There was speculation about Effie's capacity to commit such a cruel act. If proven true, it would demonstrate her heartlessness.

Seething at the unfounded accusation directed at her, Effie struggled to find her voice. Fortunately, before things escalated, Lilah spoke up. “If your deductions were gospel, Karol, you'd make a stellar detective. Perhaps it's time to trade the mentor's chair for a spot in the police station."

Lilah's sarcasm left Karol disconcerted and embarrassed, her eyes clouded with disdain. Undeterred, she fired back, "I merely analyzed the situation. Effie's the prime suspect with a motive, and I will unearth the evidence."

She turned to Krista and asked, "What did you ingest before the contest?"

With tears in her eyes, Krista thought momentarily, and then typed on her phone. "Some fruit slices and a glass of water."

"ALL supplied by the organizer?" Karol asked after glancing at the message.

Krista affirmed with a nod, her confusion deepening. The same waitress she had bribed had delivered the items. It seemed implausible that the waitress could have harmed her instead.

Convinced of foul play, Karol wasted no time and instructed the staff to test the water and fruit.

The test results were soon revealed, indicating the presence of a drug in the water.

The implicated waitress was seized immediately.

She knelt, trembling under everyone's gaze, consumed with fear. Her initial plan was to escape abroad, but she was abruptly stopped at the airport.

Looking at the quivering waitress, Karol's demeanor turned menacing as she demanded, "Tell us all. Who's the mastermind behind this?"

Krista could only stare mutely at the waitress, perplexed by the unexpected turn of events.

She remained unable to comprehend what had transpired. Despite having bribed the waitress to help her, she was poisoned instead.

“I swear, Miss, I don't know. The water is just the hotel's mineral water," the waitress pleaded, on the verge of tears.

With a sardonic glance at Effie and Lilah, Karol proposed, “Let's settle this with the surveillance footage. We'll see what the waitress did after getting the water. The punishment will likely be reduced if the perpetrator owns up now and confesses.”

Effie's temper flared as Karol continued to antagonize her. Unable to contain her anger, she lashed out, “Maybe someone should shut their mouth until the truth is uncovered. Or they might make a fool of themselves in front of everyone."

Karol dismissed Effie's words with a contemptuous snort, deeming her shameless.

She was confident that once the surveillance video was viewed, neither Effie nor Lilah could defend themselves. It would serve as damning evidence against them.

As the drama continued to unfold around her, Krista was lost in thought, trying to make sense of how she had ended up being poisoned.

The symptoms she experienced were similar to those caused by the drug she had given the waitress, leading her to question whether the waitress had made a mistake.

Even if Effie had orchestrated a plot against her, Krista questioned whether it was plausible for Effie to have selected the exact same drug.

Furthermore, Effie was self-assured and had consistently denied any involvement. She didn't appear like someone who had just drugged someone.

As Krista continued to reflect on the situation, she became increasingly convinced that the waitress had made a mistake and given the spiked water to her.