Chapter 882
Whispers filled the room, everyone expressing shock and doubt.
It was clear that most people believed Lillian's story over Kenneth's.
After all, the Lawson family had gone to great lengths; it would be foolish not to see what was really happening.
Kenneth had just gone through a trial and now faced public humiliation again.
His face twisted with anger, and he shouted.
"Lillian, you can't accuse me like this! You took that car from Anouk by force, and the brake failure was just an accident. How can you suspect me? You're my only daughter; why would he do something so awful to you?"
Lillian smiled and nodded, "If it wasn't you, then it must have been your wife, right? Maybe I was switched at birth, and that was her doing too?"
Kenneth was stunned. Now, everyone's eyes turned to Ruby.
Hearing this, they thought deeper and felt even more uneasy.
Ruby's vision darkened. She had a good reputation in Seaspring Valley City.
Ever since she donated a kidney to Ophelia, everyone had praised her for her kindness and loyalty.
Although there were some rumors after she married Kenneth, she had always been very loving towards Anouk and never had children of her own, which helped restore her reputation over the years.
She had always basked in praise, even believing herself to be a gentle and kind person because of it.
But now, it felt like the facade she maintained was being ripped away, exposing something ugly and terrifying underneath, making Ruby tremble.
She swayed, her voice suddenly sharp.
"I didn't do it! Lillian, I know you never liked me as your stepmother, but you can't just make baseless accusations!"
Kenneth hurriedly supported Ruby, shouting, "Quick, call a doctor!"Ruby leaned against him, looking like she was about to faint.
Kenneth glared at Lillian with pain in his eyes, "Lillian, do you know that after Ruby donated a kidney to your mother, her health has been poor? Last year, her remaining kidney started to fail, and her condition has become very serious! She even gave up having her own children to take care of your mother's child."
"Even if you were switched at birth, your aunt didn't know. She has been loving you all these years."
"Even if you don't like her, you should at least show her some respect."
"If you can't even do that, for your mother's sake, you shouldn't slander her like this. You're repaying kindness with cruelty!"
"Dad knows you've had a tough time outside, and your personality has become extreme, but you..."
Before Kenneth could finish, Jackson interrupted him.
"Hold on, I don't like what I'm hearing. Lillian was raised by my grandmother. Her character is gentle, humble, serene, kind, elegant, and innocent..."
Lillian listened to Jackson beside her, rattling off a string of compliments.
It seemed like if no one interrupted him, he could go on forever, piling up a basket of virtues on her.
In front of so many people, she couldn't take it.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned to glare at Jackson.
Jackson finally paused, continuing, "Anyway, Lillian's character is impeccable. Everyone in Miracalia knows her conduct, and there's no trace of extremism! You claim to love your only daughter, yet you belittle and slander her. Isn't that you?"
Since entering, Jackson had remained silent, not expressing any opinions.
After all, this was an internal dispute within the Kelly Group.
Although many had recognized him, they were only guessing his reason for being there.
But now, hearing that Lillian was raised by Lyra of the Frane family, everyone was stunned.
"Wasn't Ms. Kelly supposed to have suffered a lot outside? How was she raised by the Frane family?"
"The Frane family in Miracalia is even more established and wealthy than the Kelly family. How is that suffering?"
"So Ms. Kelly has such a connection with the Frane family."
"Raised by Lyra, her character must be impeccable. How could she falsely accuse her biological father?"
Kenneth and Ruby listened to these discussions, feeling even more anxious and panicked.
Especially Ruby, who had been pretending to faint, now didn't dare to.
She was tearful and weakly argued, "Mr. Frane, if you have no evidence, please don't jump to conclusions. You arrested Anouk out of spite, interrogated her for a day and night without evidence, and released her without charges. Dissatisfied, you kidnapped Anouk, and now her fate is unknown. Isn't that enough?"
Ruby was telling everyone that the police had already intervened, but there was no evidence; it was purely an accident. And Jackson was unreasonable, acting on his whims and ignoring the law. His words were not credible.
Kenneth patted Ruby's shoulder reassuringly and nodded.
"Lillian, how many times does Ruby have to explain before you believe her? Do you not trust the police investigation? You're breaking Dad's heart."
Lillian scoffed, "Keep acting. Are you really fooled, or are you pretending not to see? Do you truly believe her story, that she has nothing to do with this?"
Lillian stared at Kenneth, though she had long lost any expectations for him.
But he was her biological father, and before returning to the Kelly family, she had hoped to see him.
But she almost died in the cold lake, and Kenneth didn't even suspect, firmly standing by the culprit's side. Lillian felt deeply disappointed.
Kenneth looked ashamed and angry, "Lillian! Accusing someone of trying to kill you requires evidence! Otherwise, it's slander, and Ruby could sue you for defamation. She hasn't done so because she loves and tolerates you. Don't be ungrateful!"
Kenneth raised his hand to point at Lillian, but Jackson grabbed his wrist firmly.
Jackson's fingers tightened slightly, and Kenneth's hand bent downward in a strange position.
Kenneth's face turned pale with pain, staring at Jackson in disbelief. He was Lillian's biological father, and Jackson dared to lay hands on him?
Jackson met Kenneth's shocked gaze, curling one side of his lips coldly.
"I don't like anyone pointing at her, no matter who they are."
With that, Jackson released Kenneth's hand.
Kenneth gasped in pain, feeling utterly humiliated today.
Just as his face turned sour, Jackson's amused voice rang out again.
"But there's one thing I do agree with you on."
Kenneth was momentarily confused, trying to recall what he had said earlier.
He couldn't figure out which part Jackson was agreeing with.
He thought, regardless, he was Lillian's biological father, and Jackson probably realized he was wrong to act against an elder and was giving him a way out.
So he cleared his throat, adjusted his suit jacket, and said, "What I said, naturally, makes sense..."
Jackson's face showed mockery as he interrupted Kenneth's self-righteous speech.
"You said we should call the police, rely on evidence, and trust the police investigation. I think those points are very correct."
Kenneth was stunned again. What did that mean?
He had said something like that earlier, but why was Jackson emphasizing it now?
Suddenly, Kenneth had a very bad feeling.
Almost as if on cue, heavy footsteps echoed from outside.
Jackson raised an eyebrow and supported Oberon.
"Mr. Kelly, things might get chaotic soon. Don't let it disturb you and Mrs. Kelly. Lillian, help your grandparents to sit over there."
Lillian nodded and guided Oberon and Flora to seats by the window.
The Lawson family's expressions were far from relaxed. Ronan signaled Marcella and Tobias, indicating that Tobias should check what was happening.
But before Tobias could move, the chaotic footsteps from the hallway approached.
Leading the way were two uniformed police officers, followed by several plainclothes officers.
Behind them were reporters from various well-known media outlets in Seaspring Valley City, carrying cameras and looking excited.
Clearly, as media professionals, they sensed a major news story.
"Why are the police here?"
"What's going on? Could our earlier speculations be true?"
"Who are they here to arrest? Is the Lawson family all going to jail?"
Amid the discussions, the Lawson family's faces turned pale, as if they were all headed to the crematorium.
Each of them felt anxious, fearing the police were coming for them.
Ruby's hands were icy cold, and she clung tightly to Kenneth's hand to stay upright.
She gritted her teeth and looked at Jackson, trying to read his expression.
Jackson, unusually kind, gave her a meaningful smile.
Ruby's face froze, her muscles twitching.
She lowered her head, clenched her hands, and silently prayed. But the next moment, a pair of uniformed legs entered her view and stopped in front of her.
"Ruby, right?"
Ruby's mind went blank for a moment. After two seconds, she forced herself to stay calm and raised her head.
"Yes, that's me." She tried to smile but failed."You are suspected of multiple murder cases. We are arresting you according to the law. Please cooperate."
Upon hearing the police officer's words, the office erupted in discussions again.
"Oh my God, multiple murder cases. You really can't judge a book by its cover."
"That's terrifying. She always acted so gentle, but who knew she was so malicious?"
"Who did she harm? No doubt Ms. Kelly's recent danger was her doing. Could it be that Ophelia was also killed by her?"
"Ruby?"
The police officer frowned and raised his voice when Ruby didn't respond.
He took out handcuffs from his belt, ready to arrest Ruby.
Ruby finally reacted, struggling and retreating, her expression frantic.
"Officer, I'm being framed! There's no evidence; this is slander! I refuse to accept this. I want to report a crime. I want to accuse him of kidnapping my adopted daughter and using his power to fabricate lies against me!"
Ruby's eyes were red as she pointed at Jackson.
Jackson scoffed coldly, "Ms. Lawson, now you're the one making baseless accusations. I'm a law-abiding citizen. How could I randomly kidnap your adopted daughter? Aren't you afraid of additional charges for slandering me?"
He looked innocent, while Ruby trembled, feeling helpless. She wanted to protest, but the police officer spoke sternly.
"Are you talking about Anouk?"
Ruby looked hopeful and nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes, Anouk. She was kidnapped by Jackson. I reported it in Miracalia. You..."
But before she could finish, the officer interrupted.
"An hour ago, Anouk turned herself in at the Miracalia police station and confessed that you instructed her and her biological mother, Mary, to conspire to murder Lillian. Are you saying Anouk was kidnapped by Jackson?"
Ruby felt like all her strength had been drained, staring at the officer in disbelief.
"What did you say? Who turned themselves in?"
The officer didn't bother answering her meaningless question and said.
"Ruby, understand this. We are arresting you according to the law, not negotiating with you. If you resist, we will use force!"
The lead officer signaled, and the other officers surrounded Ruby.
Two officers grabbed her shoulders and raised her hands.
As the cold handcuffs approached, Ruby suddenly struggled violently.
"No! I didn't do anything. I'm being framed! Let go of me! Let go!"
Her sudden and forceful struggle caused a commotion.
Everyone in the meeting room was startled, retreating in fear.
They looked at Ruby as if she were a monster, filled with terror and disgust.
The officers pressed Ruby's shoulders, pinning her against the conference table.
Ruby's face twisted as she shouted.
"Dad, save me! I didn't do it; I'm being framed!"
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