Chapter 26

I don't know what exactly Katherine had done wrong, but she didn't feel like sharing any of this information beforehand. Because she also did not know how all this could happen while they also did not know what the formula of the building she was working on was.

Katherine had never shared this with anyone, and she had never even discussed the work in front of Elano because she was a little suspicious of him. But today the police team came and investigated the evidence, witnesses and what was needed in the case until they found a file transaction made between Katherine's email and a slightly strange email and that email but when they had to at all.

"You clearly shared the results of your investigation but still said no. We trusted you all along but you lied to our husbands and got us into this kind of trouble and warned by the government. Our pride and good name as a Professor was ruined because of that and you won't be able to make up for it in a lifetime!"

Katherine quickly shook her head unwilling to admit that it was her fault. "I have absolutely no cooperation with Elano. I don't even know if he had any intentions of joining our organization. Weren't you the ones who gave him permission and approval to be able to stay and conduct experiments or research together? Why are you blaming me now when I don't know anything?"

"Tsk, how can you not know anything when you know the most about what you're doing." One of the professors hit the table with an angry face. "Don't fool us by saying that you didn't know him from the start! You even knew him better than we did because you met him better than we did and he even played at your house. Isn't it because of your cooperation? Do you still think you'd be considered a betrayed victim and have your communication devices and laptop hacked? You're so cunning that you don't know you're so evil!"

Katherine was silent with her breathing irregular. She really didn't share anything with Elano and if she worked, she never showed him her laptop either. It was a project that she completed in 20 days without regular sleep and of course she was like a human robot.

"Just lock her up, if you wait for her to confess it will only waste years here arguing. We have witnessed enough that she is one of the country's traitors who has misused the budget given by the government. She used it for personal gain and opened a business in the dark and pretended not to know anything while she would receive the proceeds from the 5000$ that people would buy about the house they worked so hard for.

"Evidently now the file is empty and can no longer be accessed, before she was very eager to explain about how the room and building works but there is no showing us the formula and also the points that can be used to build a house in disaster according to her discussion when she was doing the presentation. This girl was obviously playing a trick on us and made us wait patiently but she ended up taking everything for personal gain and sharing it with others!"

Katherine was silent with a weak face because she really didn't expect this to happen. Moreover, the police had no time and no words to argue, all the professors testified and more than two people were enough. Other evidence was confiscated such as cell phones, laptops and some journals Katherine had created to discuss the project.

She was handcuffed and put into a cell, until she sat down limply and was still confused by everything. How could Elano take away the project she had worked so hard on and make it his own with a patent?

Was it Katherine's stupidity again that she was too soft and forgiving yesterday? Clearly this man had a life of mystery and she had no idea of his nature. She didn't know how Elano really was, the man she thought was sincere and kind, she had misunderstood and mistakenly thought of him as a great man.

In the cell, Katherine cried alone in despair because she didn't know what to do. She who intended to help the society to be better for the events and disasters that happened a few years ago and killed her father, is now getting slander directed at her about the betrayal she committed when there was nothing at all.

She was sure that soon her mother would come, would definitely ask her what had happened? After all that what could Katherine say if her colleagues did not believe her.

***

Sonya ran up and down the hallway of the police station and pleaded with some of the highest ranking police officers there. Her tear-stained face looked impatient as she was led to her daughter's cell.

"Katherine..."

Katherine turned around, finding her mother who had come to make her smile even though her tears fell seeing her mother crying.

"Why is it like this? Why are you being accused of all this? Why did Elano become like this?"

Katherine smiled softly and took her mother's hand to hold. "I won't be able to get out of here because no one will testify against me. Even my coworkers have abandoned me, they say that I'm a traitor. I'll likely be in prison forever because you know how our country is when it comes to prosecuting people. I've been accused of being a traitor to the country and using the budget to build the anti-disaster building wrongly and for personal gain. I don't know where to look for justification because I can't do anything. I can't ask for help, Mom won't be able to help me either," she said making Sonya sob.

"You really gave that formula to Elano?"

Katherine shook her head, she looked at her mother's face and sighed. "From the beginning until now I don't know what he meant by coming and approaching me like that. I was angry with him when he just kept quiet and didn't say that he wanted to join our organization, he immediately tried hard to persuade me and win my heart again. He came to the house several times, hanging out with me who was holding my laptop while he talked.

"I don't know who took my portrait and used it as proof that he and I had a relationship. I don't know who has brought you down like this but Mom was never involved at all so don't ever come here. I still have a secret savings account that I keep under my book and there's enough money there for you to live and go somewhere else. You can't get involved, you don't understand science and technology so you'll easily escape and get out of this city."

Sonya sobbed harder, her daughter looked desperate and so did she because they knew how blind the law in their country could be. About her husband it was common here but they wouldn't accept something that was just a small amount of money. Elano, who owned a company and a lot of wealth, could certainly give out a lot of bribes, could control the law as he pleased and it made Sonya feel guilty for accepting the man's presence in their home.

"I should have kicked him out when he came, I shouldn't have opened myself up to so many people like I have been. But because he seemed nice at first, especially when you came that day and took him to eat after he was helped, there was no gap that made me hate him. But who would have guessed that she even had bad intentions? His behavior has been very good in front of us for the past few days and it shows that he is actually very good at playing."

Katherine sighed and grasped her mother's hand tightly. "Mother should go for a better life and not be bothered by me. He would never come here because he wouldn't know, even if he did he wouldn't care because he only thinks of me as someone he can use. I feel like a failure when I'm really a failure, failing to maintain the achievements and works that should belong to me but have to belong to someone else.

"After this if I get a long sentence then I'll spend time in prison bored but that's okay. I will enjoy this situation, until the time comes when I will be free, although I can't say that it will happen yet. When I'm free, I'd rather live alone in a quiet place. Looking for Mom will only bring disrepute to your name because you have a daughter who is an ex-convict. After this, I hope that you can live in peace and not get any disturbances from people who will bother us."

Sonya sobbed on the spot, realizing that they were poor and that it was easy for the rich to bring them down.

She also didn't know how she could save her daughter when she knew nothing and had nothing. The charges not being dropped would only be the biggest obstacle to Katherine's innocence. That was something that was impossible since it had been over two days since Elano had even attempted to contact her.

Katherine watched her mother's departure saying nothing more, hello b wiped her tears and leaned against the wall feeling disoriented. But she was relieved that her mother was not involved in this affair as she had never seen her at all. She looked lethargic all day, no longer the same as Katherine used to be because now she was among the least able to face and do anything.

"I hope there won't be any new drama this time and cause my mother to be dragged in as well. It feels very sad to be here alone but that doesn't mean I want my mom's company. Waiting a few more years maybe I will be able to get out but after that where will I go? I'm so tired, I won't get anywhere and people won't want to let me out. Hopefully mom isn't doing anything negative out there and will only endanger her life."

Katherine hugged herself, her brain was so stuck that she didn't know what to bring up but to deny her innocence. She could only hope that there would still be time to sleep because I have been very difficult for her not sleeping these past few days.

"What is it again? People don't believe that I wasn't involved at all. They just believe and benefit from being able to get double profits from the sale of the patent."

Night came, Katherine was still here and the process was still ongoing. She didn't know where she would be dumped after this.

It felt like she was processed and brought here so it was better to just do it soon to make her feel better.