Chapter 273 Useless Shield
Ever since that blowout with Edward in the conference room, I had this gut feeling that things were far from over. Trouble was definitely brewing.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Anne got arrested.
In the interrogation room, the harsh white light made Anne look ghostly pale. Her eyes were wide with fear and panic as she sobbed uncontrollably, driving the interrogators to frustration.
"I didn't want to do it at first. It was my mom who made me. I didn't understand anything and I was too scared to disobey her. She made me do it!" Anne cried.
When the police found Clara, she put on quite a show.
As soon as she was brought into the interrogation room, she feigned innocence and shouted, "Officer, this has nothing to do with me. I'm a victim too. Check my accounts if you don't believe me. I've lost so much money. I can't bear all these losses myself. I'm the biggest victim here. What have you done to my daughter? She's Nicholas's person. You can't hurt her."
Hearing this, the officer replied coldly, "Anne said you instructed her."
Clara was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears. "This is so unfair! I had nothing to do with it. It was that woman, Diana. She told me to invest. She set me up. She tricked me! You should investigate her and clear my and my daughter's names."
To save herself, Clara shifted all the blame onto me. When I heard the news, I was furious, but as a former lawyer, I knew that everything I did was legal and compliant, so I wasn't worried about the police investigation.
As the CEO of the Cooper Group and being pregnant, the police didn't take me to the interrogation room. Instead, they politely invited me to a conference room.
"Ms. Cooper, please wait here for a moment." A young female officer kindly poured me a glass of water before quietly leaving the room.
Before long, Edward was led in by the police.
When his eyes fell on my growing belly, his anger dissipated instantly. He rushed over to me, speaking urgently. "Diana, for the sake of our child, can you let Anne and my mother go?"
I instinctively protected my belly, feeling helpless, and sighed. "Edward, don't you understand? They made their own mistakes and should face the consequences of the law. It's not up to me to decide whether they should be held accountable or not."
Edward's eyes reddened, his voice trembling with emotion. "As long as you admit that this was your doing, the police won't pursue them any further. You're pregnant now, and they won't take any action against you."
His words left me speechless for a moment.
After a long pause, I finally asked in disbelief, "So, you're planning to use me and our child to save Anne and Clara?"
Just then, the door opened again, and Anne was brought in.
The moment she saw me, her eyes blazed with anger. She glared at me and spat out, "Diana, if it weren't for you, my mom and I wouldn't be in this mess."I looked at her calmly and said, "Anne, don't twist the facts. No one forced you to embezzle funds. What you did was your own choice. The financial issues within the Howard Group have nothing to do with me."
Anne, still unwilling to give up, tried to argue back, her eyes red and her voice loud. "We're the child's aunt and grandmother. How can you treat us like this? Don't you care about family at all?"
I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh and responded mercilessly. "Anne, you are not family to my child. Your actions disqualify you from being role models or family to my child."
Anne seemed stunned by my response, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes. She was at a loss for words. Seeing this, Edward quickly gestured to Anne. "Anne, stop talking."
Then he turned to me, his tone slightly softer but still questioning. "Diana, even if they made mistakes, can't you show some mercy for the sake of the child? We don't have many relatives left in our family. The child will need family as they grow up."
However, the police, unable to watch this absurd scene any longer, intervened.
One officer, with a stern expression, said to Anne, "Stop using the family as an excuse. You should admit your crimes. If you show remorse, the prosecution might be lenient and reduce your sentence."
Hearing this, Anne lost control and screamed hysterically, "Edward, save me! I don't want to go to jail! Ask Nicholas for help. He's Diana's godfather and likes me. If you ask him, he'll persuade Diana."
Before she could finish, two officers quickly stepped forward, one on each side, and escorted Anne out of the room.
Her piercing cries echoed down the long hallway. "Edward, save me!"
After Anne was taken away, the atmosphere in the conference room became oppressively heavy. The police officer, with a respectful demeanor, apologized to Edward and me. "Sorry for the disturbance. It's our duty. We hope you understand."
At this, I smiled faintly and nodded.
Edward, however, remained silent, his face dark.
The room was enveloped in a heavy silence, as if an invisible curtain had fallen over us.
I looked at Edward, trying to read his emotions, but I couldn't fathom what he was thinking.
Suddenly, Edward broke the silence, asking out of the blue. "Is there any way Anne can avoid prison?"
This question put the police in a difficult position. The officer hesitated, clearly struggling to find the right words to avoid further upsetting Edward.
After a moment of silence, the officer finally spoke cautiously, "There is substantial evidence that Anne and Clara embezzled funds from the Howard Group. Based on legal procedures and previous cases, a conviction is likely. However, if they can repay the embezzled funds in full and help mitigate the company's losses, the judge might be more lenient during sentencing."
Edward's frown deepened.
I knew Edward was thinking about how to help Anne repay the embezzled funds, but the amount was enormous. It was an impossible task for Edward alone.
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