Lizetta looked up at Remington. His gaze was incredibly tender, radiating a profound, grounding strength.

She instinctively leaned deeper into his embrace. This was the first time she had mentally walked through the events of that day since waking up.

"Initially, I had zero intention of going to that dinner. Since returning to the Madden family, I could count on two hands the number of times I've seen Conrad. I just don't like them.

But Andrea insisted my mother had left belongings at Amber Hill Estate. They used that as bait, leaving me no choice but to agree.

On my way, I hailed a cab, but before it arrived, Andrea pulled up.

She relentlessly showed off the sports car Conrad bought her as a hiring gift, spending the entire drive deliberately provoking my anger and jealousy.

Once we got to Amber Hill Estate, she taunted me a few more times. So, to spite them, I demanded Conrad give me the car right then and there."

At the time, Andrea's eyes had turned red as she played the part of the severely wronged victim.

She had even squeezed out a few tears as she handed over the keys.

Thinking back on it now, her acting had been absolutely flawless.

Remington's expression turned even colder. "She baited you into demanding the car step by step. That way, if you died in it, she had the perfect alibi."

"You think Andrea was in on it too, don't you?" Lizetta looked at Remington.

He gently pinched her cheek. "She was definitely involved, but she probably wasn't the mastermind."

"Then who do you think..."

Lizetta obviously had her own suspicions.

She stopped mid-sentence and looked at Jerome, knowing exactly who all of them had in mind.

Eartha Porter Madden.

Given Andrea's reckless and impulsive nature, it was highly unlikely she could have planned something this thorough and cautious.

And Andrea likely didn't have the guts for murder.

"Why were the Porter cousins there?" Jerome asked.

He had interrogated the Porter brothers over the last two days, but they both insisted they were just therefor a casual visit and barely even spoke to Lizetta. .net

"A couple of days prior, Andrea mentioned wanting to introduce me to her cousin, but I brushed it off. When I walked in that day and the brothers just assumed Eartha had orchestrated the whole lunch to set me up with one of her

wh

nephews..."

As Lizetta spoke, the air around her suddenly felt several degrees colder.

"As if they were worthy!" Remington snapped coldly. "They didn't try anything, did they?"

Jerome watched her with intense anxiety as well. Lizetta shook her head.

"No, not exactly. The older Porter cousin kept trying to get handsy, but I cussed him

out every time. With Conrad right there, they didn't dare cross the line.

Later at dinner, that same cousin tried to force me to drink. I got furious, got into a screaming match with Conrad, and flipped the table Earthe got hurt in the chaos Conrad was so angry he ordered the staff to physically block me from leaving, but Eartha played peacemaker and talked him down..."

At that point, Remington and Jerome exchanged a loaded look.

Clearly, Eartha's level of suspicion had just skyrocketed for both of them.

"Eartha invited her nephews over because she knew you'd have your guard up around her and Andrea.

With the brothers there acting terribly, all your defensive energy was spent fending them off, making you drop your guard against everything else."

Remington's voice was dark. Eartha was a terrifying master of psychological manipulation.

She had set up the perfect smokescreen. No wonder Lizetta had been entirely defenseless when the real killing blow came.

Hearing Remington lay it out made Lizetta's blood run cold.

She remembered injuring Eartha when she stormed out. Looking back on it now...

Eartha had likely let herself get hurt on purpose to play the victim, making Lizetta feel arrogant and drop her guard entirely.

That woman was truly terrifying.

Remington had previously looked into the Madden family's background, since it was Lizetta's family.