His Regret Arrived Three Days Late novel Chapter 45

Seeing Annika’s unwavering confidence, Conrad’s brow furrowed slightly. He turned to Hank. “Get Micah here.”

“Right away.”

Hank had already found the technician’s number in his contacts. A second later, he was on the phone. “Micah, get over to the Sargent family villa on Zion Road, now.”

Micah, the Beryl Group’s top tech expert, arrived in a flurry. After examining the photos on Annika’s phone, he delivered his verdict. “There are no seams or signs of manipulation. These are not doctored.”

Yelena tried to argue. “But I don’t even know that girl. Sir, could you please check again?”

Micah’s temper flared, but before he could retort, Hank’s voice cut in, cool and steady. “Yelena, are you questioning the skills of the Beryl Group’s technical staff?”

It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

Faced with Micah’s glare, Yelena didn’t dare press the issue. Instead, she shifted tactics. “Even if they’re not doctored, these pictures don’t prove anything.”

Annika’s voice was like ice, each word sharp and deliberate. “First, you gave this woman money, which means there was a transaction between you. Second, this is the woman who was involved in the rape case against my father’s lawyer, Derek, causing him to be absent from the trial.”

Her words hit their mark, laying out the damning truth: Yelena had bribed the woman to entrap Derek, which prevented Marcus from being released on bail and led to his death in prison. In other words, Yelena was the one responsible for Marcus’s murder. A woman who had plotted to kill Marcus was now publicly demanding to pay her respects—a vicious slap in her own face.

She turned on Annika, her voice filled with venom. “You’re so cruel, Annika!”

She hadn’t expected that a simple act would land her mother in prison. Serena’s eyes were red with fury, her body trembling.

“Get out,” Annika ground out from between her teeth.

But Serena refused to leave, her audacity growing. “Conrad,” she begged weakly, “my mother is innocent, I know she is. You can’t let them do this to her!”

Annika couldn’t stand to watch Serena’s pathetic act a moment longer. She closed her eyes, her voice devoid of all warmth. “Conrad, take the woman you love and get out.”