Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 210: The Weight of Evidence

The precinct was silent except for the tension on their faces and the faint rustle of papers from other teams. Everyone in the team waited for the captain's words.

The captain stood at the center, his tone firm but low. "It's time we find the truth, for Lancaster and Laurent, before they dispose of us like the real culprits."

The words carried weight.

The officers exchanged uneasy looks. They all knew what he meant. If they didn't act now, they would lose everything, their credibility, their badges, and their future.

What about Astors?

What if they weren't just pulling strings but were involved directly in the case?

What if they revealed their dirty secrets if the investigation didn't work in their favor?

They were hesitant. However, they knew Aveline Laurent wasn't losing the battle but leading it. Working against Astors felt safer at the moment.

Finally, the fire marshal spoke up, voice steady but hesitant. "You're right, Captain. We have gone too far in turning a blind eye. It's time we fix this before it's too late."

Another officer nodded. "Let's bring the truth to light, Captain. Only it could save us." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Aveline had given them a deadline at the end of the night, and Alaric was holding the sword right above their neck. Though they didn't know if Alaric had evidence of what he was claiming, they didn't want to take the chance.

The captain gave a short nod. "Good. Then start now. Recheck every report, every account we have dismissed. I want the truth, nothing fabricated, nothing filtered." He didn't care if Astors was protecting somebody or involved in the fiasco.

He turned sharply toward his team members and assigned their tasks. "Pull in the vendors, the staff from Grace & Bloom, everyone who worked that event. Record their statements again. I want it to be clean this time."

The officers immediately scattered into action.

The precinct now buzzed with purpose. Calls went out nonstop. Files that were buried under false reports were reopened. Vendors were called in, staff members were summoned, and the prosecutor began re-verifying every single statement.

Meanwhile, the captain entered the technical room. His jaw tightened. He hadn't watched even a single second of the footage. He had erased it to focus on trapping Aveline.

Now he had to recover every minute of it before Aveline sealed their names behind bars.

He exhaled softly and instructed the IT expert, "Start recovering all data on the drives."

…

Hours passed.

Lines of code filled the screens as the technical team worked tirelessly to retrieve the data. Slowly, files began to reappear, but not enough.

Then came the moment. A technician spoke up, "Captain!!"

Every head whipped to the screen. The video showed over thirty people pushing against the temporary wall, testing its endurance. Yet the wall stood unmoving, causing the people to cheer.

Grace & Bloom staff and Aveline were seen double-checking everything, not once or twice, but multiple times.

The captain leaned forward, muttering under his breath, "So that's why she was so confident…"

Without wasting time, he selected and verified clips from various videos and ordered them to be released to all media outlets without any edits.

Along with them, he attached the official safety certificate that had been cleared before the event and released a statement that the first stage of the investigation was clear and the event had followed all safety protocols.

Within minutes, news channels across the city aired the footage. Screens flickered in restaurants, malls, and offices, showing how every safety measure had been followed to the last detail.

Netizens and reporters grew increasingly skeptical. They began questioning everything.

"If the wall were reinforced, how could it collapse?"

"Was there external interference?"

"Who planted the explosive in the kitchen?"

Public opinion shifted. Slowly, but undeniably.

The same outlets that once accused Aveline now hesitated. The word sabotage began circulating.

…

The ones who had tried to take advantage of the chaos began regretting it bitterly. Their confidence crumbled the moment they heard heavy knocks at their doors.

When they opened them, men in black suits stood outside, silent but firm. Each handed over an envelope sealed with the Grace & Bloom seal. Inside were counter-notices for defamation, filed by Aveline Laurent's legal team.

The compensation amount printed on those papers was far beyond what they had planned to extort from her. A few went pale, others sank into their seats, realizing they had picked a fight with the wrong woman.

…

Yet not everyone backed down. A group continued to spread accusations. That group was the fanbase of the male actor who was still in the ICU.

They flooded social media with accusations, twisting every update. "Money is changing the story," "Justice is being bought."

Their hashtags continued to trend, branding Aveline a murderer, calling for her arrest, and even her death.

While most of the media began retracting statements and softening their tone, the fans returned to the streets, chanting angrily. Their voices echoed through the city. They held up placards that read "Money buries truth" and "Punish the killer!"

…

At the Cullens' villa,

Panic brewed in the villa as the news played. CEO Cullen gripped the armrest of his sofa, watching intently. "No… this can't be happening," he whispered.

If Aveline was innocent, the Laurents would never sit quietly. His hands shook when he grabbed his phone to call his lawyers. He decided to withdraw the charges.

But he didn't have time to act on it. The doorbell rang, followed by the sound of heels entering the hall.

His eyes widened at the sight of Giselle Lancaster standing by the doorway, her posture calm, her gaze cutting through him.

Her calm voice sounded. "You seem surprised, CEO Cullen."

He forced a dry laugh, his nerves fraying. "Ah… Ms. Lancaster… hahaha… I was just about to call my lawyers to withdraw the charges. I'll… I'll take back everything."

Giselle quietly walked further in and sat gracefully on the sofa across from him, crossing one leg over the other. "I'm not here for your apology," she said coolly. "I'm here to tell you that you have two choices."

Cullen swallowed hard. He didn't dare ask what those choices were. Because Giselle Lancaster's tone said he had no choice at all.