Chapter 31
Chapter 31:
Annabel still didn’t get worked up as she watched Heather badmouth her. On the contrary, she reasoned that Heather would make a fortune if she decided to become an actress.
Still in doubt, Rupert turned to Annabel and asked, “Did you steal the ring p>
“If I say no, will you trust me?” Annabel asked in return, looking into his eyes.
“Yes, I trust you,” Rupert blurted out without hesitation.
He saw that she looked unfazed and that there was sincerity in her eyes, so he was willing to trust her even though everyone else was against her.
Annabel smiled brightly. It came as a surprise that Rupert trusted her in this situation.
“Rupert!” Cathy stamped her feet in anger. She didn’t understand why her cousin saw anything good in this bumpkin. Had Annabel given him a love potion?
“Make it clear, Annabel! How did the ring get into your purse if you didn’t steal it?” Bella asked after getting a wink from Heather.
Staring Heather straight in the eye, Annabel said with a smile, “Someone put the ring in my purse just to frame me p>
Heather swallowed uneasily as her palms grew sweaty. She then looked away awkwardly.
Did Annabel know what she had done? Impossible.
Every part of her scheme was perfect. Annabel was supposed to end up humiliated and in jail.
“Go and check the surveillance footage,” Rupert ordered his assistant, Finley Wagner.
“Yes, sir.” Finley nodded and hurried to the monitoring room.
Annabel’s eyelashes fluttered. There were surveillance cameras installed in the banquet hall. The footage would reveal the truth about the matter.
However, Annabel couldn’t help wondering if they would actually be able to get the footage. Heather had drafted this flawless scheme. Wouldn’t she do everything she could to cover her tracks?
Sure enough, Finley returned bearing bad news. “Mr. Benton, the surveillance cameras in this hall are all broken p>
“All of them? How can that be?” Rupert’s eyes narrowed.
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This was indeed strange.
It was a five-star hotel. Brock had booked the best hall, so the management must have equipped it to the teeth. Why then did all the cameras develop a fault at the same time?
An idea suddenly popped into Annabel’s mind. She cleared her throat and said, “Since there’s no CCTV footage, I know another way we can get to the bottom of this. My fingerprints would be on the ring if I stole it. A forensic test should be carried out p>
“What’s the point of going that far, Annabel?” Heather asked. “I will let this slide for Rupert’s sake as long as you apologize p>
An apology from Annabel would mean that she was guilty. She would be labeled a thief who had owned up to her crime.
Worse still, Rupert would be very disappointed in her if she admitted it after he had already declared his support for her.
To crown it all, Erica would not fail to taunt her and kick her out before the three-month timespan elapsed.
On the flip side, Heather would be regarded as a woman kind-hearted enough to forgive a thief. Then she would walk her way into Rupert’s heart without hassle.
“Are you saying you don’t want to get to the root of the matter?” Annabel asked, squinting at Heather.
Those words made Heather sit on pins and needles. She gritted her teeth and uttered, “Far from it. I want to get to the root of the matter p>