Footage

Esther was well aware of Lachlan's presence, but she didn't pay him any attention. She wanted to show him what it was like to play chess with the master. Today, she would force Lachlan to let her go completely.

Suddenly, the footage was displayed on the white sheets for everyone to see. The beginning of the footage showed Andy walking upstairs to meet Esther, but what they saw was her horrible and monstrous face, which frightened some of them. Her eyes seemed to gleam with hostility, and her every step seemed deliberate. She didn't fail to hide her hostility when around Esther—which made others reconsider what they said. If anyone was really in Esther's place, they would have been more arrogant towards her.

"You finally came, sister Esther." Although she was trying to be kind, her voice and tone were so cliché and antagonizing, far from pleasing to the ears. "I wanted to apologize for not inviting you earlier.." Her tone was full of hostility, and it felt more like a threat than an apology, so when Esther had dismissed her, no one dared say a word. With such behavior from the other side, who would tolerate it.

"You don't have to, actually." Esther said, her voice although cold was fit for Andy's behavior. The people who had called Esther arrogant earlier smirked a little, feeling embarrassed. They had wronged the wrong person this time.

Then, all of a sudden, Andy jumped on Esther, which caught everyone by surprise. This scene made others' heart leap—her crooked face was that of a witch, and her jump was like a predator in action. Her face was twisted in a snarl, and her eyes seemed to burn with anger.

Esther zoomed the footage a bit, and it showed that she hadn't moved or pushed Andy when she deliberately pushed herself backwards and rolled down the stairs. The distance between Esther and Andy was two meters—how then did she push Andy. Didn't it prove that Andy caused her own injury and framed Esther.

The guests' faces were filled with shock and surprise, and some of them looked at Andy with a mixture of anger and disgust. Clementine's face was red with anger and embarrassment, while Lachlan's expression was unreadable. Esther's face remained calm and collected, her eyes fixed on the footage as if daring anyone to dispute the evidence.

As the footage continued to play, it became clear that Andy's actions were premeditated, and she had planned to frame Esther all along. The guests' murmurs grew louder, and some of them began to whisper to each other, their faces filled with indignation and outrage.

"Would you explain what happened there, Andy?" Esther questioned, making Andy's heart skip a beat. She didn't expect Esther to have the footage and especially now when the police were witnesses to it. She didn't yet say a thing when Esther added.

"Don't tell me I used telepathic powers to push you off the staircase." Her words hit the spot. It was filled with sarcasm that hit Andy so hard. Now, she was cornered with no way to explain herself.

"Now that the police are here—why don't they handle this professionally. After all, it is an offence to defame an individual and one of murder." Everyone knew the law, and now that Esther reminded them of it—the police came forward.

"Don't tell me the law is so biased that even after seeing the evidence, they wouldn't take action. If I hadn't proven myself, wouldn't I be arrested after doing nothing." Esther's words seemed to push the police to arrest Andy. It was clear she wanted Andy to feel what it was like to plan meticulously.

The police officers exchanged a look, and then one of them stepped forward. "We have enough evidence to make an arrest," he said, his voice firm.

Andy's face turned white as she realized that her plan had backfired spectacularly. She had underestimated Esther, and now she would have to face the consequences of her actions.

"Don't arrest me—I never said Esther pushed me down anyway. It was all Lilith and Genesis," Andy pointed, pushing all the blame onto Lilith and Genesis. This action made everyone see how shameless Andy could be.

"If you didn't pretend to fall—would anyone misjudge the scene. It is obvious you wanted to defame Esther," someone from the crowd said. The comment was followed by a chorus of agreement, with many people nodding their heads in support.

"Just because you are rich, you dare act so shameless. Even after being exposed, you are pushing the blame on the two," another person said, their voice filled with disgust.

"You foreigners come to our land and accuse us of murder when pfft. It is too embarrassing to say," someone else added, their tone dripping with sarcasm. All those who were against Esther were now backing up for her, painting Andy black.

"Enough," Clementine said, her face red with anger. She stared at Esther, filled with malice. "Ain't you satisfied? Your plan on tarnishing my daughter's name has worked—would you leave now."

Esther raised a brow at Clementine. What she thinks, throwing money, she would dismiss everything. "You think a simple power and a cheque would make everything okay?" Esther asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

Clementine's face twisted in anger, but she seemed to be trying to keep her cool. "We'll do whatever it takes to make things right," she said, her voice tight with restraint.

Esther smiled, a cold, calculating smile. "We'll see about that," she said, her eyes glinting with determination..

"I am not so cheap, Mrs. Ibarra—and as for framing your daughter. Everyone here isn't blind to see the truth. You are so blinded with—love for your daughter that you can't even see the truth even though it has been played right in front of you. I only wanted—people to see that not everything you see is the truth. And I am not so heartless to press this on—that is why I haven't filed a case against Andy yet, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't. I would only let this off the hook if Andy Ibarra, along with Lilith and Genesis, apologise to me today, or all of you would be arrested for defamation."

The room fell silent, with all eyes on the Ibarras. Clementine's face turned red with anger and humiliation, while Andy's face twisted in rage. Andy clenched her fist together, suppressing her anger. She was going to repay everything back. She looked at Esther with a murderous gaze—the anger in her heart for Esther was slowly building into hostility and hatred.

"Apologies?? Is all this not embarrassing enough," Clementine muttered, her voice laced with venom. But she knew that they had no choice. They couldn't afford to have Andy spend time in jail, not after all the scandal that had already erupted.

Andy took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with anger as she spoke through gritted teeth. "I am sorry." The words were like acid on her tongue, but she knew she had to say them. Lilith and Genesis followed suit, their voices barely above a whisper.

The scene made Esther satisfied—she smiled cruelly at them. "Don't forget your promise, Genesis Strokes—tomorrow we will meet at the Central Hall to cut off our alliance." Her eyes gleamed with triumph as she turned to leave, her head held high.

As she walked away, the Ibarras and their allies watched her with a mixture of anger and hatred. They knew they had been outsmarted, and they would have to swallow their pride and accept the consequences of their actions.

"You're going to regret this, Esther," Andy hissed under her breath, her eyes burning with hatred. But Esther just smiled, knowing that she had the upper hand. She had proved her point, and she had come out on top.

The scene was a stark contrast to the one that had played out earlier. The Ibarras, who had once been so confident and arrogant, were now humbled and defeated. Esther, on the other hand, had emerged victorious, her reputation intact and her dignity preserved.