Chapter 316 The Evidence Speaks
Rose wasn’t surprised to see Ryan walk in.
If anything, it made perfect sense.
When it came to Samantha, no one took things more seriously than Ryan.
The moment he entered, his gaze swept across the room.
When his eyes landed on Rose, they lingered for the briefest moment before moving on.
He turned to Grace and inclined his head politely.
"Dr. Grace, I’m sorry for showing up so late."
Grace already had a headache from everything that had happened tonight.
She looked at him steadily.
"Mr. Knight, are you here because of the car accident?"
The instant Samantha saw Ryan, she hurried toward him.
To reach him, she had to walk past Rose.
As she passed, she shot Rose a smug sideways glance before lifting her hand, intending to slip her arm through Ryan’s.
Ryan never slowed.
Whether he simply didn’t notice or chose to ignore her, he kept walking.
Her hand caught nothing but air.
Samantha froze.
The happiness and dependence that had filled her face stiffened in an instant.
Ryan walked straight to Grace.
"The vehicle belongs to G.S.," he said calmly. "I had it inspected on Rose’s behalf to make sure nothing was overlooked."
Rose looked at him in surprise.
On her behalf?
Not Samantha’s?
There was nothing unusual about the words themselves, yet something about the way he phrased them felt... deliberate.
Grace caught the subtle wording as well.
She glanced briefly at Ryan before looking toward Rose.
Then she nodded.
"Did you find anything?"
Victoria immediately looked up.
The sadness hadn’t yet faded from her face.
"What did the investigation show?"
Recovering from her awkward moment, Samantha quickly walked over and stood beside Ryan as though nothing had happened.
Ryan pulled a printed report from his briefcase.
His voice remained even.
"The vehicle has been thoroughly examined. Someone tampered with it and installed a remote-control device."
He placed the report on the coffee table.
"This wasn’t a random mechanical failure. Whoever installed the device could trigger the malfunction whenever they wanted."
The report came from an independent forensic inspection.
Daisy’s expression changed instantly.
She had wondered whether the whole thing might simply be an unfortunate accident.
Instead...
Someone had deliberately sabotaged the vehicle.
It had been a targeted attack.
A chill ran down Samantha’s spine.
Her hands began to tremble.
She had almost...
Been killed.
Could Rose really have been that ruthless?
The thought sent another shiver through her.
Daisy reacted first.
She pointed straight at Victoria.
"This is attempted murder!"
Victoria stared at the report in disbelief.
"No..."
She shook her head frantically.
"I swear I had nothing to do with it. I’ve always felt guilty about what happened to Sophia. I could never make things right with her, so I only wanted to make it up to her daughter."
Her voice broke.
"How could I ever hurt Samantha?"
"People change," Daisy shot back coldly. "You were willing to hurt Sophia back then. Don’t pretend you’ve suddenly grown a conscience."
She made no effort to hide her contempt.
If she didn’t bring Victoria down now, she might never get another opportunity.
Victoria’s lips trembled.
She wanted to defend herself, but the words wouldn’t come.
She simply lowered her head, her face drained of color.
Derick finally spoke.
"Mrs. Hill."
His voice was calm but firm.
"I understand you’re upset, but we’re still trying to establish the facts. Please choose your words more carefully."
Daisy bit back her response.
She shot Victoria one last glare before falling silent.
Rose wasn’t pleased either.
The vehicle belonged to G.S.
She had planned to oversee the inspection herself.
She hadn’t expected Ryan to finish everything while she was here at the Taylor residence—and arrive with the completed investigation already in hand.
He had anticipated her next move before she’d even made it.
Derick frowned.
"I’m assuming that’s not everything you found."
Although he refused to believe Victoria was involved, he wanted every fact on the table.
Grace nodded. "I’m wondering the same thing."
Ryan reached into his briefcase again and removed a second folder.
"The company vehicle is kept in a designated parking area, so there were plenty of opportunities for someone to access it."
He slid the documents onto the table.
"The person responsible managed to avoid security cameras, but our investigation did identify a suspect."
He paused.
"The suspect is a fugitive wanted by Washington police."
His eyes moved calmly across the room before settling on Derick and Victoria.
"At some point, he managed to enter New York using unknown connections."
The room fell silent.
A wanted fugitive.
His identity had already been confirmed.
Once he was arrested, the truth would come out.
Naturally...
Everyone’s attention shifted toward Victoria.
Victoria’s face turned deathly pale.
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
She had never imagined Ryan would get involved personally.
Nor had she expected him to identify a suspect so quickly.
This investigation had originally been aimed at Rose.
How had everything suddenly turned back on her?
Grace’s expression grew even darker.
One coincidence could be dismissed.
Too many became impossible to ignore.
Daisy immediately seized the opportunity.
"So this was your doing all along?"
She pointed accusingly at Victoria.
"You hired a wanted criminal from Washington. What did Samantha ever do to deserve this?"
Samantha slowly let out the breath she’d been holding.
Relief replaced fear.
Whether Victoria had actually done it no longer mattered.
Suspicion had already taken root.
The Taylor family would never trust Victoria the way they once had.
Even if Victoria uncovered the truth later, anything she said would sound like the desperate accusations of a bitter woman trying to save herself.
Her credibility had already been destroyed.
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears.
She shook her head desperately.
"I don’t know anything about this."
She turned to Derick.
"I swear it, Derick."
Her voice trembled.
"You know who I am. For years I’ve lived quietly... eating vegetarian meals, praying every day, trying to atone for my mistakes."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"I would never do something like this."
Derick remained silent.
His face revealed nothing.
Ryan didn’t say another word either.
How the Taylor family handled the situation was none of his concern.
He had simply presented the evidence.
Strictly speaking, neither report proved Victoria’s guilt.
At best, they created suspicion.
But sometimes...
A single seed of doubt was all it took.
Ryan suddenly felt someone watching him.
He turned.
Rose was looking at him.
She hadn’t expected tonight to spiral into such a dramatic confrontation.
For reasons she still couldn’t fully understand, Victoria had somehow become the target of everyone’s suspicion.
Rose had come prepared to defend herself against Samantha, Ryan, and perhaps even the entire Taylor family.
After all, Samantha had always been the one everyone rushed to protect.
Yet somehow...
The evidence Ryan had presented, combined with Daisy and Samantha’s relentless accusations, had completely shifted the spotlight away from her.
Only a short while ago, Ryan had seemed ready to investigate her, question her, and hold her responsible.
Now...
His dark eyes remained as unreadable as ever, cold and calm beneath their icy surface.
He met Rose’s gaze without the slightest hesitation.
Without looking away.
As though he had already seen through every question she was silently asking.