Chapter 357 James Is Innocent

Chapter 357 James Is Innocent
Robert’s account left James silent. For a moment, he didn’t speak. Then, calmly, he said, “Robert, no wonder you hate me so much. But I swear, I remember clearly—I never went to the bamboo grove that night.”
“Don’t even try to explain,” Robert snapped. “At this point, nothing you say matters to me. I only believe what I heard. Still going to deny it, James? What’s the point?”
James didn’t rush. “What you hear isn’t always true. What you see is what’s real. You say you heard my voice—but did you see my face that night? Are you absolutely certain it was me?”
Robert’s sneer was laced with venom. “I don’t need to see your face. Your voice was enough. And tell me—who else knew I sent you that message and asked to meet? You think you can twist the facts and walk away clean?”
James let him vent. He didn’t interrupt. Only when Robert finally quieted did he speak again.
“I get it. You think there are two key pieces of evidence: one, you heard my voice. Two, the message was sent only to me, so only I could’ve known. But what if I can prove both of those points are flawed? Would you give me a chance to help you find the real person who hurt you?”
Robert narrowed his eyes. He didn’t say anything at first, but his clenched jaw showed he was listening. After a long pause, he said stiffly, “Fine. Give me a reason. But if it’s not convincing, I’ll make sure you regret ever being born.”
James nodded. “Let’s start with the voice. Do you remember a club called Heavenly Voices from our university days?”
That name hit a nerve. Robert’s expression shifted slightly.
Heavenly Voices had been a well-known performance club at their college, famous for its voice actors. Members could mimic animals, impersonate celebrities—even switch seamlessly between male and female voices.
Robert muttered, “Of course I remember. They were incredible. Especially Jenny. She could imitate anyone. I still remember her pretending to be your girlfriend on stage. Her voice acting was unreal. She could even mimic birds—wait…”
He froze mid-sentence. His eyes narrowed.
“You’re saying… the voice I heard that night—wasn’t you?”
James gave a reluctant nod. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Someone imitated my voice. I had no idea this happened to you until recently. But if someone wanted to trick you, all they had to do was get one of the club’s members to fake my voice. And they clearly didn’t let you see their face—why do you think that is?”
Robert looked stunned. But only for a moment.
“What about the text?” he barked. “The message I sent! Are you saying someone else read it and responded?”
James didn’t blink. “Let’s talk about that. Do you remember the exact day you sent the message?”
Robert snorted. “Of course I do. It was my birthday. That wasn’t intentional—I just happened to be free that afternoon. Don’t tell me you forgot.”
James paused, brows furrowed—then suddenly laughed in disbelief, as if something had just clicked.
“Robert… that actually makes things clearer. That afternoon, I was playing basketball with David and the guys the entire time. Afterward, we showered and went back to the dorm. I checked my phone, and there was nothing from you. Not a single message. And I remember it was your birthday—David and I even planned to celebrate with you. But we couldn’t find you. You vanished.”
Robert’s jaw tightened. “Anyone can say that. You expect me to believe David? Michael? They’d lie for you without hesitation.”
James shrugged. “I get it. You don’t trust my friends. But what if I can prove I wasn’t out after 10 p.m. that night?”
Robert’s voice was icy. “If you can actually prove it—then yes, I’ll believe the voice wasn’t yours.”
“Good.” James met his gaze. “After you disappeared that day, we were worried. By ten o’clock, the dorms were about to lock down, so we reported you missing to the school. The staff took it seriously—called the police, even. The officers came to take our statements. David and I stayed with them until dawn. If you go to the station and check the records from that night—or talk to the officers who were there—you’ll find out I’m not lying.”
Robert didn’t respond right away.
He sat frozen. Something had shifted behind his eyes. His mind was trying to resist, but the logic was solid. James couldn’t have forged all that after the fact—he couldn’t have anticipated this conversation, faked police reports, planted memories in his friends, and covered it all perfectly for years.
The truth was dawning.
And Robert hated it.
He looked at James—expression blank, body stiff.
Seeing him like that made James uncomfortable. The pain Will had suffered couldn’t be undone. And even if he hadn’t been the one who caused it, James knew his hands weren’t entirely clean.
But there wasn’t time for guilt. The hospital was probably in chaos by now. If he didn’t check in soon, his family would panic.
“Robert,” he said softly. “Do you still think I’m lying?”
Robert looked up, voice hollow. “I’ll investigate myself. I still want revenge. But I won’t punish the wrong man. If you die, fine—but if the real monster goes free, that’s something I can’t accept.”
James exhaled, shoulders finally easing. “Good. That’s all I wanted to hear. Now… can I call my family? You dragged me here without a word—they’re probably going insane right now.”