Chapter 225: Brought to Justice

Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Brought to Justice

An hour later.

At Concordia Hospital, Vivian Lowell and Eleanor Rhodes underwent an injury assessment. Neither of them was severely hurt; they only had some minor scrapes. As for the effects of the stun gun, a short period of rest would generally be enough for a full recovery. After all, the voltage of the stun gun Miss Bell used wasn’t particularly high. Still, it was a criminal act.

"Vivian, are you alright?"

Julian Faulkner had been waiting by Vivian’s side the entire time. Seeing her emerge from the examination room, he immediately went up to meet her, grasping her hands with deep concern.

"I’m fine," Vivian replied, shaking her head. She glanced at Eleanor beside her. The scrapes on Eleanor’s arm were slightly more serious; they had been disinfected and wrapped in a layer of bandages. The doctor said she couldn’t get it wet for the next couple of days, but it would slowly heal without leaving a scar.

The two of them had been deceived this time, their sympathy exploited. Vivian sighed helplessly inwardly, but they were determined to continue their charity work in the future. They wouldn’t just give up because of this one unexpected incident.

"Have Miss Bell, Wendy Wynn, and Rachel Faulkner all been arrested?" Vivian asked the question she cared about most.

Eleanor leaned in as well, her face cold. "Letting her go abroad was already giving her a chance.

"Since she didn’t seize that opportunity herself, she can only wait to go to prison!"

Wendy was a foreign citizen of Veridian descent, but the crimes she had committed in Veridia were far from light. She would definitely spend a few years in prison before being deported.

"Yes, they’ve been detained," Julian replied. "Miss Bell has already confessed that Wendy approached her, paid her a sum of money, and instructed her to do all this. The stun gun was also provided by Wendy and Rachel.

"The residential complex you went to today has indeed been completed. However, due to certain reasons, there are some disputes between the developers and the residents, so the homeowners haven’t moved in yet.

"Miss Bell is indeed a homeowner there. While she was protesting for her rights, Wendy saw an opportunity. Miss Bell is strapped for cash; buying the house drained all her savings. She doesn’t even have money for rent, so she had to sneak in and live there secretly.

"As for Wendy, she refuses to confess to anything. But it doesn’t matter. After what happened today, we have more than enough evidence to prosecute them.

"Once they’re sitting in a jail cell, they’ll confess one way or another."

There were quite a few legal interrogation methods available domestically. For example, shining a harsh spotlight continuously on a person’s face, employing a sleep deprivation tactic to break their will by constantly monitoring them and keeping them awake. A person could endure a day or two without sleep, but over time, the psychological torment would become unbearable. Eventually, just to be allowed to sleep, they would give up their resistance.

Many suspects in the country were subjected to this kind of interrogation. Of course, this was reserved for those who refused to cooperate. As long as someone cooperated, such less-than-humane methods wouldn’t be used. No matter how tough Wendy and Rachel thought they were, at the end of the day, they were girls who had grown up spoiled and pampered. This tactic would definitely work on them!

A confession was only a matter of time.

"That’s good." Vivian let out a sigh of relief. After a moment of thought, she said to Julian, "Let’s not tell Grandma about what happened today for now. I don’t want her worrying again."

"Alright." Julian nodded in agreement. He pulled Vivian into an embrace and said softly, his voice laced with apology, "I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I didn’t handle these matters properly, and it resulted in you... getting hurt."

"It has nothing to do with you; it was my own negligence. Eleanor and I run the pet clinic, and you aren’t even involved. How could I blame you?" Vivian smiled, offering Julian a word of comfort. She knew that in Julian’s heart, his priority was to protect her. If she got hurt, he would invariably feel guilty and blame himself.

Julian, however, shook his head. He still blamed himself. He had been investigating Rachel for a while and had gathered almost all the necessary evidence. He had only delayed acting to ensure a fatal strike at the end. He just hadn’t expected that right when he was about to close the net, Rachel would manage to orchestrate this incident.

"In the future, you should hire two strong men—preferably military veterans—at your pet clinic," Julian suggested. "They can work as security guards on normal days, and when you go out to rescue cats, they can tag along.

"They can carry your equipment and do the heavy lifting. With them around, your safety will be guaranteed.

"It’s simply too dangerous for two girls to do these things on their own."

He had accompanied Vivian on cat rescues before, so he knew firsthand the numerous difficulties involved. For example, cats often hid in cluttered, abandoned houses filled with junk. Catching them required clearing out the debris first. Those items were often heavy, and scraps of wood might have rusty nails sticking out of them. Accidentally brushing against one could result in more than just a minor injury—it carried the risk of tetanus. It was better to leave this kind of physical labor to men.

As Eleanor had said, since the work was arduous, they just needed to offer a higher salary. Ensuring proper compensation for their labor made it a fair trade.

Vivian thought it over and agreed. She turned to look at Eleanor, but just as she was about to speak, several hurried figures rushed through the hospital entrance.

It was the Sterlings.

Henry Sterling had a phone in his hand, seemingly making a call. Vivian watched as the moment Henry brought his phone to his ear, Eleanor’s phone started ringing. Eleanor spotted Henry too. The instant her phone rang, her body stiffened. She picked up her phone, looking somewhat hesitant. Perhaps because Henry still remembered her ringtone, he heard it from a short distance away and walked straight toward her.

"Eleanor, are you... alright?" Henry’s face was filled with worry as he said, "The bodyguards I hired told me that Wendy escaped from the hotel. I was worried she might do something to harm you. Who knew...

"It actually happened. I’m sorry. I made a promise before, but I failed to keep it."

Toward the end, Henry seemed to lose his confidence. He knew he had handled these matters terribly and had no right to ask for Eleanor’s forgiveness, but he had no other choice. He couldn’t just stand by and watch her slip further and further away from him!

Eleanor remained in a prolonged silence. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling hurried over at that moment, explaining that it was their negligence—they never expected Wendy to actually run away! They had already found Wendy and temporarily confined her to the hotel. They had even booked a flight for tomorrow morning to send her out of the country!

They were only a few hours away!

Vivian had also been quite silent. She looked at the Sterlings, gently took Eleanor’s arm, and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Sterling. Henry.

"Eleanor had a terrible scare, and she isn’t in a good state of mind right now. We’re about to leave so she can go home and rest for a while. As for Wendy, Julian has already handed her over to the police.

"I believe she and Rachel will face the full extent of the law. As for sending her abroad, she will naturally be deported after serving her prison sentence.

"You can follow up on these matters moving forward."

The implication was clear: the Sterling family didn’t need to intervene anymore. Julian would handle all the aftermath of this incident.