Chapter 537:
Was it too late to take back everything they had said in Linsey’s defense?
Carol silently took in the shifting atmosphere, satisfaction flickering in her eyes.
In just minutes, the crowd’s perception of Linsey had changed—from wary skepticism to outright disdain.
That was exactly the outcome she had wanted.
The effort she had put into fabricating that surveillance footage had been well worth it.
Carol arched a perfectly shaped brow and said coolly, “Linsey, didn’t you demand proof? Well, here it is. What do you have to say now?”
Then, as if granting Linsey one last chance, she added, “If you know what’s good for you, hand over the necklace. Otherwise, I won’t be so kind.”
Linsey’s hands curled into fists at her sides.
From the moment she saw the so-called evidence, she knew. This was a setup. Carol had conspired with her family’s servants to frame her.
And now, when Linsey met Carol’s gaze, she was stunned to find a flicker of smug amusement lurking beneath her composed expression.
Linsey took a slow breath, steadying herself. Her voice was firm. “That video is fake. I have never entered that lounge or seen that necklace before.”
Alexa seized the moment, her eyes gleaming with false righteousness. “Linsey, are you still trying to deny it? Earlier, when we hadn’t shown the footage, you accused us of making baseless claims. But now that we have proof, you’re saying it’s fake?”
She let out a mocking laugh, dragging out her words. “So, you’re just never going to admit your wrongdoing, is that it?”
Linsey’s jaw tightened. “I swear, I have never stolen anything from the Lawson family!”
Carol scoffed. “Swearing? What good is swearing? If criminals could just swear their way out of things, why would we need police and judges? How ridiculous.”
Then, turning toward the guests, Carol raised her voice so everyone could hear. “Each of you is here tonight because I invited you to my birthday party. Now, I ask you—how should this situation be handled? Should we really believe Linsey’s empty words? And more importantly, where is my missing necklace?”
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd before several guests eagerly voiced their opinions.
“Linsey must return the necklace! And she should compensate Miss Lawson appropriately!”
“I agree! Miss Lawson’s birthday has been ruined because of this disgraceful thief. It’s shameful!”
“Get this thief out of here before Linsey steals anything else!”
“Yes, yes, deal with her quickly.”
The growing chorus of accusations echoed through the hall, each word a crushing force against Linsey. The hostility in the room was suffocating. She could feel the tide turning against her—if this continued, no one would believe her.
Her expression darkened. That was enough. Clenching her jaw, she grabbed her handbag. Without hesitation, she unzipped it and, in front of everyone, turned it over.
The sharp clatter of items hitting the marble floor sliced through the tension. Silence fell. All eyes were on the scattered contents of Linsey’s bag.
Linsey had never wanted to dignify such an accusation with a defense. It was beneath her, humiliating. But Carol had played dirty—using doctored footage as supposed proof. If Linsey didn’t counter with undeniable evidence, she wouldn’t be walking out of here unscathed.
