Chapter 68
‘Can you believe it? All the evidence points straight to her and yet her parents are still defending her? That kind of blind love is practically as bad as murder, if you ask me.“}
The comment from someone in the crowd sliced through the air, cold and sharp. The officer’s expression darkened; he looked like someone who realized they’d been played.”
‘Mrs. Johnson, I suggest you stop trying to be clever with us,” he warned.}
I raised my head, a weary breath escaping me. “My personal information’s already been leaked. If I don’t handle this carefully, my family could get hurt.“@
The officer narrowed his eyes, skepticism etched into every line of his face. “So what you said earlier–about knowing who was in the video and claiming your husband and parents were involved–that was a lie?“}
I hesitated, then gave a small nod, followed by a shake of the head. “Yes… and no.“}
It had been a distraction. But it wasn’t completely false. I did know who the person in the video was.
“Before I tell the truth, I need to confirm something first.“}
His jaw tightened. “What now?“>
“You realize that if you keep stalling like this, we could charge you with obstructing an investigation?“}
I held his gaze and didn’t flinch. “Just give me a few minutes. I’m only asking questions. You don’t want to wrongly accuse someone–or let the real culprit get away, right?“}
The officer looked me up and down, then finally exhaled sharply and gave a curt nod.”
I turned toward him and began.}
“Hotels require ID registration for check–in, right? Real names only?“}
The officer crossed his arms but answered. “Yes.”
I then looked toward the hotel manager, who had been standing near the edge of the scene, watching everything unfold with thinly veiled discomfort.@
“Does your hotel strictly follow those procedures?” I asked.“}
He straightened immediately. “Of course. We’re a legitimate business. The ID and the person checking in must match. We scan both.“}]
His tone was polite, even confident, but there was a tension in his jaw that betrayed the pressure he was under.
I nodded and pressed on. “And once the ID is scanned, does the information sync with the police system, or is it just stored locally?“} Before the officer could answer, the manager replied, “It’s uploaded. The system reads the ID, captures a facial image and sends everything to the police database.”
The officer added his confirmation. “If the ID was fake or didn’t match the person’s face, it wouldn’t be accepted. The system flags it.” Exactly as I remembered.
The surveillance footage in this timeline also showed the same manager checking me in last night. But my ID had never left my bag. I knew I hadn’t used it. It hadn’t been stolen or lost.”
The manager folded his arms, wearing a tight smile. “I recall there was nothing unusual during your check in. If you’re doubtful, we can pull up the record. Though I warn you–it’ll only confirm that you were the one in that room.“}
My mother’s hand squeezed mine, hard. Her fear was palpable. She was terrified that in trying to prove my innocence, I might accidentally destroy myself.”
I gave her hand a gentle pat and met the manager’s gaze calmly. “Then please do.“}
He faltered for a moment–clearly not expecting that. But he quickly recovered, giving a small nod and turning to lead us to the front desk. The officer followed, arms still crossed, eyes glued to me.§
The manager tapped a few keys and the monitor flickered to life.”
“There,” he said, turning the screen so we could all see. “Guest records. Two entries under your name.“>
The first was from a year ago–a suite booked under Sean’s name as part of a wedding promotion. I remembered that day vividly. The smiles. The champagne. The way I’d actually believed in a future with him.
And then… the second entry.
Last night.
Same name. Same ID number. Scanned image. A time–stamped record showing my check–in and check–out, neatly stored in the system. All of it lining up.
Except I hadn’t checked in.
Not with my ID. Not in person.
And yet… there it was.
