Chapter 162 Face of Deception
"The Stone family has no such scum among us!" the elderly voice continued, sharp with disgust and authority.
Everyone turned to see an elderly man with completely white hair walking forward, supported by two bodyguards in dark suits. His face was lined with age, but his eyes were sharp and clear, filled with barely contained rage.
Someone in the crowd recognized him immediately. "That's Old Master Stone, the patriarch of the Stone family."
"The Stone family—they're one of the old elite families in San Francisco."
"What the hell is going on? This is insane."
"Are we being punked? Is this some kind of elaborate reality show?"
The surrounding reporters and troublemaking consumers had completely transformed into invested onlookers, their earlier hostility toward Charlotte forgotten in the face of this unfolding drama.
In the livestream chat, comments exploded faster than anyone could read them:
【Oh my god, what is happening? I can't keep track anymore.】
【Ahhh, I cursed too early, I was ignorant, I apologize, I repent, I'll kowtow three times to the late Mrs. Caldwell, bang bang bang...】
【Following with three bangs.】
【Bang bang bang +10086.】
【This reversal is so fast, a live reversal. Good thing I stayed rational and didn't curse, waiting for the final verdict.】
【I KNEW something was fishy about that David guy! Nobody acts that desperate unless they're hiding something!】
【Can someone please explain what's happening? I'm so confused but I can't look away.】
In an instant, Old Master Stone arrived at the center of the scene, his bodyguards parting the crowd with practiced ease. He stopped directly in front of Cole, his face twisted with disgust and fury.
"You bastard!" The old man's voice shook with rage. "Wasn't it enough that you tried to kill your father back then? You actually committed such heinous crimes! You deserve to die!"
He raised his walking stick as if to strike Cole, but one of his bodyguards gently restrained him, murmuring something in his ear. The old man lowered the stick, but his eyes never left Cole's face.
Steel stepped forward, positioning himself between Old Master Stone and the prisoner. "Sir, please step back. We have this under control."
The detective turned to face the crowd and the cameras, his posture straightening as he prepared to make an official statement. This was the moment—the public revelation that would either vindicate Charlotte completely or raise even more questions.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Steel began, his voice carrying across the plaza, "I'm going to explain exactly who this man is and what he's done. The full details will be made available in our official report, but given the public nature of these accusations against Ms. Caldwell and her late mother, I believe the public deserves to know the truth immediately."
He paused, making sure every camera was focused on him, every microphone positioned to catch his words.
"Cole Stone was born as an illegitimate son of the Stone family. Due to his status, he was never officially recognized by the family. However, the Stone family provided him and his mother with adequate living support—they wanted for nothing. A trust fund, a comfortable home, private education. Everything a child could need."
Steel's expression hardened. "But Cole Stone wasn't content to remain in the shadows. He wanted more. He wanted inheritance rights to the Stone family fortune, recognition as a legitimate heir. So he hatched an evil plan."
The crowd leaned in, hanging on every word.
"Twenty-three years ago, Cole Stone deliberately caused his biological father to be injured in what appeared to be an accident. While his father lay in the hospital, Cole visited him, begging pitifully for forgiveness and money. His father, moved by what he thought was genuine remorse, gave Cole a substantial sum—two million dollars—and told him to leave San Francisco and never return."
"Cole Stone did indeed leave the city at that time. He disappeared completely, and the Stone family believed they'd seen the last of him. But they were wrong."
Steel pulled out a folder, extracting several photographs. He held them up for the cameras. "What the family didn't know was that Cole had used that money to undergo extensive facial reconstruction surgery. And the lead surgeon who operated on him was none other than his current wife, Susan Grant."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Several people pulled out their phones, frantically searching for information about Susan Grant.
"Why would he transform himself into another person?" a reporter called out, her voice sharp with curiosity. "Whose face did he steal?"
The question hung in the air. Charlotte felt Michael tense beside her, his hand moving slightly closer to her back, ready to protect her if the crowd turned hostile again.
Alice stepped forward, her voice clear and professional.
"Because Cole Stone and the real David Grant were close friends throughout their four years of university," Alice explained, producing several photographs from her own folder. "These are photos of Cole Stone and David Grant from their freshman to sophomore years at Berkeley. They were the same height, and their appearances were somewhat similar to begin with.
Plus, Cole Stone was an illegitimate son not welcomed by elite circles and had no real friends, while David Grant came from an orphanage and was equally isolated. Given their striking resemblance and shared outsider status, the two became close friends."
She held up more photos, showing the progression of their friendship. "Cole had four years of intimate contact with David Grant, and their relationship was extraordinary. He knew everything about David—his habits, his mannerisms, his dreams. He knew about David's relationship with Ms. Emily Caldwell, Charlotte's mother. He'd even met Emily several times at campus events."
Alice's expression grew somber. "This person knew that the money in his hands would eventually run out, and the Stone family had issued an order that if he returned to San Francisco, they would press charges for the assault on his father. So he came up with this scheme of plastic surgery and identity replacement."
"Their builds and features were already similar, which made the plastic surgery much easier. The surgeon—Susan—only needed to make minor adjustments. A slight reshaping of the nose, subtle changes to the jawline, replicating that distinctive scar at the corner of the mouth. He also knew Emily Caldwell personally and had interacted with her multiple times, so he knew exactly how to deceive her, how to act like the David Grant she'd fallen in love with."
The crowd was silent now, completely absorbed in the story.
"Cole Stone had coincidentally met Susan while searching for a plastic surgeon," Alice continued. "Susan was being used as a cash cow by her own family, forced to work endless hours to support their gambling debts and lavish lifestyle. Both seeking money and freedom, they hit it off immediately. Susan saw in Cole a chance to escape her family's control, and Cole saw in Susan the perfect accomplice."
"During the months of recovery from surgery, Cole maintained careful contact with the real David Grant. The Stone family scandal hadn't leaked out to the public, and David didn't know that Cole had tried to murder his own father and been expelled from the city. David simply thought Cole had been transferred for work and wasn't in San Francisco anymore. He trusted his friend completely."
Alice paused, letting the weight of that betrayal sink in. "That trust would prove fatal."
Charlotte's hands tightened on the wheelchair handles. She knew what was coming next—the part of the story that made her stomach turn, that made her question everything she'd ever known about the man she'd called father.