Chapter 50 50.Evidence
Reed’s POV
We leave Jace behind at the hospital. He stays to watch over Tabitha, and Ian volunteers to stay with him. Evren, Rye, Wilson, and I head back to the hotel. The air in the car is tense, each of us lost in our own thoughts, but I know what has to be done. If the elders are really framing her, then the truth must come out, and it starts with our own packmates.
When we arrive, Evren calls everyone to his suite. The remaining pack members gather and they all look uneasily as they enter. I can see the worry in their eyes, the way they avoid looking directly at us. They must have sensed that we are not in a good mood. Good. I want them to know that we are not here to play any damn games, so they better not piss me off.
Evren stands at the front of the crowd.
“You all know what happened. Our stepsister, Tabitha, has been accused of damaging the Aldair family artifact. The elders claim they have proof. But before we accept any of their claims, I want to hear from every single one of you. Tell us what you saw that day.”
The room grows quiet. A few glance at one another. They all look hesitant to speak.
I step forward, slamming my palm against the table. “We didn’t call you here for a staring contest. If you know something, speak. Unless you want me to rip your useless mouths off.”
Marissa, one of the younger packmates, clears her throat. “I… I did not see her near the artifact room that day.”
“Be specific,” I press. “When was the last time you actually saw her?”
“At breakfast. She was at the restaurant with us. After that… I don’t remember seeing her again.” She fidgets as she answers.
“Anyone else?” Evren asks, scanning the room.
Another packmate, Jonas, finally speaks. “It’s the same for me. After breakfast, I never saw her outside her room. If she left, I would have noticed. But I didn’t.”
I clench my jaw. “Then why are the elders claiming they have evidence that she messed with the artifact? Why are they so sure it was her?”
Hesitation flickers across Jonas’s face. He lowers his gaze before admitting, “Because… I-I heard them saying that they found strands of her hair at the scene. That it proves she was there at the scene of the crime.”
“Hair? That’s their evidence? She never even left her room. How the hell could her hair end up in there?” My blood boils.
“It means someone planted it. This is a deliberate set-up,” Evren mutters, shaking his head.
“Even so, this is not enough to clear her name tomorrow. We need something stronger than just their testimonies. You know how the elders can spin the truth to their favor.” Wilson crosses his arms, his tone grim.
Evren nods. “He’s right. If we go into the hearing with only this, they will crush us.”
I exhale sharply. “Then what do you suggest? How do we get something stronger?”
“I might have what you need.”
We all turn. Luca steps forward from the back of the room, holding a small flash drive between his fingers.
Evren narrows his gaze. “What is that?”
“A copy of the CCTV footage from the last two days,” Luca explains. “I managed to convince—well frighten the security personnel of the hotel to give me this. It should contain the feeds from the hallway near the artifact room. If Tabitha never went there, the footage will prove it.”
“Good. Now, we’re getting somewhere! Let’s see it,” I say eagerly.
“But there’s a problem,” Luca says before I can celebrate any further.
“Damn it! Of course there is.”
“The files are corrupted. Someone tampered with them before I could finish the transfer. I’ll have to work on repairing them.”
My fists tighten at my sides. “Corrupted? That’s too damn convenient. First someone frames Tabitha, now someone makes sure the only real evidence disappears.”
“You’re putting a lot of weight on footage none of us have even seen yet. What if it doesn’t show what you’re hoping for? What if it proves the opposite—that Tabitha really was there?” Rye raises an eyebrow.
Evren turns to him with a frown. He looks pissed and so am I, but I know Rye doesn’t mean to stir trouble. He’s just genuinely concern. So, I meet his stare head-on.
“No. There’s no doubt in my mind. Tabitha would never do something so reckless, and she sure as hell wouldn’t damage a family artifact. She’s not that petty, and she’s not that stupid.”
Rye slowly nods and clips his mouth shut. Good.
“The hearing is tomorrow morning. Can you get the footage working by then?” Evren asks Luca.
“Yes,” Luca answers. “I’ll work all night if I have to.”
Now, the only thing left to do is to wait for Tabitha to wake up.
We return to the hospital in silence, the weight of tomorrow’s hearing hanging over us like a storm cloud. Jace is perched in his chair beside Tabitha’s bed, arms folded across his chest. He looks up the moment we enter.
“Did we miss anything?” Evren asks.
Jace shakes his head. “Not really. She’s still pretty much the same as when you left.” His eyes flick to Tabitha’s still form, his expression unreadable. “Did you get anywhere in the investigation? You know we can’t face the elders tomorrow empty-handed.”
“Luca’s handling it,” I tell him. “He’s working on repairing the corrupted CCTV footage. That’s the one piece of evidence that can clear her name.”
Jace exhales, leaning back in his chair. “Good. At least we’ve got something.”
The three of us fall silent, watching Tabitha’s chest rise and fall beneath the thin blanket. The steady beep of the monitor fills the room.
“I like it better when she’s running her smart mouth,” I mutter, folding my arms.
“I bet she’d kick her legs and throw a fit if she knew about this stupid hearing tomorrow morning.”
“She just did,” Evren mutters.
Jace and I gawk at him. “What?”
Evren points toward the bed. “She just moved her leg.”
We both snap our eyes to her feet. Sure enough, her toes twitch beneath the blanket. Then her fingers follow, curling slightly as if testing life again.
“Tabitha?” I step forward, my voice sharp with hope.
Jace is already on his feet, leaning over her. “Tabitha, hey, come on, wake up.”
Her eyelids flutter, struggling against the weight of unconsciousness. And then, with a ragged inhale, her eyes crack open.
“She’s awake!” Jace exclaims, his voice breaking with relief.
Tabitha groans and she forces down a swallow. The motion scrapes her parched throat and she flinches at the sting.
“Can one of you geniuses get me water that doesn’t taste like shit?”
She’s back.