Chapter 13
718words
The footage clearly showed that Tara hadn’t given the middle-aged man anything.
Had she lingered a bit longer, spoken more, or handed him tissues or money, it would have been impossible to clear her name.
Tara defended herself calmly, “Check my lip movements. I only said two words, ‘No, no.’ How could I have possibly communicated anything else to him?”
The man’s eyes flickered with unease, and he changed his story. “This was the second time we met. The first time wasn’t here. We sorted everything out during our first meeting.”
Tara remained composed. “Then where was it? My home? My neighborhood? My school? All these places have surveillance, and I can prove my whereabouts with timestamps.”
The man faltered, unable to come up with anything. “It was… uh, it’s been too long. I can’t remember exactly which day!”
The officer pressed further. “Do you remember the location?”
The man hesitated, his eyes darting nervously. “It was… by the river… in a grove. There aren’t any cameras there.”
With no surveillance, no witnesses, and no concrete evidence of transactions or agreements, the case was dismissed due to insufficient proof, and Tara was released.
Tara’s voice turned cold. “I’m filing charges against him for defamation, endangering public safety, and intentional harm!”
The middle-aged man panicked, shouting, “No! I’m telling the truth! It’s all true!”
The officer replied matter-of-factly, “Whether your story is true or not, the fact remains that you endangered public safety and committed intentional harm. Those are established crimes.”
The man lowered his head in defeat. He was detained for public endangerment, with other charges pending further investigation.
Nina gave an apologetic smile. “I knew it wasn’t you, Miss Stone. I’m so sorry this dragged you into such a mess.”
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Leo, looking visibly frustrated, said gruffly, “Let’s go home.”
Tara didn’t spare either of them a glance. Instead, she turned to the officers. “I’ll have my lawyer handle any follow-ups.”
With that, she walked out.
Leo quickly caught up with her, his brows furrowed, his face dark with unease.
Nina trailed behind, her eyes gleaming with icy malice.
“Tara really is a tough one to deal with,” Nina thought, her smile chilling.
“Hmph! Just wait. Let’s see how long you last,” she fumed.
Pulling out her phone, she tapped a few times, her lips curling into a smug, sinister smile.
At the elevator lobby, Leo was the first to press the button.
Tara instinctively stepped back, keeping some distance between them.
Leo frowned as he glanced at her, his eyes flashing a trace of guilt.
“Ding!” A notification buzzed on his phone. He glanced at the screen briefly.
The elevator arrived moments later, empty. The three of them stepped inside.
Tara stood in the far corner, her face emotionless.
Leo, distracted, stood closest to the door, making a call. “What is it?”
Whatever he heard made his expression turn grim. “What did you say?”
Nina stood behind him with her arms crossed, throwing Tara a sly glance, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
Leo ended the call, his face dark as a thundercloud about to break. He began scrolling through his phone.
Nina feigned concern. “Leo, what’s wrong? You look so pale! Did something happen?”
Leo didn’t respond, his eyes glued to his screen.
Suddenly, the sound of club music played from his phone, echoing through the cramped elevator.
Tara’s gaze shifted toward Nina, whose cold, triumphant smirk confirmed everything.
Leo’s eyes burned with fury as he turned, grabbing Tara by her collar and yanking her forward.
He shoved his phone into her face, his voice shaking with anger. “What is this?”
His rage made his hands tremble, and his words quivered with barely restrained fury.
Tara looked at the screen and recognized it immediately. It was the same video Nina had shown her earlier.
Her tone remained indifferent. “You’re the one who called me there. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Her nonchalant attitude only fanned the flames of Leo’s anger.
Losing control, he slapped her hard across the face.
“Smack!” The sound reverberated in the small elevator, sharp and deafening.
Tara staggered from the blow, slamming into the elevator wall.
