Chapter 205 Not Letting a Villain Off the Hook
Aurora's voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. Clutching Zoey's hand tightly, she cast a fearful glance at Pearl.
This triggered Zoey's protective instincts. She hugged Aurora and glared at Pearl. "What more do you have to say? Aurora testified against you. You tried to hurt her. You're just jealous of her!"
Noah, full of confidence, looked at Oscar and snorted, "Aurora's awake now; she can't escape. Keeping a woman like her around is just asking for trouble!"
Just then, the police showed up.
Seeing them, Zoey rushed over like she'd seen a savior, grabbing the officer's clothes. "Sir, thank goodness you're here! This woman hurt my daughter Aurora. Take her away so she can't hurt anyone else!"
Michael, not one to take things at face value, looked around and asked, "Who called the police?"
Pearl stepped forward. "I did."
Michael, taking notes, asked, "I heard what you said on the phone, but I need more details for our investigation."
"Today, I went to the dock with Ms. Johnson to check the goods. She pushed me into the sea when no one was around. She even said if anything happened to me, she'd be fine and find someone to take the blame..." Pearl looked at Aurora without fear, recounting the events.
"You're lying!" Aurora, agitated, tried to get up but fell back onto the bed. Pointing at Pearl, she said, "You were the one who hurt me. I almost died, but you're fine. How could I have pushed you? You're trying to frame me!"
Zoey quickly helped Aurora and said, "Sir, don't listen to her. My daughter almost died, and this woman is fine. She's clearly lying."
Michael looked at them and said, "Don't worry, I'll investigate thoroughly. I won't let an innocent person be wronged, nor will I let a guilty person go free."
"Aurora, don't get too worked up," Zoey comforted her. "We have to trust the police. They will investigate thoroughly. Noah and I won't let her get away with this!"
Noah said, "I heard the surveillance cameras at the scene have been broken for days. I don't know if they broke on their own or if someone did it on purpose. If it was intentional, then this was a premeditated act to harm Aurora!"
Pearl laughed. "Mr. Johnson, you're right. This was premeditated, but today, it was Aurora who notified us to check the goods. If I had planned this, I couldn't have known it would be today. It was a last-minute notice. So, it's even less likely that I tampered with the surveillance."
Noah's face changed, and he said sternly, "You're making excuses and trying to frame Aurora. You could have known in advance. There's no such coincidence. If you wanted to frame her, you must have planned it long ago!"
Aurora, leaning against Zoey, suddenly became a fragile girl, looking terrified of Pearl and agitated. "Pearl, even though we had some minor conflicts, you wouldn't want me dead. What did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this? Mom, Dad, make her leave. I don't want to see her. Just looking at her reminds me of falling into the sea. It's so terrifying, I'm so scared!"
Noah, complying with Aurora's request, said, "Sir, we can talk outside. Pearl, please leave. You're not welcome here!"
Pearl looked at Aurora, feigning innocence, a far cry from her domineering attitude at the dock.
Pearl knew well that Aurora was playing the victim, pretending to be pitiful to make everyone believe she was the one wronged. Pearl sneered, "Are you afraid of me, or are you feeling guilty? Afraid I'll expose you? Do you think lying in bed pretending to be a victim will leave me helpless?"
Aurora clung to the hope that without evidence, she could escape unscathed, especially since her injuries were more severe than Pearl's. But she also worried that saying too much might give her away, her guilt gnawing at her.
After all, this was Aurora's first time doing something like this.
Aurora wanted this to be over quickly, hoping Pearl would end up in jail so her worries would vanish.
"Mom, get her out of here! I don't want to see her anymore!" Aurora shook Zoey's hand, just wanting her to leave so she wouldn't feel so anxious.
"Pearl, I realize you're my enemy. As long as you're here, I'll never get what I want. Only if you disappear forever will I achieve my goals..."
As Aurora finished speaking, a recording began to play.
"It's just me here, and there's no surveillance. If you accidentally fall, what does it have to do with me? If they trace it back to me, I'll find someone, pay them a bit, and they'll take the blame for me. Pearl, you're still living in your naive world..."
Upon hearing the recording, Aurora's pupils dilated, her face turned pale, and her body trembled.
Pearl held a digital recorder in her hand, playing back the harsh words Aurora had said to her at the dock.
Everything had been recorded.
Pearl hadn't brought her phone or wallet, but she had a habit of carrying a digital recorder.
This habit had developed from her time with Oscar, where she needed to take meeting notes. Over time, it became a daily routine.
She hadn't expected it to come in handy here.
During her heated conversation with Aurora, Pearl had preemptively recorded everything.
This was to prevent Aurora from denying responsibility later.
Compared to surveillance footage, the evidence in Pearl's hand was more substantial, at least firmly within her control.
Pearl paused the recording and asked, "Do you need to hear more?"
"This isn't real," Aurora panicked, immediately denying it. "This recording is fake. She synthesized it to frame me. Don't believe her, believe me. I'm the real victim!"
Aurora stepped out of Zoey's embrace, looking sincerely at Michael and the others, seeking their trust.
Zoey and Noah's faces changed as the recording played.
Seeing Aurora deny it, Zoey instinctively defended her. "Aurora didn't do it. You must believe her. It's definitely fabricated by this woman and has nothing to do with my daughter!"
Pearl handed the digital recorder to Michael. "You can verify if this recording is synthesized. If it's not, I want to protect my rights. Given this family's attitude, I won't mediate, forgive, or accept compensation. I just want her to face the punishment she deserves!"
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