Chapter 330

Gawin kept his voice even. "The suspect surrendered hirmself. We have solid physical evidence, and his confession v/as thorough and consistent."

"Suarrender himself?" Hannah's brow furrowed. "Who is he?Why did he do it?"

"Troy Maddcx," Gavin replied. "He's unemployed,with a history of theft and causing troublein publie:He said he tampered vnth the cosmetics because ha PESEried the nich and held a general grudge againgt soGMy-8/picāl āntisocial thinking. As for Daphne Ws字，yé found cut she wās Dresgured and 阶Ausd into helping him. Since her inyolyernont wes Wraied arch che was clearly/ coerced, we'va REEBSAd hG, but she'E uNder close watch!"

He CMErEd用 smal qlímmer qf hope: “And by the wāyi hs, Dubcis is no longer in eritical condition. Sha'Srecovering now."

Still, Hannah's unease only deepened. Resentment of the wealthy? Antisocial personality? That was the explanation? "What kind of proof did he turn in?" she asked further.

Gavin answered, "He handed over a bag filled with cosmetics. Forensics found it was loaded with Red Thorn toxin."

Without waiting,Hannah produced the pouch she'd brought from the factory and handed it over. "Officer Mercer, could you have this checked? I took it from Doreline Chemical Factory."

He eyed her for a moment but accepted the sample."Alright. I'll get tech to analyze it right away."

Thirty minutes later, Gavin was back, carrying two lab reports and looking a bit surprised. "Ms. Scott, your sample contains the exact same illegal chemicals as the evidence from Troy. Same formula, same strength. That's strong proof he was working with Doreline Chemical Factory." "The exact same..." Hannah echoed quietly, anxiety building inside her. "Officer Mercer, did Troy give any more details? About why he targeted me,and why he manipulated Daphne?"

Gavin stopped to recall the report. "His confession was pretty vague. He went on about his hatred for society and his anger toward successful people like you. He said he met Daphne at some drifter meetup,thought she was vain and easy to manipulate, so he drew her in and told her what to say. Fits the typical antisocial pattern."

Hannah frowned."And the fire at my shop? Was Troy behind that too?"

Gavin shook his head. "No connection. That fire was ruled accidental-caused by aging wiring."

Hannah grew quiet, lost in her thoughts. "Is it really just that straightforward?" she murmured, not expecting a reply.

Meanwhile, at the Jones estate, Vincent was finally back.The moment Erica heard he had returned, she left Logan behind and rushed straight to the estate.

She hadn't even stepped through the door when her phone buzzed. Ronald Quinn, one of her subordinates, was calling. "What is it now?" she snapped, annoyance clear in her tone.

Ronald's words came out shaky. "The Doreline Chemical Factory and the mine... They've been raided. Hannah and Vincent pretended to be a married couple, went undercover, and exposed everything. Every person we had working there-gone."

"Excuse me?" Erica nearly screamed. "How did they even find that place?"

Ronald's voice grew smaller. "They traced it from Alice Dubois's allergic reaction. It led them right to the factory."

In disbelief, Erica quickly checked the news on her phone. The proof was right there-video clips showed Carville, Doyle, and the rest of her team being marched out in cuffs and pushed into police vans. The mines shut down. The factory was seized by the authorities. Her biggest money-maker-wiped out.

A storm of anger and regret crashed through her.Why had she acted so rashly? Fear of Daphne talking had made her panic. She had forced Troy to confess.

Now, remorse consumed her whole. If Troy had still been inside the factory, he would have recognized Hannah and Vincent right away. None of this would have happened. There was even a chance Hannah wouldn't have made it out alive. Mistake after mistake had led her here.

Clutching her phone, Erica's eyes burned with hatred.

Over the next few days, the smear campaign against Hannah faded away. Both Nova Tech and Polaris Tech kept gaining momentum.

At Nova Tech's sixth anniversary event, Hannah took the stage with a huge announcement. "As of today,Nova Tech and Polaris Tech will begin a complete merger. The new company will be called Luminara Group."

Thunderous applause filled the room.

Hannah had reached the decision with both Miles and Felix.

Right as excitement spread through the crowd, an angry voice suddenly cut through the noise. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"