Chapter 483: Can There Be Leniency?

Chapter 483: Chapter 483: Can There Be Leniency?

Sean Hughes paid no mind to Selene Rivers. He turned and summoned the doctor responsible for her care to perform an examination.

The results showed that while Selene Rivers’s injuries were severe, she was in good enough condition to withstand a brief interrogation. However, the doctor advised that they should pause immediately if she showed any signs of discomfort.

After receiving this confirmation, Sean Hughes breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded at the doctor.

Once the doctor had left, Sean Hughes, accompanied by a local officer, began his preliminary questioning of Selene Rivers.

Another officer stood guard at the door, dispersing the crowd of onlookers that had gathered.

Sean Hughes looked down at the file Evan Keller had sent him, then back up at Selene Rivers, and asked the most direct question possible. "Why did you send Naomi Rivers here to be tortured, while simultaneously arranging a cover-up abroad to fabricate the news of her accidental death?"

Hearing this, Selene Rivers’s heart filled with utter panic.

But a moment later, she remembered. ’When I did it, no one saw me except for my boyfriend.’

’And things abroad were even simpler. The public security there is a mess; finding any information about Naomi Rivers would be next to impossible.’

’The only loose end now is the lack of a domestic flight record for Naomi Rivers, but I have a backup plan for that, too.’

’I can just say Naomi was rebellious and unhappy with the family’s arrangements. She decided to stage a disappearance to manipulate them, so she never boarded the plane and chose to be smuggled out of the country instead.’

’As the adopted daughter, it wasn’t my place to interfere. I could only try to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen. There was nothing I could do.’

’As for why she ended up here, well, I’m just as surprised as anyone.’

The reasoning was flimsy, but it was the only excuse Selene Rivers could come up with to handle the police interrogation.

’After all, these cops actually have the authority to investigate. But Mom and Dad have barely any affection left for the daughter who was gone for over a decade. When they found out she was "gone," they had no interest in looking into it. Instead, they just went with the flow and had a death certificate issued for her.’

Selene Rivers’s mind was racing. It was only thanks to the gauze and wounds on her face that she managed to suppress a smile.

She quickly composed herself and stared at Sean Hughes with an innocent tone. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just came back with my boyfriend to meet his parents. I was as surprised as anyone to find her here.

"Besides, shouldn’t you be catching the real culprits and punishing them? Why are you questioning me? Watch it, or I’ll file a complaint against all of you!"

Sean Hughes stared at the defiant, uncooperative woman before him, his expression hardening. "The police have many ways to verify whether or not you’re telling the truth. If you lie, that’s obstruction of justice. It will only add to your charges."

After Victoria Ford and three others were arrested and taken to the station, Evan Keller had asked Zoe Sawyer to use her Gate to look back at the time of Naomi Rivers’s disappearance, to see if her story held up.

With the timeline and details provided by Sean Hughes and Naomi Rivers, Zoe Sawyer quickly located the correct period and watched the entire sequence of events through her Gate.

And she confirmed one thing: Naomi Rivers hadn’t lied.

Zoe Sawyer had also noted down a few key moments and verifiable details that could be used as evidence, sending them to Evan Keller and Sean Hughes via her phone.

So, upon hearing Selene Rivers’s denial, Sean Hughes didn’t get flustered. Instead, he presented the evidence. "Like I said, we can find out what you’ve done in the past.

"What you need to do now is cooperate with our investigation, not sit here spouting lies to obstruct it."

Staring at the evidence on the phone, Selene Rivers, who had been ready to continue her defiant act, instantly crumbled. Her face went deathly pale, and her lips began to tremble.

When Sean Hughes repeated the question, Selene Rivers’s expression was a whirlwind of conflict. She looked at the officer’s stern face and finally surrendered. "I’m adopted. From the moment I was brought into the Rivers Family, I was always subservient, always trying to please them. I worked so hard to win my parents’ affection, and just when I had, their son was born.

"I was terrified I’d be cast aside, so I took on everything—caring for the baby, all the chores, every little task. I finally got them to truly accept me, to dote on me like their own daughter. But not long after that, Naomi Rivers was found. My parents were consumed by guilt and wanted to compensate her.

"They didn’t want to spend too much, but they also didn’t want to look bad and risk the gossip affecting the family business. And as it happened, I didn’t want her to stay either. My own position would have been threatened."

Selene Rivers’s expression twisted, and as she continued, her tone took on a crazed edge. "So I came up with an idea: send her abroad. We’d say it was to give her a prestigious education. It was more cost-effective than paying her back for over a decade of expenses, and it was an easy way to earn a good reputation.

"Mom and Dad agreed instantly. They were just going to find some third-rate college to ship her off to. But then I changed my mind. If I took this chance to get rid of Naomi Rivers for good, then the Rivers Family would only ever have one daughter. My place would be secure forever.

"And I succeeded, didn’t I?"

’It was a good thing Mom and Dad’s affection for Naomi wasn’t that deep. After their initial guilt faded, they started to see her as more of a burden. Otherwise, my plan never would have gone so smoothly.’

’What happened to Naomi wasn’t just my fault. Mom and Dad bear a huge part of the blame, too!’

The two officers, having seen far more bizarre cases in their time, had naturally already considered everything Selene Rivers was thinking.

After jotting down a few notes, Sean Hughes asked the most crucial question. "What is your boyfriend’s name, where is his family from, and how much do you know about what goes on in Brellwood?"

Selene Rivers gave Sean Hughes a confused look. ’They could dig up stuff from years ago, but they can’t find something this simple?’

"Just answer," Sean Hughes said, his expression unchanged as he noticed her confused look. He tapped his pen against his notebook.

Selene Rivers looked away, assuming that, just like before, Sean Hughes was testing her to see if she was cooperating fully.

Besides, after seeing the evidence Sean Hughes had shown her, she didn’t dare hide anything. She was afraid that if her confession wasn’t complete, her sentence would only be harsher.

In a rush, Selene Rivers poured out everything—her boyfriend’s name, his family’s address, and everything she knew about the situation in Brellwood.

Having gotten the answers he needed, Sean Hughes put away his notebook. He looked at Selene Rivers and said, "Alright. Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll be back if we have any more questions."

Selene Rivers’s expression was filled with apprehension. "I told you everything I know. So... about my charges..."

She didn’t finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear.

’I’ve been cooperative, and I’m a victim here too. Can I get a lighter sentence?’