Chapter 480: Mila’s Dilemma

Chapter 480: Chapter 480: Mila’s Dilemma

Melody seemed much more mature and composed. Getting her to talk wouldn’t be easy.

But Mila, judging by her behavior after being caught, was impulsive and hot-headed. She’d be much easier to question than the slightly older Victoria Ford.

As for Naomi Rivers, she was pregnant. Evan Keller didn’t dare push her too hard, afraid that an emotional outburst might jeopardize the pregnancy, which would only create problems for the police.

"Victoria Ford? Who’s that?" Mila looked at Evan Keller, confused. But for some reason, a sense of panic crept into her heart. ’Could the Victoria Ford this cop is talking about be Mrs. Ford?’

A second later, she heard Evan Keller say, "Victoria Ford is the woman you call Mrs. Ford. She just confessed to everything. Said it was all her idea, that she forced you to do every single thing."

Of course, Evan knew that was impossible. Victoria Ford was just trying to take all the blame herself.

"What did you say?" As expected, upon hearing this, Mila slammed her hand on the table and looked like she was about to shoot to her feet.

But the next moment, as if remembering something, she sank back into her seat. "It was her idea to begin with. She should be the one to take responsibility."

She said the words, but her hands on the table were clenched into tight fists, and she had unconsciously bitten her lip hard enough to break the skin.

She was nervous.

Or rather, she was worried. If she followed Victoria Ford’s plan and pinned everything on her, Mrs. Ford’s fate would be something she couldn’t bear to imagine.

Evan Keller and the others sitting opposite her saw the expression on Mila’s face and knew the time was right.

Evan reached out and tapped the table, drawing Mila’s attention to him. "Do you really think we’re fools? That we’ll believe whatever you say? Look at the words on the wall behind me. Leniency for confession, severity for resistance!"

As he said the last few words, Evan slammed his hand on the table, making the already on-edge Mila jump.

"If we really believed Victoria Ford, we could convict you all right now!

Did you really think you could listen to her, pin all the charges on her, and walk away scot-free? Let me tell you, the moment you knew about the poison and didn’t stop it—when you actively helped move and bury the body—you became a criminal. You’re an accomplice!

If you keep listening to Victoria Ford and pushing everything onto her, you’re obstructing a police investigation. That just adds to your charges!

Maybe you’d only get seven years otherwise, but because you’re obstructing us and refusing to cooperate, we’ll see how you feel after a few more years are tacked on!" Evan pounded the table, his tone severe.

Seeing that his actions had startled Mila, Evan softened his voice, switching to a more comforting tone. "We know you’re all victims. As long as you cooperate with our investigation, the police won’t make things hard for you.

The police have plenty of ways to find out what you did. We’re asking you now because we recognize that you’re victims and we want to give you a chance.

Tell us everything you know. When the time comes, the judge will take your past suffering into account and might even give you a lighter sentence.

Don’t be stubborn and refuse to cooperate. That will only hurt you, and it will hurt Victoria Ford."

This classic carrot-and-stick approach was a tactic Evan had mastered.

After finishing his speech, Evan fell silent. He sat quietly in his chair, giving Mila ample time to think.

Mila might be impulsive and easily led, but she cared deeply for her three companions.

You could tell from the way she had snapped back at Sean Hughes for dredging up Naomi Rivers’ painful memories. If you told her that her own sentence would be harsher for not cooperating, she might not have cared.

But telling her that not cooperating—that helping Victoria Ford mislead the police and obstruct the investigation—would lead to a more severe sentence for Victoria Ford... that would make her hesitate.

This trick would only work on someone as loyal and impulsive as Mila. Of the other two, one was likely as stubborn and tight-lipped as Victoria Ford, and the other would just clutch her stomach and cry out in pain, bringing the interrogation to a halt.

And sure enough, Mila, who had been stubbornly refusing to talk, was now conflicted and afraid after hearing what Evan said.

Logic told her to listen to Mrs. Ford and stick to one story without wavering. But her heart told her that cooperating was the only way to get the lightest possible sentence for Mrs. Ford.

Evan didn’t disturb her. He didn’t speak or leave, just gave her all the time she needed to think it over.

Mila didn’t keep Evan waiting for long.

Half an hour later, she asked cautiously, "If I confess... then Mrs. Ford won’t get sentenced too harshly?"

"That depends on your cooperation. If you cooperate with the police and tell us everything you know, that positive attitude will definitely be a point in your favor.

But if you continue to refuse to cooperate, or even lie to each other to obstruct our investigation... well, I can’t say what will happen then," Evan said with a faint smile.

’That did it!’

Sure enough, after hearing Evan’s words, Mila agonized for a few more minutes before finally choosing to tell them everything.

But her very first sentence made Evan sit up straight.

"In the entire village, we were the only four who had been trafficked. The four of us... we were everyone’s outlet."

As she said this, Mila couldn’t help but scratch at the skin on the back of her hand.

Hearing this, the female officer sitting next to Evan taking notes couldn’t help but frown, her hand pausing for a moment.

"Go on," Evan said, softening his voice to a reassuring tone. "Don’t be afraid. You’re safe now. All of that is behind you. You’ll never have to go through it again."

At a signal from Evan, the female officer guarding the door poured a cup of warm water and handed it to her.

Mila took the water and took a large gulp before telling the people in front of her everything she had been through, and everything that happened afterward.

"I was tricked by a college classmate and sold here seven years ago. I’m an orphan. I don’t have any family. I used to work part-time jobs and do food delivery to make money whenever I had time, so I didn’t have many close friends." By this point, Mila’s agitation had subsided, and she continued, "So when a classmate approached me privately and said there was a part-time job, paid daily, but a little tiring, and asked if I wanted to do it..."

Back then, Mila was desperate for money. Summer break was starting, and she still hadn’t sorted out her tuition and living expenses for the next school year.

Although the orphanage director said she had some savings and could help Mila out with some of it...

Mila felt that since she was an adult, she should be responsible for her own education, so she refused the director’s kind offer.

So when her classmate told her about a part-time job with a good hourly wage that paid daily, even if it was a bit tiring, Mila agreed without a second thought.