Chapter 369
His heart felt as though it had been ripped in half.
Debating evidence, verifying authenticity, and analyzing audio were supposed to be his professional instincts.
His expertise and rationality clearly told him the truth.
If the video were fake, even if Sienna had a hundred times the courage, she would absolutely never dare to bring it out on such a public platform.
Let alone with Thea Stanton present.
Any evidence Sienna found had definitely been vetted by her.
Yet the deep-rooted perception he had held of Celeste for years, along with the fragile obedience he had witnessed with his own eyes, bound him tightly.
He could accept that Celeste was vain, pretentious, spoiled, and prone to throwing little tantrums.
He could also accept her lying about a fake limp and using it to play the victim.
But instinctively, from the bottom of his heart, he could not believe it.
He couldn’t believe that the little girl who had sacrificed herself to save him in a desperate situation, seemingly frail and timid yet possessing a strong inner core, could be this deeply manipulative.
Exploiting legal loopholes like it was a daily routine, and instigating crimes without a trace.
Deliberately fabricating charges for a personal grudge, just to destroy the life of an innocent public official.
Jarred’s entire body was rigid, the depths of his profound eyes fractured by countless emotions, leaving only a chilling, bone-piercing coldness.
Thea maintained a calm expression as she glanced at the crowd in the room, her voice ringing out coldly: “No matter how biased you all are, the law only recognizes evidence.
The video evidence I just showed everyone has already been submitted on behalf of my client to the forensics department and the voiceprint analysis center in advance.
The audio waves are entirely raw, unedited, and without any post-processing whatsoever.
It is a legal, valid piece of ironclad evidence that can directly convict.
It is not something you can just overturn by claiming my client forged it p>
Thea’s voice was stern, leaving no room for argument.
The air pressure around Jarred plummeted as his brows furrowed tightly.
He suddenly took a step closer to Sienna, using his height advantage to look down at her.
“If the evidence is forged, false accusation is a criminal offense, and prison time is inevitable,” he said in a deep voice, the profound depths of his eyes carrying an undeniable scrutiny
“If it really comes down to it, I have ways to make sure you get the maximum sentence p>
Sienna let out a light laugh, standing perfectly straight, her eyes completely open and fearless, not intimidated by him in the slightest.
“Rather than racking your brain over how to maximize our sentence, you’d be better off investigating yourself.
Be careful that sheltering a criminal doesn’t drag down your own career; you should worry about whether you’re going to step into the net of the law first p>
Jarred’s expression was indifferent, his deep gaze locked tightly onto Sienna’s delicate face.
It was as if he wanted to find a trace of panic in those clear eyes.
However, there was none.
But this probing remark of his seemed to set the tone for the entire incident—he suspected Sienna.
Instantly, the crowd acted as if they had found their backbone.
The matriarch was the first to stand up. “Exactly! Give her the maximum sentence! To come up with such twisted ideas just to frame. Celeste, she deserves to be thrown in jail p>
Helena followed right after, putting. her hands on her hips as she echoed sharply, “We will absolutely not let this slide we will definitely call the police and have you locked up p>
Gideon and Lucas also stood in front of Celeste, looking as if they were determined to protect her.
Seeing so many people backing her up, Celeste knew she had won.
She immediately seized the moment, curling herself up and sobbing with her head down.
“Grandma, Helena… I knew that all my years of sincerity wouldn’t be in vain. You are always the ones who love me the most p>
Celeste’s perfectly timed frailty instantly tugged at the heartstrings of everyone in the room.
The matriarch and Helena rushed forward to hug her.
Watching her put on this hypocritical act, Sienna couldn’t help but scoff softly, “Save your tears, you’ll have plenty to cry about later p>
Celeste froze, raising her head in confusion.