Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 150

The interrogations finally concluded. Across three relentless rounds, her statements matched perfectly, and they hadn't produced a single shred of evidence proving she poisoned the dog.

"Sir, can we release her now?" a rookie officer whispered.

"No. She pissed off the wrong people. Orders from the top are to grind her down. If we find proof she did it, great. If not, we're still supposed to teach her a lesson."

"No wonder. I mean, it's a suspected pet poisoning, but they're treating it like a high-profile homicide. Anyone walking by would think we were grilling a serial killer. Poor woman. I heard her own husband was the one who called the cops on her, all for his mistress."

"Tell me about it. Go get prepped. Round four starts in five."

"Another round? We have zero evidence! If we aren't letting her go, why keep torturing her? Who did she tick off to deserve this level of hatred?"

"Her husband."

"...What a scumbag."

The interrogations stretched from day to night. Under the blinding glare of the lights, denied food and water, Summer looked like a ghost. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her temples throbbed with excruciating pain.

By the end, she simply refused to answer anything.

It was blindingly obvious what was happening. Xavier was purposely using the police to punish her.

Summer was consumed by a toxic mix of fury and anxiety.

Whether it was from staring into the harsh lights for too long or a premonition of something terrible happening outside, her right eye wouldn't stop twitching.

There was an old superstition: *Left eye twitches for wealth, right eye twitches for disaster.*

Summer's heart was flooded with an inescapable, suffocating dread.

Her mind kept flashing back to the sheer terror on Leo's face when she was dragged away.

He had been held back by the bodyguards, his little face entirely drained of color, blood still seeping from the gash on his forehead...

How was Leo doing?

She was terrified for him.

She was terrified that scumbag Xavier was completely ignoring him, and terrified that little brat Hunter was tormenting him...

Summer endured the torment until 10:00 AM the following day, when she was finally released due to insufficient evidence.

She had been locked up for exactly twenty-four hours.

Summer was physically and mentally shattered. Without her phone or any cash on her, she borrowed a phone at the station and dialed Tessa Thorne, hoping she could come pick her up.

"Who is this?"

"Tessa, it's me." Summer's voice was completely hoarse. Fearing Tessa wouldn't recognize it, she added, "It's Summer."

"Summer!!" Tessa shrieked through the receiver. "Where have you been?! I've been going insane looking for you! Get to the hospital right now. Your dad... his condition is bad. Maybe..."

By the time Maeve hung up, the Vance men had already dragged Edward out of his ward.

The doctors and nurses only dared to offer verbal warnings; none of them had the guts to physically intervene.

First, they were terrified of the elderly Vance matriarch. If she took a dive and hurt herself, the hospital would be slapped with a massive lawsuit.

Second, they were terrified for Edward. He had just undergone major brain surgery. If a physical scuffle broke out and his wounds reopened, they still couldn't handle the liability.

The medical staff didn't dare fight back, but Maeve did. She chased after them, fighting tooth and nail to stop the abduction.

But she was just one woman, and she was still recovering from her own surgery. During the violent shoving match, Maeve was thrown backward, crashing into a nurse pushing a surgical cart.

*Crash—*

The medical cart flipped violently. Vials, glass bottles, and surgical instruments scattered across the linoleum.

Maeve fell directly toward the shattered glass and a pair of razor-sharp surgical scissors pointing straight up at her.

"Maeve!"

With a sudden, impossible burst of strength, Edward shoved his brother and Jared away, throwing his body over Maeve to shield her. The surgical scissors plunged directly into Edward's heart.

By the time Tessa arrived at the hospital, Edward had already been rushed into the emergency resuscitation room.