suspect me like this?" Angelina's aggrieved, choked voice came faintly through the phone. "I don't know anything... Is Elizabeth still holding a grudge against me, so she deliberately bribed people to frame me? I really didn't do those things..."

"Enough!" Ethan cut her off, his tone full of disgust. "Angelina, don't put on an act in front of me. I know you too well—playing weak and innocent on the surface, ruthless behind the scenes. That thing with your cousin years ago..."

He mentioned "years ago" again. Elizabeth's heart beat even faster.

Daisy's death?

Daisy was Cornelius's first love, who died in a car accident five years ago. She'd always thought it was just an accident. Could there be... hidden circumstances?

She didn't know what Angelina said on the other end, but Ethan's voice was ice-cold.

"If it was really an accident, why was the surveillance at that accident site conveniently malfunctioning during that exact half hour? Angelina, you can make excuses all you want, but I will investigate. If this has anything to do with you, I will never let you go!"

Elizabeth covered her mouth, her face shocked.

This time perhaps the voice on the other end was louder—it came through the phone clearly enough for Elizabeth to hear.

"This has nothing to do with me. Are you actually believing what Elizabeth says? She was jealous of Daisy because Cornelius was devoted to Daisy. Later she killed Daisy and started spreading rumors everywhere. Because Cornelius treats me well, she's been plotting all of this!"

Ethan seemed unwilling to say more. He said coldly, "Angelina, don't think you can fool everyone forever with your act."

With that, he hung up.

Elizabeth heard footsteps approaching. She immediately turned and hurried away, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

She hid around a corridor corner, watching Ethan emerge from the stairwell with a dark expression, heading toward the elevators.

After Ethan left, Elizabeth leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

Angelina... Ethan... Daisy...

Too much information swirled in her mind. She needed time to process it, but one thing was certain: Daisy's death was absolutely not a simple car accident.

A week later, Becky was discharged.

Elizabeth drove her home. As they got out of the car, Becky suddenly stopped her. "Elizabeth, I've been thinking for a long time... I want to start over."

"What do you want to do?" Elizabeth asked.

"I want to leave here, live in a different city." Becky lowered her head. Actually, her mother had been trying to reach her recently, but she hadn't seen her. "After everything that's happened, staying here will only remind me of it all. Elizabeth, thank you for everything you've done for me, but some things... I need to face on my own."

Elizabeth looked at her thin face, her heart aching, but still nodded. "All right. I support you."

"Then... once I'm settled, I'll contact you."

"Okay."

Elizabeth watched her disappear into the building entrance, sighing softly.

She knew Becky needed time to heal. And with Karena constantly hounding her, only by completely leaving could Becky escape that mother.

Starting over was the best choice for her.

Just then, her phone rang.

It was Flora.

"Beth, I need to tell you something." Flora's voice was urgent. "Eugene... found some things about Daisy's car accident five years ago."

Elizabeth gripped her phone tightly. "Tell me."

"The specifics are complicated. Hard to explain over the phone. When are you free? Let's meet in person."

"I'm free right now."

"Good. The usual place."

After hanging up, Elizabeth didn't leave immediately. She leaned against the car, looking up at the overcast sky.

She had a premonition she was about to touch upon a huge secret—one hidden for five years.

This secret concerned not only Daisy's death, but also all the misunderstandings and barriers between her and Cornelius.

She got in the car and started the engine.