Chapter 317
No.1
Eight minutes until ten. Couldn't they have arrived earlier?
The crowd grew more aggressive seeing her indifference.
Fans of the eleven models brandished rotten vegetables ready to throw.
One officer raised his voice. "Remain calm everyone! The court hasn't issued any ruling! Be rational!"
Nearby, Genevieve Beaumont watched from her car with a frown.
Days of court sessions had yielded no conviction due to lack of concrete evidence.
Isabella's assault last night still stung her mouth. She wanted Isabella destroyed completely.
She retrieved her phone and sent an anonymous video to Isadora Vasquez.
This video guaranteed conviction! She would finish Isabella through Isadora's hands!
Isabella Montgomery observed the unfolding chaos beside Victoria Kensington when a new email notification flashed on her screen.
No.2
She tapped it open immediately.
The video attachment loaded instantly.
Isabella subtly tugged at Victoria’s sleeve.
Noticing everyone was preoccupied with condemning Isabella, Victoria discreetly glanced at the email.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Who could have sent this? Who was pulling the strings behind the scenes?
Clearly, she wasn’t the only one who wanted Isabella destroyed.
As long as Isabella faced conviction, the sender’s identity didn’t matter.
Victoria gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
Isadora Vasquez stepped forward. “Everyone, quiet! An anonymous source just sent me a video. They claim it’s definitive proof!”
No.3
She raised her phone high, pressing play.
All eyes locked onto the screen. The video showed Isabella Montgomery grabbing the top strawberry from the tower.
It was clearly filmed by a staff member at close range. The quality was far superior to the grainy CCTV footage.
As Isabella reached for the fruit, a fine powder visibly drifted from her palm.
It dusted the strawberries beneath. The evidence was undeniable.
The crowd erupted.
“This is it! She’s guilty!”
“Isabella Montgomery! Confess! You’re caught red-handed!”
“No more lies! Admit your crime! Apologize to everyone!”
The screams of accusation filled the air.
No.4
Victoria knew the video was fabricated, but her performance was flawless. She stared at Isabella with feigned horror. “Sister… it really was you. I defended you. I trusted you. How could you be so wicked?”
Her voice cracked with manufactured betrayal.
Eleanor Kensington wrapped a comforting arm around her. “Victoria, my dear, don’t upset yourself. I always warned you about her true nature. Sever all ties. She will only drag you down with her.”
Eleanor turned a venomous glare on Isabella. “Bringing you into the Montgomery family was our greatest shame! Apologize now! Plead guilty!”
“Pay the compensation! Admit your guilt!”
“Sign the equity transfer! Stop disgracing the Montgomery name!”
The mob closed in, their faces twisted with contempt.
Just as Isabella drew a breath to respond, a new voice cut through the din.
“I have evidence to present!”
It was Maxwell Carter, dragging a frightened man toward the crowd.
No.5
Confused murmurs rippled through the onlookers. Who were these men?
Isadora’s face paled upon recognizing the man being dragged.
Maxwell shoved the man forward into the clearing. His voice was hard, commanding. “Tell them the truth. Now.”
The man looked truly menacing.
A long, jagged scar ran down the side of his face.
Despite his intimidating appearance, he had been completely subdued by Maxwell.
One look at Maxwell was enough to fill him with pure terror.
Utterly defeated, he hung his head and confessed. "My name... is Silas Granger. I deal in pharmaceuticals. The person who bought the Halophilic bacteria from me wasn't Isabella. It was Victoria!"
Victoria Kensington's face drained of all color.
Every pair of eyes in the room instantly snapped toward her.
No.6
Shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Victoria? Impossible! She's always been so supportive of Isabella!"
"She's the kindest person I know. There's no way she'd purchase something like that."
"This man is clearly a criminal. He could have been paid off, right?"
"Absolutely! It has to be Isabella! She's trying to clear her name by framing Victoria!"
Eleanor Kensington, ever Victoria's fierce defender, shouted at the scarred man. "Who paid you to lie about my daughter? Victoria would never do such a thing!"
Victoria snapped out of her daze, quickly adopting a mask of pitiful innocence. She addressed the man with a soft, trembling voice. "Sir, you must be mistaken. You do know that perjury is a serious crime, don't you? Are you in some kind of trouble? Facing difficulties? Tell me how much money you need. I can give you more. I can help you solve any problem. But please, don't... don't frame me for this."
Her words, though gentle on the surface, were a blatant attempt at bribery. She was offering more money to buy his silence.
Silas felt a pang of sympathy for the beautiful, distressed girl. But one thought of how Maxwell had dragged him here made him shudder violently. "I'm not in trouble! I'm not facing any hardships! And I'm not lying! I have proof!"
He fumbled for his phone, holding it up high for everyone to see. "This is surveillance footage from my security cameras! Everyone, watch closely!"
No.7
All attention focused on the screen. The video was crystal clear.
The footage showed a dimly lit basement. A woman clad entirely in black, a mask obscuring part of her face, was handing a stack of cash to the scarred man. In return, he handed her a small medicine bottle.
The woman was unmistakably Isadora Vasquez. Her height, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, even the partially visible profile—it was all a perfect match.
A second video played. It showed Isadora walking backstage at the Mercedes Auto show, carrying a box of water bottles. She distributed them to the crew. Everyone thanked her. She even kindly helped arrange the strawberries on the display. Then, when no one was looking, she discreetly poured the contents of the medicine bottle over the strawberry tower.
The evidence was undeniable.
The atmosphere in the room erupted.
"It was Isadora! She works for Victoria!"