Chapter 1592:
Elena remained composed, her tone steady.
“Mr. Stanley, if I had ever intended to harm Mrs. Stanley, she would have died long before today.”
“Stop trying to weasel out of this!” Lyla spat.
“If not you, then who?”
Elena’s lips curved faintly.
“Good question. Who is really responsible? Knowing that Mrs. Stanley’s collapse would point directly to me, do you honestly think I’d do it right under your nose?”
“Maybe you thought hiding in plain sight was clever!” Lyla shot back.
“You think that flimsy excuse will work?”
Lyla was determined to make the accusation stick—stupid enough to assume everyone else shared her lack of wit.
Lucian watched Elena in silence, allowing her to continue.
“Mr. Stanley,” Elena said evenly, “someone orchestrated this to frame me. If I’m judged guilty, who stands to gain the most?”
As she spoke, her gaze drifted deliberately toward Lyla.
Lucian’s eyes followed—landing squarely on Lyla.
Under the weight of their combined scrutiny, Lyla faltered.
“W-why are you both staring at me like that? You think I’d poison my own mother?”
Elena lifted a brow.
“If you’re innocent, why is your voice trembling?”
Lyla’s voice rose.
“What trembling? Elena, you really think anyone’s going to buy your lies?”
Elena stood with her hands tucked into her pockets, her gaze fixed on Lyla.
“Whether they believe me or not, you’ll find out soon enough.”
𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞: 𝕘ⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝕖𝗅𝕤⫶ⅽ𝗼𝗺
Elena produced a purchase list without warning.
“Miss Stanley, I suspect you’ll recognize this.”
Lyla’s frown deepened. What was Elena playing at?
Elena handed the document to Lucian.
“Evidence that Miss Stanley acquired Heart-Stiller on the black market. Heart-Stiller is lethally toxic. Once ingested, it induces a false death—breathing halts, and the heart stops beating. The victim may revive after twelve hours, but the cardiac arrest leaves permanent damage. Residual toxins then corrode the organs slowly, guaranteeing a prolonged, agonizing death.”
Her gaze fixed on Lyla.
“Mrs. Stanley’s current symptoms match the effects of Heart-Stiller precisely. Miss Stanley, what reason did you have for purchasing Heart-Stiller?”
Lyla’s voice shot up.
“That’s a lie! I never bought anything like that.”
Lucian lowered his gaze to the list, saying nothing.
Panic flared in Lyla’s chest. She rushed forward.
“I swear I didn’t! That’s a forgery—she made it up to destroy me! Dad, I would never poison Mom. She’s been nothing but kind to me. You have to believe me! Would you trust some stranger over your own daughter and actually think I poisoned my mom? I swear it wasn’t—”
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