Chapter 540
Luna rolled her eyes dramatically, her tone dripping with mockery and disdain.
“What an eye-opener. Treating a piece of trash like a prized treasure, guarding her like she’s something special.
She’s the only one feeling good about herself. My Sienna is far too classy to care about a clueless scumbag like him p>
Thea, holding a paper cup, smiled and chimed in, “An expired scumbag, at that p>
The two bounced off each other, completely ignoring the darkened expressions of the group opposite them.
Sienna stayed silent, her eyes meeting Jarred’s.
He was looking at her, his gaze holding something veiled—words he seemed desperate to say but couldn’t. For a moment, she couldn’t decipher what it was.
Their eyes locked in the space between them for a singular second.
Jarred looked away, turning to Captain Rhodes. “Captain, she’s here. Traffic held us up p>
Captain Rhodes cleared his throat. “It’s fine, you’re here now. Shall we get started p>
With that, he signaled an officer to follow protocol and escort Celeste into a private interrogation room for her statement.
Unexpectedly, Celeste spoke up, playing the picture of innocent victimization. “Officer, there’s no need to interrogate me in private p>
She lifted her gaze, letting it wash unapologetically over Sienna.
Her fearless demeanor made it look as though Sienna were the one unjustly framing her.
“I know Ms. Sloan has a misunderstanding about me, and I’m well aware she views me as a thorn in her side.
But a clear conscience fears no shadows. Every word I say will hold up against any scrutiny. There is no need to hide, and certainly no need to avoid anyone.
Since everyone is present today, I will explain myself publicly to prove my innocence once and for all p>
Captain Rhodes looked troubled. “Ms. Carlyle, are you sure? We’re only trying to protect your privacy and p>
“I have no privacy to protect,” Celeste cut him off smoothly. “I am completely innocent, and I don’t fear being questioned by anyone p>
Seeing her so open and proactive, devoid of any guilty deflection, Captain Rhodes nodded in agreement.
“Alright, we’ll do this openly. The clerk will record everything, and if there are objections, you can raise them on the spot.
The group gathered around the conference area.
Celeste was wheeled to the far end of the table.
She sat upright, her hands folded neatly on the tabletop, looking entirely unruffled.
Captain Rhodes flipped through the file in front of him. “Ms. Carlyle, let’s start with the evidence we currently hold.
We have footage showing you frequently visiting a high-end rehabilitation hospital over the past three months.
The figure, facial features, and posture of the person on tape strongly match yours, and p>
Celeste didn’t wait for him to finish: before offering a soft smile. “Captain Rhodes, there are countless people with similar builds and features. out there.
Doppelgängers exist in this world, let alone people who merely look highly identical.
If a blurry piece of security footage, is enough to close a case, how many innocent people would be wrongly convicted across the country p>
Captain Rhodes paused, flipping to the next page. “Then how do you explain this handwriting analysis p>
Celeste maintained her smile. “A signature is only a few letters. How high can the similarity truly be?
If I signed with my left hand, or deliberately skewed a few strokes, it would look completely different from my past writing.
A person’s handwriting naturally evolves over different periods, and the time gap alone is enough to account for changes p>
As she spoke, she pulled a brand new notebook from beside her and slid it forward.
“This is my latest diary. If you don’t believe me, you can take it to the forensics lab for a new comparison.
Use my current handwriting as the benchmark. Once you see it, you’ll know it doesn’t match the old records at all p>
Captain Rhodes took the notebook and flipped through a few pages.
The others instinctively looked over, and the truth was immediately obvious.