Chapter 570
Celeste Carlyle stood in the center of the room, her slender shoulders trembling as if stripped of all their strength.
Her wet lashes clung to her eyelids, and tears streamed relentlessly down her luminous face.
She bit down hard on her lower lip, staring at Captain Rhodes with wide, disbelieving eyes, playing the part of a devastated woman to perfection.
Captain Rhodes snapped his notepad shut.
Watching her pure, innocent display, a pang of sympathy tugged at his chest.
His gaze softened with the natural compassion a seasoned detective reserved for victims.
“Ms. Carlyle, I know this outcome is incredibly difficult for both of you to swallow.
But we have to be absolutely clear. This entire operation, from start to finish, was a highly organized and meticulously calculated fraud syndicate.
This isn’t a misunderstanding. You and Mrs. Sterling were conned p>
Fresh sobs echoed through the lavish living room.
Helena Sterling sat collapsed on the expensive rug, one hand white-knuckling the fake yellow diamond bracelet.
Her other hand rested on the armrest of Celeste’s wheelchair, both of their shoulders shaking in unison.
Captain Rhodes took a slow breath, flipping to the final pages of his notepad as he lowered his voice.
“The suspect, Tristan Devereux, is a core operative for The Global Grift Syndicate.
This syndicate has operated overseas for years, establishing a sophisticated and flawless black-market supply chain. Their methods are incredibly discreet and precise.
Tristan’s main objective was to forge the identities of top-tier billionaire heirs, infiltrating elite social circles both domestically and abroad.
He specifically targeted wealthy, young heiresses and rich wives within these exclusive rings p>
Captain Rhodes laid out the full scope of the crime. “He would start by playing the gentle, attentive partner to gain absolute trust.
Then, he leveraged their personal networks to branch out, reeling even more wealthy elites into the trap.
Their signature move was using ultra-high-quality counterfeit jewelry and rare, one-of-a-kind collectibles as bait.
Operating through private, invite-only auctions, they convinced buyers to trade authentic jewels of equal value.
They threw in complimentary professional maintenance and secure vault storage to sweeten the deal.
By offering massive returns on leasing these pieces out, they easily tricked victims into handing over their genuine jewelry for the syndicate to ‘manage p>
Helena’s grip on Celeste’s fingers tightened painfully.
“Their forgery techniques are world-class, completely indistinguishable from the real thing to the naked eye.
The second an authentic piece hit their vault, it was secretly swapped out for a fake.
The real gems were immediately funneled through underground channels and distributed worldwide, the dirty money laundered seamlessly.
This syndicate has been running. these international cons for years. The number of wealthy victims is staggering, and the financial damages an essentially incalculable p>
Hearing all this, the final shreds of Helena’s denial shattered.
She slumped entirely, her posture defeated.
Her breathing was heavy and broken, as if someone had violently hollowed out her chest.
The Sterling matriarch sat silently in her armchair, her grip on an empty jewelry box so tight the velvet was warping.
She didn’t utter a single word, but the heavy silence spoke volumes.
Having detailed the case, Captain Rhodes turned his attention back to the tearful Celeste.
“Ms. Carlyle, our investigation shows you had been dating Tristan for some time.
And you repeatedly introduced him to your influential friends, providing him with a vast network of targets. Is this true p>
Celeste’s body violently jerked, her: head dropping low. Her long hair cascaded forward, hiding most of her face and leaving only her pale fragile jawline visible.
She choked back a sob, nodding weakly as her cries grew more pitiful. “I’m so sorry, I truly had no idea… that he was a monster.
It’s my fault… I was blind. He ruined my life too p>
Captain Rhodes let out a soft sigh, his tone brimming with pity. “Ms. Carlyle, you don’t need to blame yourself.