Alyssa was stunned. They had waited far too long for this moment.
Her gaze lingered on Jasper beside her his profile sharp, his expression cold. The glint in his eyes masked emotions too deep to read.
Justin's face darkened instantly, and his eyes snapped toward Javier.
"Why are you looking at me? Do you think I was the one who filed the police report?" Javier shot him a mocking look, a smirk tugging his lips. There was no trace of fatherly warmth in his eyes-only the undisguised delight of a man watching his enemy march toward ruin. "Though I truly wish I had. If the authorities hadn't arrested you first, I would've reported you myself. Unfortunately for me, someone beat me to it.
"Justin, this is karma finally catching up to you. The wages of sin is death. Every life you've taken, every crime you've committed, you'll pay for them sooner or later. The law will punish you. A life for a life."
"Is that so? And on what grounds?" Justin curled his pale lips into a cold smirk. His dark eyes resembled a bottomless abyss, as though a bloodthirsty beast lurked within, ready to tear apart anyone who dared stand against him. "Because of rumors? Idle gossip? Baseless speculation?
"The law values evidence, not hearsay. You accuse me of murder, but can any of you actually prove it?"
He turned slowly, his gaze locking on Cyrus. Malice flickered in his eyes as he stepped closer, his smile twisted with arrogance. "Do you have proof?"
The moment their gazes locked, the air between them crackled with hostility. Cyrus remained stern for a beat before suddenly letting out a short laugh. The mocking gleam in his eyes instantly made Justin's expression turn uglier.
"Not only do we have evidence," Cyrus replied calmly, "we have plenty of it." Justin's face went rigid.
He had always excelled at wearing masks-playing the refined gentleman, the composed leader, the man indifferent to power and fame. But now, the cracks in that facade were beginning to show; he was losing his grip on the performance.
"Stop trying to intimidate us. If you really had evidence, you would've arrested him long ago. Why wait until now?" Eden immediately stepped in front of Justin, shielding him protectively Do you think the president of Beckett Group is so easily frightened?
"We can sue you for slander and defamation! You're Ms. Ayssa's brother, and everyone knows how close you are to Mr. Jasper. For all we know, the two of you are colluding behind the scenes, plotting to frame Mr. Justin so you can seize his power!"
"What an impressive argument." Cyrus tilted his chin slightly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Be sure to repeat that in court. Let's see whether the judge buys your bullshit. Take them away."
Eden's eyes widened with fury. "Why, you-"
Javier, Justin, and Eden were all escorted out of the hospital under police custody. The only difference was that Javier's handcuffed hands were covered, while Justin's and Eden's were left fully exposed.
Cyrus intended for all of Solana City to hear about their arrests. He wanted the world to see their hideous true colors stripped bare.
"After today, Beckett Group is bound to fall into chaos."
Alyssa drew in a deep breath. She couldn't bring herself to feel relieved-not while Newton was still fighting for his life inside the emergency room. Even so, Justin's downfall from the presidency was undeniably a victory.
She began, "Now that Mr. Javier and Justin are in police custody, I'll exercise my rights as a major stakeholder and immediately cath for an emergency board meeting on Grandpa Newton's behalf. It's time to reinstate you as president of Beckett Group.
"But these are turbulent times. I'm afraid that the moment you return, crisis after crisis will come for you, Jasper."
"I'm not afraid." Jasper kept his eyes fixed on the emergency room doors. At the same time, he gently intertwined his fingers with Alyssa's, holding her hand with quiet firmness. "Beckett Group has you, and so do I. I know you've got my back."