Chapter 20: Confess guilt
Silence ensued after Erica stopped speaking. Mrs. Lani, fearing that she would reveal a vulnerability and arouse Erica’s suspicion if she remained silent, spoke up.
“That sounds quite terrible to you, doesn’t it? It’s good that you’re unharmed,” Mrs. Lani pretended to comment, then asked bluntly, “But how does it relate to me? Why are you telling me about it?”
“Do you know…?” Faced with the evasive and guarded attitude of the other person, Erica ceased playing psychological games and got straight to the point: “When I asked who was behind it, giving them orders, one of the villains was kind enough to inform me of the identity of the culprit. That’s why I’m here today.”
Erica revealed this while not neglecting to observe the other person’s facial expression change. As expected, Mrs. Lani’s face naturally looked pale, resembling a corpse. Moreover, she subconsciously made nervous gestures like squeezing the hem of her shirt.
“What do you mean? Could it be that the fact that you were attacked by bad guys has something to do with the Watson family?” Gathering a bit of composure, Mrs. Lani asked, pretending to be innocent.
“Exactly.” Erica didn’t hide and confirmed bluntly, “That person said the mastermind who ordered them was called Kora. Not only that, the person was so kind that he showed me a picture of the mastermind; I couldn’t believe it turned out to be Kora Watson. And on top of that, he even provided me with Kora’s contact number.”
Why Kora and not Mrs. Lani? The reason Erica said Kora instead of directly naming Mrs. Lani is because there is a valid and reasonable explanation. According to Erica, Kora is Mrs. Lani’s fatal weakness. So whenever something harms Kora, it’s easier for Mrs. Lani to lose her composure. At that moment, without doing much, Mrs. Lani will inadvertently exposes herself and eventually reveal the wrongdoings she has committed.
“You said, Kora?” Mrs. Lani exclaimed after hearing it. Mrs. Lani couldn’t believe that what she had just heard was true. And what Erica just said was a lie. Mrs. Lani knows that because she is the culprit, not Kora. But why did Erica assert so firmly that it was Kora? Erica’s attitude bewildered Mrs. Lani.
“That’s right,” Erica reaffirmed, saying, “I came here to find out why Kora did this. Additionally, I have a small warning. I will discuss this with the police so that justice can be served.”
“Just based on those nonsense words, who would believe you?” Mrs. Lani mockingly dismissed Erica’s simple thinking, saying, “Don’t think you can easily threaten us. You will never succeed.”
“Why are you so confident in saying that?” Erica furrowed her brow, pretending to inquire.
“Because the truth is not what you’re saying,” Mrs. Lani replied triumphantly.
“Are you implying that Kora is not the culprit?” Erica bluntly concluded:
“That’s obvious,” Mrs. Lani arrogantly affirmed. “You were played like an idiot by them without even realizing it. It’s pitiful.”
Mrs. Lani didn’t notice that she had said too many unnecessary things. And Erica, who had been listening attentively, easily caught her vulnerability. She didn’t let it slip by, but quickly attacked Mrs. Lani:
“Is that so? Saying that means they have deceived me.”
Seeing Erica’s disappointed expression, Mrs. Lani couldn’t help but smile gleefully. Erica was truly naive, just as Mrs. Lani had thought.
“By the way, how do you know the thugs were playing games with me? Maybe you know who the mastermind is?” Erica’s sudden question left Mrs. Lani unable to continue laughing. Mrs. Lani’s facial expression became rigid.
“What’s the matter with you?” Erica feigned concern. “Did I say something wrong?”
“A three-year-old child could easily deduce from your story that the nonsense those wretches told you was a lie.” Mrs. Lani cleverly evaded. She expressed her contempt, considering Erica even more foolish than a three-year-old. This displeased Erica.
“Isn’t it you, the mastermind?” Erica asked directly, causing Mrs. Lani’s face to stiffen once again.
“What the hell are you talking about? Don’t slander… Be careful; I’ll land you in court,” Mrs. Lani angrily scolded Erica. The reaction was just as Erica expected.
“I have proof,” Erica said calmly, ignoring the other party’s irritated attitude.
“What?” Mrs. Lani stammered again.
Erica smiled softly and took out a recording pen from her pocket. “Those guys have revealed the identity of the mastermind. As long as I hand this over to the police. That person won’t get away with it.”
“Proof? Who are you trying to fool?” Mrs. Lani regained her composure and was defiantly defiant. She doesn’t believe Erica has proof.
Erica said nothing, immediately playing the recording. From the very first seconds, Mrs. Lani’s voice appeared, causing her to shiver naturally.
Without letting Mrs. Lani hear all of it, Erica turned off her tape recorder and put it back in her pocket. Then she looked at Mrs. Lani, smirking coldly.
“Last night, you had a nightmare when you dreamed of me coming back to seek revenge, didn’t you?” Erica asked playfully.
Remembering last night, Mrs. Lani suddenly felt chills. It’s really scary to be haunted by someone.
“You have confessed your crimes yourself.” The affirmation made Mrs. Lani unbearable.
Seeing Erica’s determined attitude, Mrs. Lani believed that everything Erica said was true.
“If it’s true that I am the mastermind, what will you do?” Mrs. Lani pretended to ask.
“As I’ve said, we will let the law handle it,” Erica kindly reiterated. “I believe justice will be served.”
At this moment, Mrs. Lani appeared worried, unable to think of a way to resolve the situation, so she lowered her voice and shifted toward compromise.
“So, what exactly do you want in order to let me off the hook?”
Just as she waited for Mrs. Lani to say that, Erica contemplated for a moment, then spoke seriously.
“I’m requesting an apology from you and Kora, as well as the return of what rightfully belongs to me.”
“That’s something I’m afraid I can’t…” Mrs. Lani bit her lip, feigning consideration, and then put on a difficult expression.
“That thing originally didn’t belong to you,” Erica reminded her. “As a mother, you should advise Kora not to be greedy.”
“I’ll discuss it with Kora,” Mrs. Lani responded cleverly, deliberately trying to buy more time.
“I don’t have time for this,” Erica protested. “You should make your own decision. “Either you agree to my request now, or we go to the police station.”
Having said that, Erica stood up resolutely, displaying her determination to Mrs. Lani. There was no hint of intimidation in her words.
“Can you wait until Kora comes home from school?” Mrs. Lani hurriedly followed, pleading with Erica. “Erica, give us some time. I can’t make the decision alone. I need to hear Kora’s opinion, or she will be mad at me.”
“Now let’s go to the police station, and you can call Kora to meet us there. We’ll talk,” Erica stated firmly. Despite Mrs. Lani’s pitiful demeanor, Erica remained resolute as she walked towards the exit.
“Erica, please. I’m begging you.” Mrs. Lani employed a pitiful tactic to stall for more time. Why hadn’t the lawyer arrived yet? Mrs. Lani was growing frustrated with the man’s delay.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
“I have no more patience for you. You don’t even need to change your clothes. We’re leaving right now.” Erica disregarded Mrs. Lani, standing confidently in front of the door as she spoke.
Just as Erica opened the door, she saw the lawyer standing there, towering. Erica hadn’t even had a chance to speak or react before she stood frozen, her eyes widening as she saw the gun in the lawyer’s hand pointed directly at her.