Marrying My Father's Enemy-Chapter 158: Vanesa’s Interrogation

Chapter 158: Vanesa’s Interrogation

The metallic clink of Vanesa’s handcuffs echoed in the interrogation room as she was shoved into the seat by a stern-faced officer.

Her perfectly styled hair was in disarray, her face pale.

Across the table sat Detective Lawson and Detective Morrow, though their eyes gleamed with the sharpness of hawks circling wounded prey.

Vanesa’s gaze darted between them, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"This is a mistake," she began, her voice trembling slightly but still laced with her usual haughtiness. "I shouldn’t be here. Whatever you think I’ve done, I didn’t."

Lawson smirked faintly, leaning back in his chair.

"Of course. Everyone we bring in says that. Let’s see if your story is as convincing as theirs."

Morrow opened a slim folder, flipping through a few pages before sliding one across the table.

It was a still image taken from a grainy video. In the picture, Vanesa stood over a girl curled up on the ground, her face hidden by her arms.

Several other figures surrounded them, their faces obscured, but the smug triumph on Vanesa’s face was unmistakable.

Vanesa’s breath hitched, and she recoiled slightly. "That—" she stammered. "That’s not me. That could be anyone."

"Funny," Morrow said, tilting his head. "Because the video this came from doesn’t leave much room for doubt. Your voice is pretty distinct, wouldn’t you say?"

Vanesa clenched her jaw, her nostrils flaring as she straightened in her seat. "You can’t prove that’s me."

Lawson leaned forward, his tone conversational.

"You’re right; maybe the video isn’t enough. But then we have the statements. Witnesses who say you led a group to attack Eira Hax. That you humiliated her, filmed it, and shared the footage online. Sound familiar?"

Vanesa’s eyes flashed with anger. "That was years ago! Whatever happened back then doesn’t matter anymore."

"Oh, it matters," Lawson replied coolly. "Assault, harassment, cyberbullying—all of those charges matter a great deal. And when the victim finally comes forward..." He let the sentence hang, his meaning clear.

Vanesa crossed her arms over her chest, trying to project defiance, though her voice betrayed her mounting anxiety.

"Eira and I are fine now. We’ve moved past all of that. She doesn’t hold any grudges."

Morrow raised an eyebrow. "You and Eira are ’fine’? Is that your story?"

"It’s not a story—it’s the truth," Vanesa snapped.

"We’re not enemies anymore. If anything, we’ve come to an understanding. She knows I’ve changed."

Lawson exchanged a glance with Morrow before turning his gaze back to Vanesa. "Changed, huh? Interesting choice of words."

Vanesa narrowed her eyes. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Morrow closed the folder with deliberate slowness, leaning on his elbows as he studied her.

"It means your version of events doesn’t line up with reality. Because you see, Vanesa, the person who pressed these charges is none other than Eira herself."

The color drained from Vanesa’s face, her confidence evaporating in an instant. "That’s... that’s impossible," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Is it?" Lawson asked, his tone cold. "Because she filed the report herself. Detailed everything. Named you as the ringleader."

Vanesa’s lips parted soundlessly, her mind racing. She shook her head, as if trying to banish the thought.

"She wouldn’t do that," she muttered, more to herself than to the detectives.

"Why wouldn’t she?" Morrow asked, his tone sharp. "Because you thought she’d just forget? That she’d let it all go after what you put her through?"

"I didn’t put her through anything!" Vanesa shouted suddenly, slamming her fists on the table. The impact reverberated through the room, but the detectives didn’t flinch. "She’s lying! This is some kind of setup!"

Lawson leaned forward, his voice calm but cutting. "A setup? That’s rich. You think Eira Hax, who’s currently fighting for her life in a hospital, decided to conjure up a false report just to get back at you?"

Vanesa’s chest heaved, her breaths coming in sharp gasps. "She... she wouldn’t do this," she said again, though her conviction was faltering.

"She would," Morrow said flatly. "And she did. Maybe you underestimated how much damage you caused. Maybe you thought you’d get away with it forever."

Vanesa’s hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"This doesn’t make sense," she hissed. "Why now? Why would she wait all this time to say something?"

Lawson shrugged. "Maybe it took her this long to find the strength to stand up to you. Or maybe seeing you act like nothing happened finally pushed her over the edge. Either way, the timing doesn’t change the facts."

"I didn’t attack her," Vanesa said through gritted teeth. "And if there’s a video, then it’s been doctored. Someone’s trying to frame me."

"Who?" Morrow shot back. "Who’s framing you, Vanesa? Your friends? The witnesses who corroborated the story? The person holding the phone while you kicked Eira on the ground?"

"I didn’t kick her!" Vanesa screamed, standing so abruptly that her chair screeched against the floor. She pointed an accusatory finger at Morrow, her eyes wild. "You don’t know what you’re talking about! None of this happened the way you think!"

Lawson raised a hand, gesturing for her to sit down. "Calm down, Vanesa. Losing your temper isn’t going to help you here."

Vanesa ignored him, slamming her fists on the table again. "She’s lying! Eira’s manipulating all of you! She wants to ruin my life!"

"Ruin your life?" Lawson echoed, his voice laced with disbelief. "You assaulted her, humiliated her, and plastered it all over the internet for everyone to see. And you think you’re the victim?"

Vanesa’s breathing grew ragged, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. "You don’t understand," she said, her voice trembling. "I didn’t mean for things to go that far. It wasn’t supposed to be like that."

"Then tell us how it was supposed to be," Morrow challenged, his tone unrelenting.

Vanesa fell silent, her jaw tightening as she stared down at the table. The seconds stretched painfully, her mind a whirlwind of panic and anger.

"You don’t have an answer, do you?" Lawson said after a moment. "Because deep down, you know exactly what you did. And you’re finally realizing there’s no way out of this."

Vanesa’s head snapped up, her eyes blazing with desperation. "I didn’t do it!" she screamed, pounding the table with her fists.

"You’re trying to destroy me! You’re twisting everything!"

The detectives exchanged a glance.

"You’re only digging yourself deeper," Morrow said evenly. "The more you deny, the worse it looks. If you want any chance of defending yourself, now’s the time to start telling the truth."

Vanesa’s chest rose and fell rapidly as her fury reached its peak.

She let out a guttural scream, her fists slamming into the table with enough force to rattle the folders on its surface.

"This is a setup!" she shouted. "I won’t let you ruin me! I won’t!"

Lawson stood, his chair scraping softly against the floor. "Take a breath, Vanesa. We’re not done yet."

"You’re finished when I say you’re finished!" she shrieked, standing and leaning over the table, her face inches from Lawson’s.

Her voice cracked as she added, "I’ll fight this! Do you hear me? I’ll fight every word of it!"

Morrow remained seated, his calm demeanor unshaken. "You can scream all you want, Vanesa," he said quietly.

"But the evidence will speak louder than you ever could."

Vanesa collapsed back into her chair, her body trembling with rage.

She glared at the detectives, her lips pressed into a thin, furious line.

"I’ll prove you wrong," she hissed. "I’ll prove all of you wrong."

Lawson picked up the folder, tucking it under his arm. "Good luck with that," he said.

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