Ch. 1471..1480

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1471-The gory and bloody scenes from Anne's death haunted Sophia. Suddenly, Sophia's scream pierced the air. Drenched in sweat, she quivered with pale lips.

"Mrs. Beckett, are you alright?" Sensing something was amiss, Simon inquired in shock.

"I-I'm fine." She curled her fists under the table and forced herself to stop thinking about Anne.

"Mrs. Beckett, you have not answered my question." Simon repeated, "You need to be frank with me on whether or not you're involved in other murders. This is crucial for me to defend you in court.

"You know very well that Alyssa and Jasper will take advantage of the death of a maid to attack you until you're done for. They will try their best to look into your past and submit unfavorable evidence against you in court. All these are plausible."

Sophia couldn't stop trembling. She bit her lip hard.

"I am asking you the question for no other reason than to increase our chance at winning. You need to be honest with me. Give me your full trust and cooperation. I need to know everything about you so that I can stand undefeated in court."

She cackled in an eerie manner. "Mr. Lynch, are you trying to help me, or are you trying to protect your professional record?"

Simon hated it when people questioned his motive, but he had to coax Sophia because of her status.

"Getting you out is more important than upholding my reputation."

"Enough. I do not trust any one of you attorneys!" Feeling anxious, Sophia shook her legs like she was in a seizure. "If I tell you, you'll use it against me one day. I've seen this shameless behavior many times in my life. Don't you ever dream of fooling me!"

Frowning, he pressed on, "From the sound of it, you were involved in other murders before. Is that right?"

"No, I did not! Never! Don't slander me!" she agitatedly wailed like a madwoman as she rose from her seat.

"Alright. Alright. Good to know." Simon leaned backward into the chair, fearing that Sophia might attack him.

The audience filled the seats in the court for Sophia's trial. The public trial was to be live-streamed on the court's official website. Still, Javier, in an attempt to prevent suspicious individuals from sneaking in, had hired acquaintances from the Beckett Group and the legal profession to fill the seats.

Apart from Javier, Betty, who had been out of the public eye, was summoned to appear. Naturally, she was reluctant to show up at a trial. Plus, she had no feelings left for Sophia anymore.

 

 

Betty asked in distress, "Why am I the only one here? How about Lauren?"

 

Betty fell silent but secretly grumbled to herself, "You're only defending that dumb bitch because Landon Harper has her back."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1472-"Just wait and see. One day…" Betty's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Javier and Betty spun around to look at the visitors, only for their faces to fall.

Jasper and Alyssa had showed up at court, followed by a few members of the Taylor family—Jonah Cyrus, Tatiana, and Winston's three wives. They expressed their support for the victim through their actions.

Landon would have shown up to express his support at such a critical time, but he decided to keep Lauren company at home because the case involved Lauren's mother. He worried Lauren might suffer a breakdown when she learned about the details.

Betty clenched her jaw as her eyes rested on Alyssa, but the latter did not pay any attention to her at all. With no way to release her anger, Betty raged on silently.

Alyssa wore light makeup for the trial and a white pantsuit with her self-designed sapphire brooch on the chest. She carried herself with elegance and class.

Jasper stood tall beside her in a smart and tailored black suit, accentuating his figure and authority.

They took the seats in the first row. The aisle seemed like a huge divide that set them apart from the Becketts.

"Dad, look what Jasper is doing! What's in his mind?" Betty did not miss the chance to drive a wedge between the father and son. "How dare he stand on our opposite and sit with the Taylors as the president of the Beckett Group? He's humiliating you and making the Beckett Group a laughingstock!"

Javier gritted his teeth as he fumed with resentment.

"Lyla, the day has finally arrived." Colene clasped Lyla's hand and teared up when she thought back on Lyla's suffering.

Lyla inhaled deeply and gave her a light nod with a nervous heart. Anne and Nina had been waiting for this day, just like she did.

She had never dreamed that she would see Sophia in court for the judgment. Putting aside the outcome, she was glad to see Sophia held accountable.

"Karma is real. Sophia will receive her punishment for the crimes she committed," Mandy comforted Lyla gently as she clasped Lyla's free hand.

She set an icy gaze on the defendant's seat.

Alyssa overheard the conversation among her three stepmothers. Instead of feeling relieved, she grappled with a heavier heart.

 

 

He comforted her, "Lyse, don't panic. We need to have trust in Steven and Sean. We will win this fight."

She looked up into his alluring eyes as her racing heart gradually calmed down.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1473-"It's fine. Dad is at the meeting," Jonah replied while quietly casting a loving gaze at Alyssa. "I came over because I was worried about Lyse and wanted to lend a hand if any emergency arises."

"Woah, Jonah, you're doting on her like she's your daughter," Cyrus complimented Jonah earnestly as he stared conflictedly at Alyssa and Jasper. "But we're not going to have many opportunities to stay by her side. Now that she has her protector, she will not need us as much."

"Such is life. Ever since her 18th birthday, I braced for the day she no longer needs me." Jonah was novelbin flooded with memories of Alyssa's smiling face. Despite the bitterness, he only had blessings for Alyssa instead of envy. "Isn't it nice that we can entrust her to Jasper? It's also about time we 'retire' from her life."

The murmurs ceased after the plaintiff, the attorneys, and the prosecutor filed into the court. Sean and Simon took their seats on both sides, the tension between them palpable.

"Sean, good luck!" Tatiana whispered as she stared keenly at Sean's dashing and spirited figure.

Sitting upright, she felt her nerves tingling.

Silas, dressed in his uniform, marched to his seat. His sharp brows exuded an air of authority, adding to the pressure in the room.

"Ah! Do you guys feel the same?" Colene swooned at Silas. "Doesn't he look super handsome in court? If all the public prosecutors look like Silas, I'll willingly get into trouble once in a while just to go to court!"

Her remark left Lyla and Tatiana speechless.

Meanwhile, Mandy looked exasperated by Colene's antics. She playfully reminded Colene, "Can you act like a married woman for once? What do you take the court as, a host club that you can visit as you wish?"

Silas reflexively glanced at the public gallery, where he found his family in presence. Despite being a veteran in court who carried himself with a heart of steel, he couldn't help but feel touched at the sight.

In this trial, not only was he responsible for seeking justice for the victim and representing the country in prosecuting the culprit, but he also bore the heavy expectations of his family.

At the last moment, a slim figure sneaked past the gaps of the closing door. Silas' attention was once again drawn to the back of the public gallery.

Even so, he felt an adrenaline rush. Excitement coursed through his veins, charging him with energy.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1474-Except for the audience members hired by Javier, every other individual in the public gallery directed hateful looks at Sophia. Even Betty glared disdainfully at Sophia, who had always been thinking of ways to sell her off.

Sophia had made the necessary preparations for her court appearance. She had asked to use the restroom before the trial, where she touched up her face to make herself appear like a pale, tortured woman. Topped with her pitiful look, she could convince almost anyone.

As expected, when Javier met her pleading gaze, he was instantly transported back to the day of their first encounter. His steeled heart started to waver.

"You evil bitch! I want you to take responsibility for killing Nina! An eye for an eye!" Gemma struggled to keep her emotions in check when Sophia showed up. Quivering, she growled and sobbed, touching the hearts of the audience.

However, Sophia, acting like she was innocent, teared up and shook her head helplessly. Whatever happened in the public trial would be captured by the media. Thus, Sophia considered it a theatrical play, where she took the lead role.

Before the trial, Simon had promised her with confidence that she would not be charged. All she needed to do was to cooperate with him and act her part.

"Madam, calm down! Take a deep breath!" Sean rushed over to Gemma.

Alyssa, noticing that Gemma had turned white in a seizure-like attack, stood up and yelled, "Get the emergency oxygen! Ms. Pell is about to go into shock. She needs oxygen!"

The security staff followed her instructions and administered oxygen to Gemma, which helped to alleviate the symptoms.novelbin At that moment, the presiding judge, Steven Lynch, appeared in a judge's robe and took his seat. He felt a little bitter at the sight of the faceoff between Simon and Sean in court.

"Wow, the presiding judge is Steven Lynch, the second Lynch son!" Colene shook Mandy's shoulders.

Mandy nearly barfed from all the shaking.

Colene continued, "Mandy, do you think Steven Lynch would give Sean trouble? Is there anyone decent in the Lynch family apart from Sean? I highly doubt that!"

Mandy patted Colene's hand and addressed her sternly, "It should be fine. I looked into Steven's history, and he's worked his way up from the professional exams to become a judge without any help from his father.

The highly anticipated trial finally commenced.

As Gemma was in her 80s, she had exhausted all her energy just by showing up in court. Sean had to speak on her behalf.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1475-The audience fell silent. Even those audience members hired by Javier to fill the seats were affected by Sean's speech that explained the ordeal faced by Nina. In the end, they cast disdainful and acrimonious looks at Sophia.

Once again, Alyssa was brought back to the scene of Nina's brutal death. Feeling heartbroken, she covered her ears with her hands and shut her eyes tightly, feeling like she was in an enclosed space.

Sweat dotted her forehead as she struggled to breathe.

"Lyse, don't think about it. I'm here for you," Jasper comforted her and pulled her into a hug. He guided her to rest her forehead on his shoulder.

Although Nina wasn't Alyssa's family, Alyssa's kind soul was irreparably scarred and traumatized after witnessing Nina's death.

"Jasper… I feel like I'm at fault," she sobbed and whispered in his ear.

Her words nearly broke his heart. Tearing up, he consoled her, "Don't say that. Lyse, you're not at fault.

The two people in the dock are the sinners."

After Sean delivered his statement, it was the defendants' turn to present theirs. Sophia wept and emotionally delivered the statement Simon had prepared for her. It turned out that her acting novelbin experience was surprisingly of use in court.

"Your Honor, for what reason would I kill a maid? I gain nothing from doing that! Perhaps this all happened because of the personal grudge between Jeffrey Snyder and Nina Carle, as they were colleagues of the same rank.

"Jeffrey must have abused his power and bullied the maids in the family because he thought he was above them as my special assistant. Nina very likely rubbed him wrong in private, and that's why he thought of killing her."

"Nonsense!" Jeffrey, who had turned a state witness, defended himself and snapped, "Your Honor, Nina Carle had dirt on Sophia Kirkman. That's why Sophia paid me off to get rid of Nina. She's the mastermind.

"I had no choice but to listen to her because of her power and status, or my life will be in danger. Even when I was in the detention center, she attempted to hire assassins to take my life. Look, there is still a scar on my neck!"

"That's slander! I shouldn't have hired you had I known you were a hooligan abroad!" Sophia screamed at the top of her lungs as she engaged in a vicious argument with Jeffrey.

Jeffrey retorted, "Betty Beckett left the house at the same time as me after you gave out the orders.

She must have known what you were up to."

The audience gasped and directed their attention to Betty's face, which had turned white. Even Javier cast an astonished and doubtful look at her.

"N-No! I know nothing about it!" Betty shook her head in fear and anxiety, nearly crying from the stress.

"The court is a serious place. Keep your voice down!" Steven shot an icy look at Betty and banged his gavel twice.

Anyway, they believed Betty would still be affected by Sophia's sentencing.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1476-Without Sophia's strategies, Betty could not survive, like a parasite who had left its host.

Meanwhile, Sophia and Jeffrey were attacking each other in court, bringing Javier so much shame that he wanted to leave the scene.

After the plaintiff and the defendant delivered their opening statements, the trial entered the most crucial round of witness examination and questioning.

It was Simon's time to spring into action. Chuckling, he stretched and stood up relaxedly. "Mr. Snyder, novelbin you claimed that the defendant paid you off to get rid of Ms. Carle, but there's no evidence to back up your claim. I have a reason to suspect that you're lying and framing my client to get away from your crime."

"I did not lie! I told the truth. I never had any exchange with the maid at all. Why would I kill her for no reason?" Jeffrey nervously defended himself.

Sean fixed a stern gaze on Simon's animated face and silently clenched his fist. The secret recordings by Nina were in Sean's possession. She had lost her life precisely over the recordings.

Simon must have been aware of the fact as well, but he remained unfazed because he knew that Nina's stealth recordings did not qualify as evidence.

Simon continued his attacks. "You claimed that my client paid a huge sum to you. May I know the whereabouts of the payment?"

Jeffrey could not come up with an answer. He had requested cash from Sophia and later kept the money in the basement of his home in Tsulu. Therefore, there weren't any transaction records to prove his claim.

At this point, Sophia's men had probably moved the cash away from his house in Tsulu under her command.

"My client's transaction records displayed a large transfer after the incident, but it was due to a property purchase in Mosgravia." With that, Simon handed the judge a document and explained, "This is the record of the property transaction. The amount matches the outflow of funds from my client's account."

Steven accepted the document and examined it. Just as Simon claimed, the purchase amount matched the figure on Sophia's bank transfer record.

Sophia frowned as she maintained an innocent expression, but she was secretly snickering at Simon's maneuver.

"You accused my client of instructing you to kill the victim, but it did not make any sense. My client is Mrs. Beckett of the Beckett Group. Given her wealth, she had no motive to kill a maid who had served the family for five years.

"Before Nina Carle worked for the Becketts, she had served as an HR department employee in my company. She had no connections to the Beckett Group at all."

The judges' negative impression of Jeffrey would play to Sophia's advantage.

"Your Honor," Sean interrupted, "I have a question regarding the defense attorney's argument."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1477-Sean had kept his silence during Simon's animated cross-examination, which made him appear like he was at a disadvantage.

Seated in the public gallery, Tatiana felt her heart leaping into her throat. Her eyes were sore from focusing on Sean throughout the proceeding.

Worried about Sean, she hated that she couldn't be of help to him. All she could do was to silently cheer him on.

"We'll pass the floor to the plaintiff's defense," Steven announced and gave Sean a look of affirmation.

The Lynch brothers rarely interacted with each other as adults. They were not as close as other siblings, and on top of that, they were active in different professional fields. Still, Steven and Sean were at least upright, never once acting against their principles compared to the corrupted Simon.

Meanwhile, Simon had always looked down on Sean and repeatedly described Steven as a strait- laced, puritanical goody-two-shoes. Simon perceived himself as the pillar of the family, staunchly believing that he, the eldest son who had carried his mom's expectations, was the only source of pride for the family after Spencer Lynch's retirement.

Little did Simon know that he would pay a steep price for what he was after. In the near future, he would pay a dear price for his lack of morals.

Sean brandished a document with a twinkle in his eyes. "It is public knowledge that the defendant Sophia Kirkman is not as innocent as her attorney has claimed. Even before this arrest, she had been summoned by the prosecution multiple times."

Sean took a jab at Simon's bluff by describing the fact as public knowledge.

"She wasn't arrested solely on suspicion of contract killing. She has also been charged with drug use in public and possession of drugs, among many other offenses."

The screen in the courtroom displayed the humiliating video of Sophia getting high after taking drugs at the horseracing event. The indecent scene of Sophia touching herself had been pixelated, but the judges and the audience were disturbed by her moans.

Simon sent a glare in Sean's direction after he figured out Sean's strategy.

"Turn it off! Turn it off now! Stop it," Sophia yelled as she blushed in shame.

She finally felt shame at this moment. Sean had submitted the video as evidence to humiliate Sophia in court.

Alyssa stared coldly at the screen with a smirk. "It'll be intriguing if they play this video at Sophia's funeral. Wouldn't it be an exciting closure to her evil and sinful life?"

"A funeral?" Jasper clasped her hand with a snicker. "After this trial, Javier will never accord her a respectable funeral. I bet he wouldn't even make arrangements for a service."

Sophia glowered at Sean, her face turning red in anger.

"Objection, Your Honor! The plaintiff's defense argument is purely hearsay and irrelevant to the case!"

Simon jumped up from his seat, his hand shooting into the air.

After a pause, Steven turned to Sean. "The plaintiff's defense, please raise questions pertinent to the case."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1478-"Of course, Your Honor." Sean regained his composure and cast a loaded look at Alyssa and Jasper's direction.

The couple gave him a stern nod, after which he proceeded to land a sharp gaze on Sophia, "Sophia Kirkman, you claim that you have never committed murder. I will repeat my question to you. Are you telling the truth? This is your last chance at coming clean."

Simon nearly burst out laughing at Sean's crude tactics. He glanced disdainfully at his silly brother, thinking, "Sean, you are too inexperienced to take me down. How dare you think of winning against me in court by asking that stupid question? Only a fool would admit to murder."

"No! I can't even hurt a fly. I would never murder a human being," Sophia confirmed while her mind whirled.

Thinking back about the past, she had always instructed others to do the dirty work for her. Given her stature, she would never dirty her hands. Therefore, she announced confidently, "Ask me as many times as you want. My answer remains the same—I have never killed!"

"Great." Sean looked away from her and addressed the judge, "Your Honor, I would like to call a new witness to testify in Sophia Kirkman's contract killing case."

The audience exchanged curious looks upon hearing Sean's remark. Sophia's heart raced as she turned to Simon in a panic.

Simon, meanwhile, was confused by Sean's approach. However, he kept his composure. As a veteran in court, he was confident in solving any crisis that arose.

Steven nodded with a serious face. "Bring in the new witness."

The heavy doors groaned and creaked. A tired-looking woman with gray hair appeared in everyone's vision. The middle-aged woman was dressed in a rather frumpy and even ragged outfit.

Sophia twisted in panic when she set sight on that ordinary-looking woman. She collapsed against the dock railing, making a loud rattling noise. Had she not held tightly to the railing, she would not be able to prop herself up.

The new witness, Tessa Flores, was the maid she had discreetly dispatched to Rolanda. Why would Tessa show up in court? Puzzled, Sophia thought she had hired people to keep tabs on the maid every year.

She thought, "This must be a hoax. Sean must have hired an actress to play Tessa."

No one except Jasper would pull off such a decisive and calculative move.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1479-Sophia's mind raced as she tried to come up with a strategy.

In the end, she came to a conclusion. It had been 20 years since the incident, and 20 years had already passed. So what if Tessa was here to give her statement?

She hadn't witnessed the entire incident with her own eyes. All the evidence was also long gone.

The thought of that made Sophia feel more at ease. She straightened her back slowly.

Javier stared at Tessa in surprise. For a number of years, Tessa attended closely to his beloved Anne.

Despite that, he couldn't recall who she was.

Alyssa's heart was pounding. The pace of her breathing had become uneven. Fortunately, she had Jasper by her side. He had his arm around her waist. novelbin He comforted her in silence. It helped her calm her racing heart.

She wasn't the type of person to lose her patience. This time, however, was different. This was something related to the person she loved the most. It was a crucial fight.

This deep-seated hatred had been building up for 20 years. Karma had to be served today.

Tessa hurried to the witness stand. Both her legs were shaking like jelly under the table. She didn't take a single glance at the public gallery. She didn't even dare to look at Sophia either.

Steven took a look at the witness' information. His pupils constricted. He then asked in his usual manner, "Witness, please state your name."

"Tessa… Tessa Flores," she answered fearfully.

Steven said, "I took a look at your particulars. You worked as a helper with the Beckett family 20 years ago."

Javier widened his eyes in shock.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled that that woman was indeed one of their helpers. She was Anne's personal helper!

After Anne passed away, she had given an excuse and resigned. He had completely forgotten about this insignificant person. So, he had never expected to see her in court. Not just that, she was now appearing as a witness.

Javier's heart wrenched at the thought of Anne. Subconsciously, he clutched at his lapel.

Tessa nodded. She answered, "That's right. I was working at the Becketts' Seaview Manor 20 years ago. I was the late Mrs. Beckett, Mr. Jasper's mother, Anne Bartley's helper. I was responsible for looking after Madam Anne's daily living."

This name had been buried for 20 years. It was the name of someone who was no longer around. It was now a name that was unfamiliar to most.

Though, Jasper was an exception. His eyes turned red, and they welled up. The tears in his eyes toned down the burning hatred in his eyes.

Simon scoffed. He thought that they had just gotten a nobody to take the witness stand. To him, they were just being desperate and were merely complicating matters.

"I have a question for the plaintiff's attorney. How is your witness relevant to this case?"

Upon hearing that, Simon couldn't hide the look of disdain on his face.

However, his smugness didn't last for long. What Sean said next made his and everyone else's jaws drop.

"But, she is someone who is able to testify to Sophia's involvement with a murder that happened 20 years ago."

"But now, I can declare with certainty that Anne Bartley didn't commit suicide. She was murdered! And Sophia was the one who killed her!"

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1480-There was an uproar in the courtroom. This took the entire nation by surprise!

In an instant, all the blood had drained from Javier's face. He felt as if his seat had been set ablaze.

Without a care for anything else, he shot to his feet. He looked at Sophia in disbelief.

Anne… Didn't she commit suicide because she had severe depression? Why had it become a homicide?

How could Sophia be the murderer? She was the woman with whom he had shared the same bed for 20 years!

"I. I didn't. It wasn't me!" Sophia met Javier's gaze. She shook her head while crying.

Jasper diverted his cold gaze toward Javier slowly. He noticed that Javier's face was as pale as a sheet. Deep down, Jasper was full of bitterness and resentment. He couldn't help but let out a piercingly cold sneer.

Javier was a frigid man. Until now, Jasper had never seen him express any heartbrokenness over Anne. But, more than that, he felt doubtful.

Javier wasn't feeling disturbed because of his love for Sophia. He was merely unwilling to accept that he had trusted the wrong person. He couldn't believe that he had been married to a murderer for 20 years!

Simon's ears had started ringing. He felt as if he had been hit at the back of his head with a hammer.

Without a doubt, Sean had taken him by surprise. Throughout his years of experience, he had never seen a situation as such. This was a trial for murder-for-hire. How did Jasper's mother's case become entangled in this?

If Sophia had indeed committed murder, he would also be implicated. His name would end up being dragged through the mud.

So, Simon shouted in an urgent voice, "Judge Lynch! This witness has nothing to do with this case.

She should be impeached!"

While Steven was hesitating, Sean took the opportunity to chime in, "Judge Lynch, according to the defense attorney's claim earlier, it was impossible for Sophia to murder the victim. The reason was that she was an educated and highly moral woman. She is also the wife of a plutocrat.

"However, the witness I've summoned can testify that the defense attorney's claims were deceiving. He only said that so that the defendant could be acquitted.

"This means that this witness' statement isn't completely irrelevant to the case. Her statement can become a reference point in this case!"

Finally, Steven gave in. He nodded slightly and said, "Then, counsel, you may both proceed with questioning the witness."

Simon was so pissed off that his expression had turned dark.

Tessa took a peek at Jasper sitting solemnly in the gallery. She was reminded of his intimidation. She didn't dare to hide anything any longer.

She revealed everything about the hidden past. She said, "Back then… I looked after Madam Anne's day-to-day life. I did this under Mr. Javier's orders. At that time, Sophia was just Mr. Javier's mistress.

"She then became pregnant with his child. Because of that, she was temporarily accepted into the Beckett family. Even so, Mr. Beckett Senior hadn't truly acknowledged her."

Sophia's face flushed red at the word "mistress". It was as if her shame was written all over her face.

She couldn't help but roar angrily, "Who did you just call a 'mistress'? Who were you referring to?

"I wasn't a mistress! I am legitimately Mrs. Beckett! I am Javier Beckett's wife! Anne was the one who was the mistress! She was the one who stole my man!"

Javier's expression was foreboding. He wished that he could order one of his men to rush forward and shut Sophia up!

Why didn't he cherish Anne when she was by his side? She was such a gentle and virtuous woman.

Instead, he had gotten himself involved with an ungrateful woman whose desires could never be placated!

"She's mad. She's delusional."

Sophia had a vile look on her face. Alyssa stared at her coldly. She shook her head and mocked, "She was the one who stole from others. Yet, she's insisting that he was hers.

"I'm amazed at how shameless she is. It's no wonder she could bow and scrape to stay on with your family. She was even willing to be with Javier without getting married to him."

"Her subservience was just a guise back then. Mom wouldn't have died such a horrible death if Sophia was truly willing to yield."

Jasper's heart was pained. The gaze in his eyes remained dark and wintry, just like a deep body of water that was frozen over with ice.

"She can have all of Javier as much as she likes. He's a hypocrite. He doesn't deserve my mother's love."

From the side, Alyssa looked deeply at Jasper. She noticed the determination on his face, but she couldn't quite put into words how she truly felt.

She compared her circumstances and her parents with Jasper's. There was no question that she was in a way better situation than him.

That being said, she was still unable to tell how sincere Winston was with her mother, even till now. If his love for her was really as deep as the sea, shouldn't she have been the only one he loved?

Steven hammered his gavel once again. He reminded coldly, "Please calm down, defendant. Do not cause such a ruckus!"

"So, she threatened me. She made me swap Madam Anne's depression medication for regular vitamins. Her goal was to cause Madam Anne's mental condition to worsen. Through this, she wanted to make Mr. Javier detest Madam Anne."

"You're lying! I've never instructed you to do such a thing! You're making false accusations!" Sophia was livid. At the same time, she felt incredibly guilty.

"I didn't. I didn't! Shut the hell up!"

"In order to get rid of Madam Anne completely… You were no longer satisfied with replacing her depression medication. Instead, you instructed me to poison her!"

At this point, Tessa was so agitated that she stood up and pointed at Sophia.

"At that time, I was scared. I was so fearful, so I backed out. You couldn't wait any longer, and you ended up killing Madam Anne on your own!

"A long time ago, I worked at a pharmacy in a clinic. You didn't know this, but I saw the poison that you prepared for Madam Anne. It was fentanyl!"