It was impressive that Lilah had somehow retrieved the damning weapon.

As the implications of her discovery settled over Tess, her eyelids twitched involuntarily, betraying the turmoil swirling within her.

The fans and reporters pressed closer, their curiosity piqued. "Could that be the same knife Effie used on Tess?"

“Why did she bring it?"

"I don't know, but there's certainly more to this than meets the eye."

Lilah fixed her gaze on Tess, her tone measured as she explained, “Whoever handled this knife would inevitably leave behind their fingerprints. And fingerprints are immutable evidence that cannot be fabricated."

At Lilah's revelation, a sudden pallor washed over Tess' face, her eyes darting nervously.

Fingerprints!

Certainly, Lilah could have checked the fingerprints on the knife.

While Tess squirmed with unease, Lilah deftly produced the knife's testing report and held it up for everyone to see. "Take a look, this report contains the fingerprints found on the knife."

Upon hearing Lilah's claim, the fans were compelled to inspect the evidence for themselves. As they scrutinized the report, their disbelief grew palpable, and their astonishment was evident at the sight of Tess‘ fingerprints etched unmistakably onto the document.

“How is this possible? Had Tess touched this knife before?"

"Is this some sort of setup?"

"The authenticity of the fingerprint record can't be doubted."

As murmurs of confusion swirled around her, Tess felt a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach. Struggling to maintain her composure, she managed to speak up. "Even if my prints are on the knife, it doesn't absolve Effie of suspicion completely."

Undeterred, Lilah proceeded to dissect the situation with a cool demeanor...

"This knife was initially stored in a prop box backstage. Besides picking it up at the scene, Effie never touched it before the shoot."

Tess persisted, her voice edged with defiance. “How can you be certain she didn't handle it before the shoot?"

Lilah's tone remained steady as she delivered her response. "Because she was with me the entire time, and there was no opportunity for her to replace the prop knife with a real one."

Tess' expression darkened, her hands clenching involuntarily.

Calmly, Lilah continued, “Furthermore, before the shoot commenced, you disappeared for a period and returned later. I suspect you paid a visit to the prop room during that period."

"I never set foot in the prop room," Tess adamantly denied, her expression darkening with stubbornness.

She remained convinced that as long as she refused to confess, Lilah's accusations would amount to nothing. She found solace in the knowledge that the surveillance footage had been tampered with, rendering any potential evidence inconsequential.

Lilah's smile remained steady, unperturbed by her protestations. "Yet your fingerprints tell a different story."