The audio recording Vivian Quinn provided has been verified by the police!
The recording was kept confidential, so the Wentworth family, unaware of this developnt, showed up to cause a scene.
Nurous relatives from the Wentworth family had arrived, including many elders. Out of respect, Jett Sterling let them in.
Shirley Wentworth was dressed in mourning clothes, her face stained with tears as she glared resentfully at Vivian Quinn.
"Shirley Wentworth, are you out of your damn mind?" Ian Sterling exploded. "Don’t you know the customs in Aethelgard? Showing up at soone’s ho in mourning clothes is a curse!"
"I *am* cursing Vivian Quinn. Is there a problem with that?" Shirley Wentworth sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Vivian Quinn is a murderer! I ca here today to get justice for my father!"
"Why don’t you shut the hell up! The Sterling family hasn’t interfered with the police investigation. The police haven’t even nad a suspect, so what gives you the right to stand here barking like a mad dog?!"
"The truth is staring you in the face! Vivian Quinn killed my father!" Shirley cried. "The Sterling family might not have interfered openly, but what about behind the scenes? I don’t believe Jett hasn’t been pulling strings in secret!"
"If you have doubts, you can report it and have a higher authority investigate," Jett Sterling said coldly. "Facts are facts. I will make sure you accept the truth without a single doubt."
"Jett, are you really going to be this reckless for the sake of one woman?"
The speaker was an old man leaning on a cane.
"Third Great-Uncle!" Shirley Wentworth cried, dropping to her knees before him. "You see? Jett is dead set on protecting a murderer! Does that an my father died for nothing? You have to get justice for him!"
"Shirley, get up." The Third Great-Uncle’s expression was stern. "I’ve swallowed my pride to co to the Sterling family today precisely to seek justice for your father. Jett, I know all about what happened between you and Shirley. You’re free to dislike her, and you can selfishly take the child she bore for you, but you cannot disregard a human life!"
"Shirley Wentworth’s father never wronged you. And to be fair, he was a good father. The night before the incident, he ca to see and we talked for a long ti. He said that no matter what, he had to protect his daughter. That’s why he swallowed his pride and went to beg your wife. For a man of his age and status to have to plead with soone from a younger generation... yet he did so without a single complaint."
"Jett, you’re a father now too. Do you really believe that a father who loved his child so dearly deserved to die?"
"I never said Chairman Wentworth deserved to die." Jett Sterling, sitting in his wheelchair, looked at the hostile crowd opposite him and spoke in a calm, asured tone. "You said on the phone that you and my grandfather were kindred spirits, friends who were forced to be rivals. That is the only reason I allowed you inside. It does not an I will permit you to slander my wife."
"I know the police investigation has progressed and has cleared my wife, which is why the Wentworth family is getting desperate. I don’t believe you’re foolish enough to be unaware of this, nor do I believe you’re incapable of learning that I have not interfered with the investigation. So you co to my door demanding an explanation. How is this behavior any different from a child throwing a tantrum on the floor when they can’t get their way?"
The expressions on their faces changed.
"I had a great deal of respect for Chairman Wentworth, and I am saddened by his death. But he is gone. The best you can do now is wait for the police to find the real killer and, in doing so, preserve his dignity—which is also the dignity of the Wentworth family," Jett Sterling said icily. "When the killer is eventually found, and it’s proven not to be my wife, but soone else entirely, won’t you find your actions today utterly laughable and disgraceful?"
The Third Great-Uncle’s expression grew thoughtful. He looked at Shirley Wentworth, who was still kneeling on the floor. "You told with such conviction that Vivian Quinn was the murderer. Why, then, is Jett just as convinced that she is not?"
Shirley Wentworth gritted her teeth. "Third Great-Uncle, Jett has clearly been bewitched by Vivian Quinn! All the evidence at the scene pointed to her. She’s the one who killed my father!"
Jett Sterling scoffed. "Third Great-Uncle, you may not be aware, but Shirley’s paranoia has reached a new level. If the Wentworth family wants to have a discussion with , that’s fine. But send soone sane to do it."
A wounded expression crossed Shirley Wentworth’s face. "Jett, how can you say that about ? We were once a couple... Even if I’m worthless in your eyes now, I still bore you a child. Don’t our past feelings an anything to you?"
Jett Sterling’s expression turned glacial in an instant. "What else are you good for, other than using the child you bore to upset my wife?"
Shirley gritted her teeth. "That’s right! I want to make her uncomfortable. It’s a fact that I bore you a child, and there’s nothing wrong with stating a fact! Just like it’s a fact that Vivian Quinn murdered my father!"
"Easton Rivers," Jett Sterling commanded, "throw her out. As for the rest of them, if they aren’t willing to leave on their own, you have my permission to use force."
Easton Rivers bowed his head. "Yes."
"Jett!" Vincent Wentworth hurried over to diate. "Third Great-Uncle is an elder, after all. For my sake, please show him so respect."
"If I didn’t respect him, he wouldn’t have made it through the door."
"I know." Vincent Wentworth walked over to the Third Great-Uncle. "Shirley can be a bit extre. She’s taking advantage of your affection for her to get you to back her up, but the truth may not be what she claims. We should wait for the official police report."
"Brother, how can you speak about like that?" Shirley Wentworth shot to her feet. "Can we really trust the results of the police investigation? Vivian Quinn is walking free right now. It’s obvious Jett must have pulled so strings and bribed the police!"
"Do you think Aethelgard is our family’s personal kingdom? That we can just bribe our way through sothing like this?" Ian Sterling’s lip twitched. "Shirley Wentworth, I’m starting to doubt you’re really the Wentworth heiress. How could the Wentworth family possibly raise soone so stupid?"
"The man who died was your father, the Chairman of the Wentworth Group, and the Sterling family is involved. Countless people are following this case, and countless eyes are on the police. Do you really think this is sothing that can be easily bought?"
Shirley raged, "Ian Sterling, this is no place for a punk like you to butt in!"
"Why you little—"
"Ian Sterling is right," Vincent Wentworth said, cutting off their argunt. "Jett may have the power to do sothing like that, but he didn’t. Our aunt and I both looked into it. You might not believe , but you can’t possibly doubt our aunt."
Ruby Wentworth, who had arrived with Vincent, stepped forward at the opportune mont. "Shirley, you need to calm down. If we can’t even trust the police, who can we trust?"
She turned to Jett Sterling. "I made so inquiries. Normally, the police would have brought Miss Quinn in for questioning. But I heard that new evidence has cleared her of suspicion. Jett, you found a clue and gave it to the police, didn’t you?"
"We’re the victim’s family. We have a right to know about any developnts in the case. I hope that whatever clues you have, you’ll share them with us imdiately. My brother hasn’t even been cremated yet. We just want to find the truth first, so he doesn’t have to pass on with this injustice unresolved."
"If even the police can’t disclose clues, then naturally, neither can I. I’ll say it again: wait for the truth to co to light," Jett Sterling stated, his face devoid of expression. "Vincent can stay. The rest of you may leave."
Vincent said reassuringly, "Aunt Ruby, why don’t you take Third Great-Uncle and the others ho first? I’ll have a chat with Jett."
"Very well," Ruby said. "It would be for the best if you and Jett could work together to find the truth."
"Don’t worry."
After seeing his family off, Vincent Wentworth was led by Nanny Jenner to Jett Sterling’s study. "Jett, you have sothing to tell ?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)