"I thought it was almost over, but I didn't expect the workload to still be so heavy. Gathering evidence is really too difficult."

"Back when the big boss was checking homework, I thought that must be the ultimate torture. I was too naive. I didn't expect there would be surveillance after that. Smile"

"I actually can't tell which is scarier, work or surveillance. Skullhead"

"Big boss: Love me, are you scared? ...Super scared."

"In TV dramas, don't they just bluff and get a confession? Maybe we should get a negotiation expert to try."

"But in reality, most criminals won't shed tears until they see the coffin, and some won't even cry then. Even with ironclad evidence in front of them, they can still cry out their innocence so much that they almost believe it themselves. The ones who can be shaken are usually those with vested interests. Michael Wood has billions in assets, and anyway, the penalty for damaging a corpse isn't heavy. If it were me, I'd keep my mouth shut too. Wait to split the inheritance."

·

When The Vault and the others returned to the station with the evidence, night had fallen again.

The darkness seemed to suit this kind of plot. It made people unconsciously feel tired, letting down their guard, but the real story was only just beginning.

Julian Grant sat with heavy eyelids on the cold, hard bench, waiting for the person across from him to speak.

"Long time no see, Julia Campbell." The Vault sat lazily, smiling kindly, trying to get closer, "I heard your friends all call you Jessie, do you mind if I call you that too?"

Julian Grant thought his expression control had been honed to perfection after years of playing games, but he still lost control repeatedly in front of The Vault. He said coldly, "I mind. If you dare call me that, I'll report you for sexual harassment."

The Vault's smile froze. So into the role?

Chapter 37: Instance Cleared

The Vault adjusted her expression and said, "Spencer Lewis has already wavered. If you confess now, it can still count as turning yourself in. How about it?"

Julian Grant sneered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

The Vault rested one hand on the chair, sitting at an angle, her tone relaxed: "I told him, 'You're not good-looking, you have no money, you're not young anymore, and your income is unstable. What could Julia Campbell possibly see in you? At most, you're just easy to use. With just a few words, you gave her your whole future—so naive.'"

"Hmm?" The Vault paused, then smiled, "Don't you think so?"

Julian Grant returned a cold smile, then fell silent, adopting the same stance as Spencer Lewis.

The Vault said, "What did you use to make him obey? Money? Anyway, his crime is already established. Even if he gives you up, he'll still go to jail. And as long as you give him just a little bit of money, that's more than Spencer Lewis could earn in a lifetime. That's a huge temptation."

The eyes across from her were unfocused, as if daydreaming, completely ignoring her words.

The Vault watched for a while, then looked away and continued, "In your seven-year marriage with Michael Wood, you lived miserably and couldn't help seeking comfort from someone else. Spencer Lewis may not have money, but he's simple. To him, you have wealth and power, your status is higher than his. Someone like you is willing to treat him gently and as an equal, which made him grateful, and over time, he fell in love with you. Then he became someone you could use, who would never betray you. But do you really like him? I don't think so. After your marriage with Michael Wood, could you really fall for another man so easily?"

Julian Grant took a breath, forced a stiff smile, and said, "If you called me here just for these baseless accusations, let's save everyone's time. Forensic technology advances every year, but your methods are still so old-fashioned. Can't you keep up with the times?"

The Vault: "I still hope you'll turn yourself in before I present the evidence."

Julian Grant shook his head: "You're really boring."

"Then let me tell you something interesting." The Vault crossed her arms and leaned back, saying, "Michael Wood's autopsy report is out. Guess how he died."

Julian Grant finally reacted, his gaze turning serious, intentionally or not turning his face toward her.

"You're curious too, right? Michael Wood actually didn't die because you pushed him. Fate seems to love playing tricks on you. This time, it finally favored you, but unfortunately, you didn't seize it." The Vault enunciated, "Michael Wood was indirectly poisoned by Lucy Sanders."

Even Julian Grant showed a look of near-dazed surprise, and instinctively asked, "What did you say?"

The Vault nodded and repeated firmly, "Lucy Sanders prepared medicinal wine for Michael Wood, but because the dosage was too high and some ingredients were improperly processed, it contained multiple toxins. After long-term consumption, Michael Wood developed symptoms of chronic poisoning. That night, after you left, he died accidentally. But essentially, that accident was closely related to his long-term poisoning."

After hearing this, Julian Grant fell silent. He buried his head deeply, not reacting, as if digesting the news. Soon his shoulders shook, and he let out a muffled laugh from his chest.

The Vault watched him motionlessly.

Finally, Julian Grant burst out laughing, louder and louder, and after raising his head, a few tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes.

This was Julia Campbell's genuine reaction upon learning the truth. She truly felt a sense of relief, mixed with sorrow for her own life. She realized her life was nothing but a farce, only "inexplicable" could describe it.

"Serves her right..." Julian Grant laughed and cried, "Thank you, this is the best news I've ever heard. Lucy Sanders finally got what she deserved? What's she doing now? Can I go see her?"

The Vault said, "She's probably still deceiving herself."

Julian Grant kept laughing, unable to speak, a flush appearing on his previously pale face.

The Vault watched him quietly and said, "Now, let's talk about you."

She opened the folder in front of her and pulled out several photos, laying them out one by one.

"On the night of the 28th, you drove out from home. On the way to Ms. Yu's house, you suddenly thought, if you were convicted of intentional homicide, you wouldn't be able to inherit Michael Wood's estate. Your relationship with Michael Wood was distant, even hostile. You two had a fierce argument not long ago, and Lucy Sanders had complaints about you. On the surface, you had a strong motive for murder. So, in your panic after the accidental killing, you had an extreme idea."

"For someone as seriously ill as you, maybe money isn't the most important thing, but you couldn't stand the thought of Lucy Sanders enjoying the huge fortune alone. So you decided to stage the scene and clear yourself of suspicion. At the very least, you could buy time to transfer the assets."

The Vault's finger pressed on a photo of two people talking: "You went into a convenience store and borrowed the clerk's phone to make a call. Investigation shows the number belonged to Spencer Lewis."

Her finger moved to the left: "After leaving the convenience store, you secretly placed the villa key under this small flower bed. A surveillance camera from a nearby equipment store clearly captured this. Half an hour later, Spencer Lewis, who lives nearby, came and took the key from the flower bed."

Julian Grant lowered his gaze to the dim photo, his eyes still misty, not denying it.

The Vault: "After arriving at Ms. Yu's house, you found an excuse to use her phone to call Spencer Lewis again. In that call, you learned from Spencer Lewis's description that when you left home, Michael Wood was actually still alive. You were shocked, unable to believe such a coincidence. But by then, Spencer Lewis had already tampered with the body, and there was no turning back, so you simply let him proceed as planned, and left the home surveillance as your alibi."

"Three hours later, Spencer Lewis appeared at the flower bed again and put the key back. At six the next morning, you drove by, retrieved the key, and went to the villa. The whole process—if you say you didn't instruct Spencer Lewis, who would believe it?"

Julian Grant gave a small laugh.

The Vault propped her chin on her hand and said, "He's dead now. You can be free."

Julian Grant closed his eyes and said nothing. The Vault sat across from him, waiting.

After who knows how long, Julian Grant finally spoke calmly: "Before we got married, Michael Wood was very good to me, even attentive. His family was poor, extremely poor. Our school's tuition was already cheap, but his family had big expenses, so he was always working, and almost ended up in the hospital from malnutrition. But every time he got paid, he'd buy me gifts. I thought he liked me, liked me so much he'd give up everything, even his life. Later I realized, this was just a businessman investing in his product. To him, I was just a decent stepping stone. A tiny, tiny part of his grand ambitions."

He spoke very slowly.