Justin's dark eyes widened abruptly. His chest tightened, as though thick vines coiled around his insides, constricting until even breathing felt impossible.
Theron, utterly bewildered, erupted in rage. "Liana Gardner? Who is she? What does Mr. Beckett have to do with her?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't know her," Cyrus shot back, his tone cutting. "What matters is that Mr. Beckett does. In fact, I'm certain you knew all along that Sheryl and Liana were the same person."
Justin paused for a few seconds before forcing composure back onto his face. With a smile, he met Cyrus' gaze. "What are you trying to say?"
"Sheryl was your assistant and private physician. The two of you were always inseparable, from your time in Mosgravia to your days in Solana City. Yet, despite her sudden disappearance, you don't seem the least bit worried, Mr. Beckett."
Justin crossed his legs, his demeanor completely at ease. "She requested an extended leave of absence to go on a vacation and unwind, and I approved it. She's my assistant, not my significant other. She is free to go wherever she pleases. I hardly think it's necessary for us to be tethered together 24/7."
Cyrus couldn't help but clap. "Wow. What a flawless excuse."
A vicious glint flashed across Justin's eyes.
Just then, another police officer stepped forward, placing an evidence bag on the table in front of him. "This is a sapphire cufflink the forensic pathologist retrieved from the victim's stomach. It bears the eagle crest representative of the Beckett family."
Suddenly, the muscles in Justin's back stiffened. His pupils contracted instantly, his intense gaze locking onto the sapphire cufflink inside the bag. That cufflink belonged to him.
His mind raced like an overclocked processor, flashing back to the night he had strangled Sheryl to death with his own two hands. He had been so sure Eden covered everything up perfectly, leaving absolutely no trace. He never anticipated that damn bitch would find a way to screw him over from beyond the grave!
Hatred consumed Justin. There wasn't a trace of fear or terror in his eyes—only profound regret. He regretted not dismembering her, not gutting her insides, not chopping her to pieces and feeding her to the dogs!
Theron never expected the
authorities to unearth new evidence. However, he was even less prepared for the reality that the stunning.
woman who
everywhered to shadow
y gon
1.n
Justin
was and that she had likely been murdered by the man sitting right next to him.
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. His skin crawled with pure dread.
Nevertheless, he was still Justin's attorney. Left with no choice but to maintain his professionalism, he defended Justin shamelessly, "That's just a cufflink. What does it
actually prove? Don't go grasping at straws and pinning baseless accusations on Mr. Beckett just because your department is
desperate for a conviction."
"As an attorney, you should be well aware that the police don't detain high-profile suspects at random without conclusive evidence. We won't make things hard for him just because he's Justin Beckett, but we won't let him walk free because of it either."
Cyrus leaned his weight forward. His commanding shadow fell over Justin like a trap. He curled his lips into a mocking smirk. "Man, I have to hand it to you plutocrats. You really are something else. I truly am impressed. Even your cufflinks have to be custom-made. In atbof Solana City, you are the only man with this exact design, Mr. Beckett.
"Isn't it quite the coincidence that it turned up in Ms. Gillis' stomach? Tell me, is this just a fluke, or did you murder her?
"Given that you chose to get rid of her with your own hands, why didn't you do a cleaner job with the dismemberment and dispose of her remains across multiple sites to throw off our investigation? It really isn't like you to be so sloppy. Unless... your secretary handled the cleanup?
He probably assumed that removing her head meant we could never identify the body. Too bad he didn't realize we already had Sheryl's DNA on file at the precinct. It really makes me wonder-was this crime just riddled with mistakes from the start, or was it a single slip-up in an otherwise perfect plan?"
The muscles in Justin's jaw tensed, his face turning as white as a sheet.
Theron slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. "This is nothing but baseless speculation! My client has the right to remain silent!"
"I'd advise him to confess while he still can. Resisting will only make things worse," Cyrus said, his gaze lethal as he enunciated every syllable. "Justin, you can't squirm your way out of this anymore. The authorities are formally charging you with intentional homicide."