Ch. 1481..1490

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1481-Jasper had heard Tessa's testimony many times in private. Even so, the pain in his heart was just as piercing as when he heard it for the first time.

"Fentanyl is a type of analgesic. Its usage is banned in the country. Even a slight overdose could cause death."

Tears of hatred welled up in Alyssa's eyes, which had already turned red. She had a mother, too. She could completely empathize with Jasper's pain.

Everyone present in court was staggered. The attendees in the public gallery began to chatter among themselves.

Simultaneously, the live broadcast was being streamed on the court's official website. The livestream page was also filled with a stream of comments.

From the commencement of the hearing until now, the court's official website witnessed an unprecedented surge in viewership, reshares, and comments.

"Sophia was also involved in a homicide? Is she the wife of a plutocrat, or is she the devil?"

"So, Jasper isn't an illegitimate child! Sophia married into the Beckett family after Mr. Javier's first wife passed away. She was the mistress who used her pregnancy as an excuse to become Mrs. Beckett!

"This means that the illegitimate child is actually Sophia's child! That shameless bitch! How dare she poison Jasper's mother just for the sake of marrying into the family? She's a heartless witch!"

"Sophia has two daughters. Sophia gave birth to Ms. Lauren after she became officially married to Javier. Since this is the case, Betty is the illegitimate daughter! What a shameful background she has!

How could she still act so arrogantly? I would be too ashamed to meet anyone if I were her!"

At this moment, Betty was pacing in the courthouse's toilet. She was anxious. She smoked while she scrolled through the comments online.

Her own mother had implicated her. She was being attacked by the harsh comments that were flooding in. On the other hand, Lauren was completely unscathed despite being her blood sister. novelbin Her eyes were bulging from her anger. She started screaming frantically in the empty washroom. She had perfectly inherited Sophia's trait—being a crazy bitch!

It was as if Sophia and Betty were telepathic. In the courtroom, Sophia was also screaming at Tessa, "Tessa! That's nonsense! I have never poisoned Anne! Neither have I instructed you to swap out her medication!

"She died from depression. She was the one who jumped because she couldn't bear to live! I had nothing to do with it!

"How much money did you accept from the other party? What benefits did they offer you? You haven't appeared in Solana City in the past 20 years. They plotted to capture you and then had you come up here and twist the knife at this crucial moment. This is slander!"

As Sophia said all that, she glared straight at Jasper menacingly. She looked as if she was going to leap at him to bite his head off!

Tessa's fear of Jasper's harrowing power wasn't the sole reason she decided to side with him. It was also because she had been controlled and watched by Sophia in secret for 20 whole years. She had enough of it.

She was now almost in a frenzy, relaying her experience.

"I would be struck by lightning if I was lying! Every word I said was true! Back then, you were afraid that I'd expose all of these. So, you forced me to resign and leave Seaview Manor.

"Even though this was so, you still couldn't rest easy. You even sent me to the remote Rolanda.

Throughout 20 years, you've always sent people to threaten and surveil me in secret! I lived under your watch every single day. It was no different from being imprisoned!

"I was a native of Solana City. However, I ended up spending my latter days meaninglessly in Rolanda.

I had to suffer so terribly. All these were because of you!"

She divulged her emotional journey in its entirety. Everyone found it very convincing.

The corner of Sophia's lip was twitching. She wanted to respond, but Tessa wasn't going to give her any chances to do so. Once again, she dropped a bombshell.

"You snuck into Madam Anne's room to swap out her medication at that time. To your surprise, Madam Anne returned. She caught you red-handed!

Javier's ears were ringing. His vision became blurry. His view of Sophia became distorted. He could barely recognize her now.

He was appalled. Moreover, all these had happened in his own home. Yet, he had only just found out about all these now.

"Then… I could clearly hear a heavy thud coming from Madam Anne's room. There was an intense fight between the both of you."

Sophia glowered. But she hadn't been irritated to the point where she lost her rationality. She was still clearly aware that, over the years, there had been no concrete evidence.

As long as she continued denying it, the truth of the case would never be revealed.

After listening to the statement, Simon soon became aware of his situation. He had joined hands with the villain. So, he wasn't going to let this ship sink, no matter what!

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1482-Tessa conveyed everything that she knew. She had just let out her anguish and frustration, which she had suppressed for 20 years. After that, she slumped back into the chair. She was drenched in sweat.

At this moment, she felt guilty. She regretted it from the bottom of her heart. She hated herself for being 20 years late in revealing the truth.

If only she hadn't been so greedy at the time. If only she could've been brave enough to withstand Sophia's threats and testify that she had murdered Anne.

If so, Anne could've rested in peace. As for herself, she wouldn't have had to be away from home and suffer for 20 years.

She was really foolish back then. Sophia was just Javier's mistress at that time. Why did she have to fear such a lowly woman?

If Javier and Anne reconciled, there was no way that Sophia would've become Javier's wife. She wouldn't even have remained in the Beckett family.

Sophia might have been carrying Javier's child, but she would've ended up having to leave. Only her child would be allowed to stay.

That being said, it was all too late.

The Taylors were seated in the gallery. They heard the cruel truth and empathized with Jasper and Anne. It was as if they had just witnessed the entire process of Jasper's mother's death.

Mandy, Colene, Lyla, and Tatiana already had tears streaming down their faces. Cyrus had a glum expression on his face. Even Jonah, who was usually as cool as a cucumber, was also on the verge of tears.

He and his brothers, along with Alyssa, lost their mother at a young age. However, they were more blessed compared to Jasper. It wasn't the most painful thing to experience losing their mother to illness.

The greatest pain was when one's mother died an unjust death and couldn't rest in peace.

"Judge Lynch, I have a few questions for the witness regarding this case." Simon stood up. His gaze was dark.

Alyssa and Jasper guessed that he was surely going to create trouble. In order to secure his own future, he had to do all he could to side with Sophia. This was something that they had already expected. Even so, they still felt their chests tighten.

Steven nodded with a serious look on his face. "Go ahead."

Simon walked to the front of Tessa. The way he stared at her was enough to send chills down one's spine. "Ms. Flores, you accused my client of being Anne Bartley's murderer. May I ask if you have actually witnessed her pushing Anne Bartley down?

"You only have to answer yes or no. There's no need for further elaboration."

Sean knitted his brows together tightly. He clenched his fists.

Tessa could only answer with honesty, "No, I didn't. But I clearly heard that…"

Simon slammed the table, making Tessa jump. "There will be a sound whenever objects knock into one another. People outside could have heard me slamming the table. Would they also assume that I am committing a murder?"

Sean lifted his hand and interrupted in a deep voice, "Judge Lynch, I object! The defense just made a call for speculation using the straw man fallacy!"

Steven responded, "Defense, please refrain from speculative questions.

"Even though fentanyl is an analgesic, it is common knowledge that a slight increase in dosage would be sufficient to cause death."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1483-"It's fine if you say that. The deceased fell to her death. Even though my client was at the scene, there is no one who can prove that my client has anything to do with the victim's death."

Upon saying that, Simon looked at Steven with a serious look. "Judge Lynch, the witness whom the plaintiff's attorney summoned, is in no way a direct witness in this case.

"Moreover, the witness vanished for 20 years before coming out to give her statement. It has been 20 years. Wouldn't her memory already be fuzzy? Might she have colluded with someone else in secret? Her statement is unreliable!"

There was pin-drop silence in the room. Furious, everyone looked toward Simon's despicable-looking side profile.

Sophia hung her head low. She was trying her best to control her facial expressions, so much so that the muscles on her face were beginning to spasm.

She was terrified. She was worried that she'd suddenly lose control and burst out laughing.

She thought to herself, "Anne, you bitch! You couldn't even beat me while you were alive. Did you think that you'd be able to win after you died? What a joke!"

They had come to a dead end. Sean's eyes were bloodshot with fury. He sat back down, albeit feeling dissatisfied. The Taylors really felt like ripping Sophia apart.

"Damn it! Why do we have to go through all this trouble? We should've sent someone to the detention center in the first place. Then, have them strangle her in there, just like how David was dealt with. Or, they should just dunk her head in the toilet bowl and make her drown!"

Colene was up in arms. "Not only that, Simon's breath stinks like shit! I wasn't cruel enough. I should cut off his tongue so that he can no longer speak!"

Mandy's heart ached over what Anne went through. She shook her head and sighed, "It is too easy to get rid of someone. If this continues, no one in the world would ever know the truth behind Jasper's mother's death. Then, he wouldn't be able to seek justice for his mother, who had died unjustly."

"Not just that, Javier would also never regret his heartlessness and foolishness,"

Lyla said coldly.

Mandy raised the corner of her lip in disdain. She said frigidly, "Now that it has come to this, Jasper no longer cares what Javier thinks. Javier didn't even bother to ensure that his beloved wife's cause of death was properly investigated.

"He then blindly became married to a murderer for 20 years. What do you think he'd do even if he knew the truth? He's such an arrogant man. I don't think that he'd feel much regret.

"If I were Ms. Bartley, I couldn't care less even if Javier came to my grave to beg for forgiveness! He'd just be a nuisance to me!"

Even at this critical juncture, Jasper maintained a calm expression. He looked so calm that it was so nerve-racking to watch.

Then, he turned his gaze slowly toward Silas, the prosecutor.

The direct examination and cross-examination segments were over.

Initially, Sean thought that he had turned the tide. Contrary to his expectation, Simon had pushed back.

Bright-eyed, Silas rose to his feet. He gave a nod of acknowledgment to the judge and the people in the public gallery.

The moment Silas looked away, she mouthed, "Good luck."

"After our investigation, I've prepared a few questions for the defendant, Sophia Kirkman."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1484-Silas spoke with confidence. He watched Sophia with a piercingly sharp gaze.

He looked as if he was able to see through her. His overbearance was not to be belittled.

Sophia's heart was pounding. She felt a lump stuck in her throat. Even Simon felt his chest tighten.

He had heard that Silas was the top prosecutor in Solana City. He was a stubborn man and extremely difficult to handle.

The job of a prosecutor was very sensitive. They were people in a position of power. The powerful and wealthy often want a prosecutor or two on their side.

This was so they could use the prosecutors at a crucial moment.

Many prosecutors looked righteous. However, they would work for the tycoons in secret, with both parties reaping mutual benefits.

As for Silas, he wasn't just born with an overwhelming sense of justice. He was even the second generation of a plutocrat.

What would happen if anyone tried to bribe him?

Hah, his pockets were so deep that they'd be suffocated!

Silas presented new evidence.

An image of a plastic evidence bag appeared on the screen. In the bag was a white-colored medicine bottle.

Sophia glanced at the screen and frowned. Surprise was written all over her face.

"Ms. Kirkman, do you remember this medicine bottle?" Silas questioned as he looked at her with an icy gaze.

Sophia shook her head blankly. She replied, "I don't. I don't know what that is."

Silas couldn't help but scoff. He asked in a pressing tone, "You don't know what that is? This was the vessel that you had used to commit murder. How could you be unaware of it?"

Simon's heart began to race. He was a smart man. Yet, he couldn't figure out what Silas had in his mind at this moment.

"What… What vessel? I have never killed anyone. How could there be a vessel used for murder? I don't know anything about that!" Sophia was breaking out in cold sweat. But she could still remember Simon's words.

It didn't matter who questioned her or what questions were thrown at her. He reminded her to keep on denying everything thrown her way.

Other than that, she was to say that she didn't know about it. She had to make sure that she wasn't being led around by the nose.

"The witness didn't actually witness your act of murder. But there are traces of you administering poison."

Silas squinted. He cocked an eyebrow and stated, "Perhaps you think that there's no longer any evidence to begin the re-investigation of this case with.

After all, 20 years have already passed.

"But I want to let you know that you are too naive. A witness's testimony may not be completely reliable. However, material evidence will always be there. So long as you don't have them destroyed in time, they will always be there. Material evidence doesn't lie.

"Even if you had intentionally destroyed evidence at that time, investigation technology has progressed rapidly since then. There may have been aspects that couldn't be examined 20 years ago. It would be easy for us to look into them now."

Sophia was so frightened that she had turned pale. Her mind replayed everything that had happened in Anne's room 20 years ago.

Indeed, she had planned to poison her. Nonetheless, Anne had caught her in the act. So, she wasn't able to go through with her plan to poison Anne.

Sophia was exasperated. Thus, amidst their fight, her hand slipped. She ended up pushing Anne down.

What other evidence could there be?

She couldn't have left any other evidence at the scene.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1485-"I… I didn't. I didn't poison her!" Sophia was essentially being put on the spot.

Silas disregarded her denial. He continued in a deep, cold voice, "At that time, you panicked. You fled from the crime scene. But you forgot to take this medicine bottle with you.

"That year, the victim's death was determined to be a suicide. This made you let your guard down. You never went back to the scene to double-check.

"The Beckett family figured that it was bad luck that someone had died in that room. So, they ended up locking the room up. Unexpectedly, this unintentional decision has helped the police preserve the crime scene to this day.

"This medicine bottle used to contain the victim's depression medication. It was placed by her bedside. Its contents were swapped out. But there was some drug residue in the bottle.

"We lifted samples for testing and found that it wasn't fentanyl. It was cyanide."

Cyanide?

That was the most poisonous of all poisons! Coming into contact with it would be sufficient to cause death, let alone ingesting it.

The room was in an uproar.

Sophia was vicious indeed!

Sophia's thoughts were scrambled. As a murderer, she was now able to understand how it felt to be wrongly accused. She was hysterical. She tried to explain herself.

"I didn't! I didn't use that to poison Anne! You're making false accusations!"

"I'm falsely accusing you? Your fingerprints were on the medicine bottle. If I have made false accusations, please explain why that was so?"

Silas had a piercing look in his eyes. He continued to put pressure on her. "Let me recount the sequence of events in this crime. First, you entered Anne Bartley's room. Then, you came up with an excuse to get her to take her medication. This caused her to die from poisoning.

"As for you, you were afraid that your crime would be exposed. Hence, you threw Ms. Bartley from her balcony. You staged the scene as though she had committed suicide by leaping off the building!"

Sophia shook her head vigorously. She was at her breaking point. "No, it wasn't like that!"

Silas quirked his brows. He slammed the table and rose to his feet. "Let me remind you, Ms. Kirkman, that Ms. Bartley is now buried at East Side Lyon Cemetery. We can exhume her body for an autopsy with the agreement of her family members.

"With the advancements in technology, even with only her skeletal remains remaining, we can conduct tests to ascertain whether her demise resulted from a fall or poisoning."

"No! That's not true! I didn't poison her!"

Sophia grabbed onto the metal railings. Her eyes were bloodshot. Like a mad woman, she shook the railings.

"She was the one who wanted to hit me. So, I fought back! I ended up pushing her down by accident! I didn't poison her!"

The cat was finally let out of the bag.

It was true that she was falsely accused. Pressuring her was also part of the strategy.

She wouldn't have admitted to something she never did if she was truly innocent and free of guilt. It wouldn't have mattered how others accused or slandered her.

Sophia suddenly realized what had happened. She covered her mouth with her hands. She froze in shock.

Nonetheless, it was all too late.

Everyone had heard every single word that she had just uttered.

The entire courtroom fell into a silence so profound that even a pin drop would have been audible.

A wave of sorrow surged from within. The pain spread through every nerve of his body and to his limbs.

Jasper had said, "My mother is not a weakling who would seek to be liberated through death! She died because of Sophia…"

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1486-It was because Sophia pushed Anne down.

Sophia was a hypocritical, crafty, and villainous woman. She murdered the love of Javier's life. Yet, he was entirely in the dark. Not only that, he had kept the murderer by his side and protected her for 20 whole years!

Sophia deserved to die, but Javier wasn't any better.

Javier clenched his teeth, his gaze piercing straight at Sophia, who looked pale.

His eyes were filled with hatred, and his heart ached.

The evocation of Anne's presence haunted him. It was like a nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. Unconsciously, a tear trickled from the corner of his eye.

Not a single tear was shed at Anne's funeral, yet at this moment, an overwhelming sense of grief washed over him. Despite that, it felt too late now; shedding tears seemed meaningless.

Simon staggered backward. He looked at Sophia in extreme shock. He felt as if someone had pulled the rug from under his feet.

At this very moment, he finally understood.

From the very beginning, Silas' so-called evidence never existed. He claimed to recount the sequence of events. But he only did so to put pressure on Sophia to question her. It was all fiction that he had come up with.

He had been setting things up from his very first word. He led the way step by step. Eventually, he forced Sophia to the point of no return.

Simon shut his eyes. He was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. He kept trying to think of a way out. However, he couldn't come up with any other strategy, no matter how he racked his brains.

Sophia had confessed in court. She admitted to pushing Anne down. Not even God could save her now.

The Taylors were agitated to the point of tears. Colene almost screamed.

Fortunately, Mandy stopped her just in time.

Jonah felt as if his heart was in his throat. He suppressed his whirling emotions.

He glanced over at Cyrus, who was by his side. "You've all really put on an interesting show." "Silas, Lyse, and I were only playing supporting roles."

Cyrus looked toward Jasper in admiration. "Our brilliant brother-in-law was the one who planned all of these out. He followed the clues and found the witness, who was in Rolanda.

"He was also the one who thought of presenting false evidence in court.

Through this, he wanted to aggravate Sophia into a panic. He wanted to make her lose her nerve and confess. He's one sneaky chap! How sinister!"

Jonah shuddered. Surprisingly, he felt a little fearful. "That was too risky. Indeed, it was a thrilling show. But Silas had to put his future as a prosecutor on the line.

Even if he had cooperated with Jasper willingly, what if Sophia continued scheming? What if she made it to the end without confessing? What was your plan, then?"

Cyrus remained silent for a moment. He then chuckled helplessly. "But Jonah, we had no other choice. It was a do-or-die situation. We wouldn't stand a chance if we didn't take this risk.

"I suppose that Jasper's mother was watching over him from up there. That was how we managed to win this time."

Upon hearing that, Jonah couldn't help but choke on his tears. He had no words to express how touched he felt.

"Finally… we've won."

"Yes, we've finally won."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1487-"No… No… No!"

Sophia shook the metal railing so much that they were rattling. She continued to protest. She looked at Silas with a ferocious look on her face.

She shouted, "Silas! You used false evidence to deceive me! As a prosecutor, how could you present false evidence? You were misusing your power! This is malpractice! Your evidence should be made inadmissible!"

Silas stared at her mockingly. He didn't look afraid of her at all.

It was indeed his dream to become a just prosecutor. This time, he had risked being suspended when he used false evidence to trick Sophia.

That said, he didn't regret it a single bit.

It didn't matter who it was who was seeking justice. It could've been someone other than Alyssa's lover. The victim could've been someone other than Jasper's mother. He would have done the same without any hesitation.

His duty wasn't merely to adhere to the procedures of a prosecutor but to ensure justice prevailed, even if it meant confronting the darkest truths at any cost.

"You're right in saying that the evidence was false. This medicine bottle is different from the one you had in the first place. Your prints were not on this bottle either.

"Nonetheless, you have confessed to murder. You admitted to pushing the victim downstairs. This is irrefutable evidence!

"No matter what evidence I presented or how I tried to deceive you, you wouldn't have said all these if you were truly innocent!

"You committed murder 20 years ago, and for 20 years, you've been the wife of a plutocrat. You didn't have to commit murder with your own hands. You could have always contracted a killer.

"You might not necessarily be sentenced to death for your crime this time.

However, justice will prevail. Today, you must pay for the sin you committed 20 years ago!"

Silas' every word struck a chord in everyone's hearts.

Everyone in the gallery was silent. The reporters outside the courtroom also kept quiet. Even the viewers watching the livestream on the courthouse's official website paused.

The silence around them was deafening.

Right at this time, an ear-piercing screech came from the sound system on both sides of the courtroom. Shortly after, a recording played through the sound system. It was the recording that Nina had risked her life to record.

Only a snippet—the most important part of the recording was played. Everyone recognized Sophia's voice immediately.

The Becketts and Alyssa's family recognized that the other voice belonged to Betty. Other than them, no one else could tell that the other person in the recording was Betty.

"What… What is this? How is this recording being played?"

The police officers headed to the AV room to have a look. The judges were shocked, too!

Steven was the only one with a calm expression on his face. As a judge, it was his duty to maintain order in the courtroom.

However, he chose to keep silent at this moment.

Sophia was like a zombie who had just lost her soul then. Her entire body went limp, and she crumpled to the floor.

Despite her mental fortitude, even the most villainous individuals had a breaking point.

At the same time, Betty was shaking like a leaf. She was biting her fingernails until they almost bled. "Lyse, this voice recording. Was it your doing?" Jasper grabbed Alyssa's hand and asked in surprise. Alyssa had a confused look on her face, too. She blinked and answered, "It wasn't me. If I had made any arrangements, I would've told you in the first instance."

All of a sudden, her cell phone started vibrating in her purse. She pulled her phone out to check. To her surprise, it was a text message from Axel.

"Lyse, did you like the surprise I prepared for you all?"

Alyssa gasped. She typed her reply as quickly as she could. "Axel, the recording. You were the one who played it?"

"Out of all your brothers, who else but myself has the ability to hack into the courthouse's computer system? Even your partner, my school's alumnus, doesn't know this trick of mine."

Alyssa narrowed her eyes. "Are you seeing someone, Axel?"

Axel: "Seeing someone? I don't have time for that. No way!"

Alyssa: "How did you learn to be so cheeky?"

Axel: "Hey, I was just helping all of you relieve some of the solemnness and pressure."

Alyssa was just teasing him. Deep down, she did indeed feel more at ease.

Hurriedly, she showed Jasper her message exchange with Axel. She leaned her head against his.

"When is Axel coming back? I need to thank him in person." Jasper's eyes were full of gratitude.

"Uh. You scared him off with your drinking skills the last time. I'm guessing that he wouldn't want to see you again so soon." Alyssa shrugged.

Jasper chuckled. He hadn't even shown his full capability yet.

The interlude in the courtroom ended. The court session resumed.

Right after Steven said that, Javier stood up. The air around him was frosty. He left without turning back.

However, the only response she received was the sound of the door closing heavily.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1488-The corridor was previously empty. The loud footsteps of the Beckett family broke the silence in the hallway.

Javier had a frosty expression on his face. His eyes were red. He was seething with rage as he strutted forward. The Beckett family members behind him held their breath.

Rory followed closely behind Javier. He kept a straight expression on his face.

But this hearing gave him an inexplicable feeling of relief in his heart.

His heart harbored unspoken words for far too long.

He had been in Javier's employ for a considerable time, witnessing Sophia's claim and enjoying everything that rightfully belonged to Anne. However, as a secretary, he could only go along with it. He had no other choice but to show respect to Sophia. This irked him. It made him feel indignant.

Fortunately, justice prevailed.

Even so, Rory pretended to be worried. He probed, "Mr. Javier, the verdict will be announced at 3:00 pm. Is there anything else that you need to get done before this? I can help you out if you have anything in mind…"

Javier shot him a fierce look before he could even finish his sentence. He interrupted gruffly, "Am I the mad one, or have you gone mad? Why do I have to save a lowly and evil murderer time and time again?

"She murdered Anne! She killed the woman I loved the most! Saving her? I wish that I could kill her with my own hands this instant!"

There were many people in the corridor. Everyone was taken aback. The corridor was filled with dead silence.

Rory lowered his hands to his side immediately. He felt more at ease now. He said softly, "Understood."

Javier took a few steps forward. Unexpectedly, he bumped into Betty. She was looking disconcerted.

"Dad…"

Betty stopped in her tracks instantly. She stood stiffly in front of Javier. Her heart was pounding, and her legs were shaking.

Javier's face was expressionless. He took a step toward her. He glared at her through his bloodshot eyes.

"Dad. Mom, she. "

He raised his hand and gave her one hard slap. Betty shrieked.

She was already feeling weak from terror. She wasn't able to withstand the slap.

She fell straight to the ground. She started seeing stars and wasn't able to get back up.

The slap was painful. But more than that, her pride had taken a hit. She felt crushed.

Javier was her father. He didn't care about not embarrassing her. He had slapped her in front of so many people on the Becketts' side. He was essentially directing his anger at Sophia toward her.

"You ungrateful twat! How dare you show yourself in front of me?"

"You have always caused trouble since a young age. Now that you're older, you can't even tell right from wrong. You've simply allowed that witch to string you along!"

"Dad, I wasn't aware. I wasn't aware of anything." Betty cupped her swollen face in her hands. She tried to gain sympathy. Her eyes welled up with tears as she feigned innocence and sought pity.

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1489-"Everyone heard the recording played in the courtroom just now!" Javier was so pissed off that his breathing had become uneven. He growled, "Others might not have recognized your voice. But of course I could!

"Right from the start… you were fully aware of Sophia's actions. You knew she hired a hitman! Not only did you conceal it from me, but you actively assisted her in keeping it a secret. You must be out of your mind!"

Betty denied, "No. That's not it."

"Don't you know that you were harboring a criminal? You are an accomplice! Did you want to follow in Sophia's footsteps and end up imprisoned?"

Betty was scared shitless. She was flustered. She knelt by Javier's feet. Tear stains marked her face as she gazed up at him. She pleaded, "Dad! I was wrong. I now know that what I did was wrong!

"All those things. She made me do them! She's my mother. Those things that she asked me to do, I didn't dare to go against her! I was too mindlessly obedient. I was dumb!

"Please, I beg you. You cannot let me end up in prison! I am your daughter.

Could you bear to see me end up in prison?

"Also, can our family afford to have another family member go to jail? The Schmidt family already took a hit because of it. You've worked tirelessly to manage the Beckett Group. Are you hoping the Beckett Group ends up in ruins just like the Schmidt Group?"

Javier's dark pupils constricted as he yelled, "Bugger off!"

Betty scooted to the side hurriedly and made way for Javier. She watched as he walked past her.

A series of footsteps sounded as others walked by her, too. Not a single person stopped to help her up. This made her feel even more ashamed.

"Damn it. Goddamn it!"

Betty punched the ground with her fists. She screamed and cursed in the empty hallway.

"Hey, this is the courthouse, not a circus! Go outside to scream instead!" Two police officers approached her to throw her out. They carried hateful expressions on their faces.

Betty's face flushed red in embarrassment. She gathered up her strength to stand back up.

She stumbled awkwardly. She was taken aback the moment she stood back up.

At the opposite end of the hallway, bathed in a stream of sunlight, stood the Taylors. They had observed her humiliating display.

Betty, who once relished provoking Alyssa whenever she crossed her path, now refrained from uttering a word. She hastily retreated with her tail tucked between her legs.

"What a wretched family." Colene clicked her tongue. She crossed her arms and mocked, "Was there some sort of genetic mutation? How could Sophia end up having two daughters who are worlds apart?

"Ms. Lauren is such a sweet and lovely lady. As for Betty… She's like a character straight out of The Witcher. She's vulgar, dumb, and evil!

"Even her obnoxious mother would've been better than her when she was 20 years younger!"

Upon hearing that, the gaze in Alyssa's eyes dimmed slightly. She couldn't help but feel a hint of suspicion.

Betty didn't bear much resemblance to Javier, whether personality-wise or even by how she looked.

When they stood together, one wouldn't even think they were father and daughter.

"Lyse? Are you okay? What were you so focused on?" Jasper whispered. He gave her a slight tug on her waist.

Alyssa leaned on him. She pressed her lips together slightly and replied, "It's nothing."

Can’t Win Me Back Chapter 1490-The court session resumed at 3:00 pm sharp.

The entire session was still being live-streamed. Everyone was now familiar with the presiding judge, the prosecutor, the plaintiff, and the defendant.

In the morning, the public gallery was packed to the brim. Now, it was just Alyssa, Jasper, and their family and friends. The quietness was chilling.

None of the other Becketts were present. Even Sophia's daughter, Betty, was too embarrassed to attend the session.

Sophia and Jeffrey walked out one after another. Their hands were cuffed. Once again, they were led to their respective seats in humiliation.

Metal railings separated Sophia and the rest of the courtroom. Her hair was in disarray. She was expressionless. She scanned the gallery with a blank look in her eyes.

She observed that only the Taylor family remained. A twisted expression took over her face, and she couldn't help herself and burst out laughing.

Steven frowned. He tapped the gavel. He coldly instructed, "Please be quiet, defendant!"

Simultaneously, Simon struggled to maintain his composure. His face was rigid, as if a light touch might shatter him.

In essence, he was experiencing defeat.

Sean was assisting Gemma, holding onto her arm as they proceeded to the plaintiff's seat. He offered gentle pats on her back in an attempt to provide comfort.

She was already 80 years old. It was hard enough for her to get through the tumultuous session in the morning. She barely had anything to eat at noon because she was too worried.

She waited all the way until now for the court's final verdict on both Sophia and Jeffrey.

Sean took note of all these. His heart ached, and he felt terrible for her. He had been preparing for this hearing day and night. He swore to be in his best condition. He wanted to do his very best to make Sophia plead guilty.

However, he knew it was insufficient to rely on his capabilities. This time, Alyssa and Jasper had helped to strategize. Other than that, Silas had helped to turn the tide. Sophia wouldn't have confessed to her crime in court if it weren't for them.

They noticed that Steven now looked slightly different than when they were in the earlier session. He now had glasses on.

The Lynch brothers knew their brother, Steven, very well. Unbeknownst to the public, he was someone who paid attention to his image. He was severely shortsighted. So, he would usually have contact lenses on in public.

He reserved the use of his glasses for moments of gravity and significance, treating it as a personal ritual.

The room was silent.

Steven stood up. He had a stern expression on his face. He lifted the written verdict with his hands. He read it out in a clear and strong voice, "I hereby announce the verdict on Jeffrey Snyder for first-degree murder."

Everyone held their breath. They were focused. Jeffrey, on the other hand, didn't look as gloomy. He even looked slightly relaxed.

Being a foreigner in this country and with Sophia sharing the blame, he anticipated receiving a 20-year sentence before ultimately being deported back to Tsulu.

He wasn't concerned about being in his fifties 20 years later. At least, he would only be middle-aged. He would still have a life to live after his release.

That thought made him smirk slightly. He was pleased.

"We believe that the defendant showed no remorse after committing murder in exchange for money. Subsequently, he fled the country.