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This case was a consolidation of the previous cases involving Maya’s mother’s private club. Three similar incidents had occurred there, and the culprit was still at large. Only I knew that I had identified the perpetrator in the first case; Chloe had merely tampered with the evidence. The plaintiff had hired a different law firm, so Chloe took on the defendant’s representation. This case had gone viral, known throughout the internet. To ensure fairness and transparency, the entire trial was to be livestreamed.
“Stella, you’ll need to put a lot of effort into this case. Don’t be so eager for quick results anymore!” Chloe earnestly admonished me, yet she showed no intention of gathering evidence herself. “I have a gathering this afternoon, Stella. I’m leaving now.”
Of course, I would meticulously gather evidence. Maya’s death continued to haunt me. And Chloe, who had helped a criminal escape justice, showed no remorse whatsoever. Day and night, I pieced together the commonalities of the three cases, organizing hundreds of clues. Meanwhile, Chloe was out partying at a bar, enjoying a wine spree. I filled an entire notebook with evidence, recorded a hundred video clips, and meticulously analyzed the
wealthy heir’s movements. Chloe, meanwhile, was on a week–long trip to Tibet with Leo.
On the day of the trial, I accompanied Chloe to the courthouse entrance. Countless reporters swarmed us. “Ms. Sterling, weren’t you known for your quick and ruthless evidence collection? Why did this case take nearly half a month?”
“Why is that notorious Stella Hayes still at Sterling & Co.? Does she have a private affair
with Mr. Harrison?”
Chloe calmly addressed the reporters, speaking with an air of righteousness. “Stella is
now my assistant. I didn’t want to see such a good lawyer’s talent buried, so I asked Mr.
Harrison to bring her back. This case was given to her to allow her to prove herself, so she
handled it entirely.” She took my hand, sincerely stating her trust in me.
“Ms. Sterling, aren’t you worried that Stella Hayes’s evidence might be problematic? After all, she lost four cases to you.”
Chloe gently shook her head. “I trust Stella. And I stayed up all night going over
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everything yesterday. I’m very confident about this case!” With that, we walked into the
courtroom.
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The victim’s family stared at me with bloodshot eyes. In the first case, I had failed them. If
the wealthy heir had been convicted then, none of the subsequent incidents would have
occurred. Chloe stood tall at the defense table, and I sat beside her.
“My client was at the Riverside Tower at 9 PM on Friday night, with the building’s
receptionist as a witness.”
“My client suffered a broken left hand and could not possibly have harmed anyone with
his left hand.”
“Surveillance footage shows the victim entering the room without any caution, implying familiarity with the person inside, yet my client does not know the victim at all!”
Chloe presented the evidence one by one, but the atmosphere in the courtroom grew
increasingly strange. Even the wealthy heir himself seemed agitated, attempting to stand
up and interrupt Chloe. The internet was in an uproar.
“Does Chloe Sterling even know what she’s saying?”
“Isn’t she just proving that the wealthy heir is the murderer?”
“Think differently: maybe she intentionally took this case to give the victims justice?”
“Impossible! She was the one who cleared the wealthy heir in the first case, allowing him to roam free! Unless Stella Hayes was right in the first place, and Chloe fabricated
evidence!”
Chloe looked around, no longer seeing the usual admiring gazes, but instead, looks of scrutiny and suspicion. She started to panic. And throughout all this, the plaintiff’s lawyer hadn’t uttered a single word of rebuttal. She frantically flipped through the evidence, an entire notebook, meticulously detailed, seemingly without a single flaw. Just as she was about to continue speaking, the wealthy heir could no longer contain himself. He suddenly
screamed at Chloe.
“You b*tch! You dare to trick me?! I hired you to prove my innocence, not to convict me!
You just wait, I’ll find someone to kill you once I get out!”
Chloe looked at the enraged wealthy heir, terrified, and dropped the evidence.
