Chapter 565

No.1

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.

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.”

No.2

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.

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.”

No.3

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.

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."

No.4

"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!"

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.

No.5

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!"

"Oh my god! I can't believe it! Victoria had her buy the drug and frame Isabella!"

"She pretended to be Isabella's biggest supporter. She acted so genuine, so nice! All this time, she was pure evil!"

"She's a master of deception! She played every single one of us for fools!"

"We should have realized. That drug is only stable in liquid form. The video Victoria showed earlier had to be a fake! It was fabricated!"

"Not only did they frame Isabella, but they also manufactured evidence to ensure her conviction!"

A wave of angry accusations crashed over Victoria. The crowd stared at her with undisguised contempt and disgust.

No.6

Reporters raised their cameras, flashes popping incessantly. Influencers pointed their phones directly at her, broadcasting the scandal live to their audiences.

Even Eleanor, who had defended her so fiercely, looked at Victoria with utter disbelief. "Victoria," she asked, her voice shaking. "What is the meaning of this?"

This was the daughter she trusted and cherished above all others. Could she truly be capable of such monstrous deceit?

Victoria stood frozen, her face a ghostly white.

How could this be happening?

Isadora had assured her everything was handled. How could this damning evidence still exist?

Her anxiety spiked to unprecedented levels.

Yet she maintained that pitiful mask perfectly.

"It's fabricated," Victoria whispered hoarsely. "This video is completely fake. Someone engineered this to destroy me. I would never harm my own sister like this."

One of Victoria's loyal friends quickly rallied. "Exactly! If Gabriella's footage was manipulated, this could be too!"

No.7

Eleanor snapped out of her stunned silence.

She immediately moved to shield Victoria, her body a protective barrier.

She fixed a furious glare on Silas. "Who paid you to create these lies? Why are you targeting my daughter? I raised Victoria myself! She is incapable of such monstrous acts!"

Her defense was fierce, unwavering.

Isabella watched from the sidelines, a cold, knowing smile touching her lips.

The stark contrast was not lost on her.

Had she been the one accused, Eleanor's hand would have already struck her face.