After All the Hurt, She Chose Herself novel Chapter 276

"I do not consent to a second autopsy. As of right now, I am dropping the investigation into Lilith's death."

Flora's eyes widened in shock. "Charles, what are you... doing here?"

Upon entering, Charles first greeted the elders, gave a polite nod to Raphael, and then turned to her.

"You can be here, but I can't?"

Panic flared in Flora's chest. She had lied to him, and now she had been caught red-handed.

She instinctively reached out to grab his hand, but Charles took a slight step back, avoiding her touch.

"The investigation ends here."

"No!"

Flora's eyes were red as she aggressively seized his arm.

"Charles, Lilith died under suspicious circumstances. Are you seriously letting this go because you still have feelings for Aria?!"

Charles pressed his lips into a tight line.

"Do you even know what a second autopsy entails? She would be cut into pieces. Even if the truth comes out, do you think she'd be able to rest in peace?"

A second procedure would leave the body completely disfigured. What would they do for the funeral?

Were they going to make the mourners pay their respects to an urn of ashes?

Flora gritted her teeth. "You aren't her immediate family, Charles. Whether we do a second autopsy isn't up to you."

She had crossed the point of no return. If Lilith's death didn't destroy Aria, she would never get another chance.

Flora yanked her hand away and immediately dialed Roxanne.

Charles didn't believe his sister would ever agree to this.

How could she bear the thought of her daughter's body being desecrated again? He had seen the state she was in at home.

"Officer, I have the victim's immediate family on the line. Please notify the medical examiner to prepare for a second autopsy. She will be here shortly."

Charles stared in disbelief at the phone screen Flora was holding up.

Roxanne's broken, sobbing voice drifted from the speaker.

Could a mother who truly loved her daughter ever consent to a second autopsy?

Especially while insisting it was a homicide, hell-bent on pinning the blame on Aria.

If you stripped away Roxanne's identity as Lilith's mother, her motives aligned perfectly with Flora's.

It wasn't about getting justice for Lilith.

It was about destroying Aria.

A sudden chill ran down Aria's spine.

She looked at Raphael, emphasizing every word. "I'm starting to think there really is something wrong with Lilith's death."

Everyone had been waiting for Lilith to die. Her death was the perfect catalyst to legally pin a murder charge on Aria.

From branding Gideon as the widower at the funeral to demanding this second autopsy, Roxanne's true target had always been her.

She was exacting her revenge, even if it meant using her own daughter as a pawn!