Hard as it was to say, he could not keep the truth back.
“From the viewpoint of the police, every piece of evidence weighs against him. On top of that…”
Sedatives did more than put a person to sleep. They could stir confusion, trigger erratic behavior, or strip control away altogether.
Another possibility was that Eric really did it—he acted in self-defense but used more force than necessary.
“Looking at it without bias,” Cristian murmured after a pause, “that theory cannot be ruled out. Maybe even Mr. Scott himself is uncertain about what actually happened—”
“That’s absurd!” shouted Hadley, springing to her feet before he could finish.
“No! I won’t accept that!”
“Miss Pearson.” Cristian’s voice broke slightly.
“I only wanted to—”
“That’s enough!” Ernest cut in sharply, raising his hand to stop him.
Turning toward Hadley, he softened his tone.
“Hadley, calm yourself. I stand with you on this. But we do need to consider all the possibilities. It’s just Cristian’s job. Let’s hear him out, shall we?”
“Alright.” Hadley murmured, realizing she had overreacted. She nodded quickly, her voice apologetic.
“Forgive me. Please, continue…”
“No harm done.” Cristian nodded with a quiet breath.
Her outburst made one thing certain—she still carried strong feelings for Eric, whether she admitted it or not.
Weighing his words so he would not upset Hadley again, he pressed on.
“With the facts as they are, clearing Mr. Scott entirely will be an uphill battle. What can be argued, though, is self-defense…”
Even so, that route would demand time and energy—an outcome neither the Flynn nor the Scott families desired.
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“If Mr. Scott is to walk free soon,” Cristian admitted with finality, “we must uncover fresh evidence.”
As those words left him, his eyes shifted deliberately toward…
Hadley caught the weight of Cristian’s words instantly.
“Eric didn’t do it! He must come out of this with his name untainted!”
There could be no stain left on his record.
He had to emerge from this spotless—untouched.
Abruptly, she turned on Ferris, her gaze sharp as a blade.
“They are your son and daughter!”
Ferris’ heart gave a jolt beneath that piercing stare. Then, with a slow, heavy nod, he murmured, “Yes.”
He knew exactly what she was implying.
“I’ll think of a way—”
“That’s not good enough!”
Hadley paused, then enunciated each word with icy clarity: “It. Is. A. Must.”
The corners of her eyes glistened red.
“They are all your children, yet those two now wish Eric dead! You cannot shield them all! And—”
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