Benjamin Gomez studied the letter of forgiveness, reading every single word with intense focus. He wasn't about to let a single detail slip past him.

Still on guard, he sent the document to his lawyer overseas, asking for confirmation that everything was legally sound.

The reply came back in just a few minutes.

Mr. Gomez, you can rest easy. This letter is legally binding. With it, Ms. Austin could have her sentence reduced.

But Benjamin didn't ease up. He messaged Tristan Davis,

Have Rose Ward take the letter to the police station right now. Make sure she records everything, audio and video. No tricks. If I find out you've called the police, I hope you all understand what that means for Emily Blair. Are we clear?

Tristan replied,

We'll cooperate.

He turned to Elizabeth Wilson and gave her a quick look. Elizabeth got the hint right away and immediately called Rose Ward.

Rose didn't waste a second. She grabbed the letter, left with her lawyer, and started recording on her phone as soon as they stepped out the door.

About half an hour later, Rose, her grandmother, and the lawyer arrived at the police station.

They'd been here a lot lately because of Isabella Austin's case. The officers recognized them right away, but it still surprised them to see the group show up so late at night.

What brings you all here? Did you find something new?

Rose kept a polite, reasonable smile on her face, careful not to show any nerves or give the police a reason to suspect anything was off.

She walked over and handed the letter to one of the officers.

This is a letter of forgiveness. My grandmother and I wrote it for Isabella Austin. Please take a look.

The officer took it, eyebrows raised.

A letter of forgiveness? For Isabella Austin?

Rose nodded calmly.

That's right. For Isabella Austin. Can you review it?

The officer had seen plenty of these before. One quick look and he could tell the document was written by the book. The format was right, the language was formal, and it would hold up in court.

Even so, he couldn't hide his surprise.

Just a few days ago, weren't you both insisting on the harshest punishment for Isabella Austin? Why the sudden change? You know with this letter, if the victim and the family forgive her, Isabella can get a reduced sentence, right?

Rose nodded once more.

We know. We want to forgive Isabella Austin. We hope you understand.

The officer looked at Rose's grandmother.

She smiled as well and nodded.

Yes, we want to forgive Isabella Austin. We hope you can process this as soon as possible.

These were seasoned officers. They exchanged glances, picking up on the shift in attitude. Just a few days ago, Rose and her grandmother had beert determined to see Isabella päÿ, as if nothing less than a lifetime in prison would do. sŵnovels

Now, suddenly, they wanted to let her off easier. What could have happened to change their minds so quickly?

And it was the middle of the night, almost three in the morning. If they wanted to forgive Isabella, why not wait until morning? Why rush to the station now?

The officers took a closer look at

Rose and her family. Their clothes seemed neat at first, but there were little signs they'd left in a hurry. Their

bair was messy like they had e

even bothered to brush it before rushing out.