If not for that, she wouldn’t have the patience to go back and forth with Tessa right now. And with everything she’d recently uncovered, she wanted to confirm it with her directly. Keeping it bottled up had made it hard to sleep at night. Tessa had no choice but to stop sobbing, though her voice still carried a slight tremble. She could see it clearly now. Grace had called to hold her accountable. Otherwise, none of this would be happening. And she had even brought up Julian so bluntly. It was obvious Grace wanted to get to the bottom of it.

A flicker of calculation passed through Tessa’s eyes. Since that was the case, she couldn’t keep the truth about her voice from her anymore. She had to make sure there was no confusion between her and Julian. The officer beside her noticed the shift in Tessa’s expression and found himself a little stunned. He hadn’t expected to witness a performance like this in real time. And she didn’t show even the slightest hint of pretending. Even though she was speaking on the phone, Tessa’s emotional shifts were smooth and convincing, without the slightest hesitation. The officer was momentarily stunned. But he also understood–it was a matter between Tessa and her mother. He wasn’t in a position to get involved. He was just here to watch over a suspect. At least he had enough sense to know that. Tessa didn’t pay the officer any mind at all. He was just an intern–no one would believe him even if he talked. And besides, so what if she sounded a little emotional during the call? No one actually cared. Tessa heard the impatience in Grace’s voice and finally spoke slowly, “Mom, my voice ended up like this because of Julian.” Her tone was firm, but if one listened closely, there was a trace of fear beneath it.

Those subtle changes didn’t escape Grace–she picked up on every single one. She shot to her feet, shock written all over her face. “Is that true?”

“Of course!” Tessa’s voice didn’t waver, full of certainty. She clenched her fists. In this moment, she had to throw Julian under the bus. Better him to take the fall than her. She had more important things to deal with. And since Julian had already lost his mind, keeping him locked up might even count as a form of mercy. A man like him was better off in prison anyway—he’d be a danger to society if let out. But Tessa didn’t voice any of that in front of Grace or the officer. She still had her innocent and sweet image to maintain. She couldn’t afford to sound that ruthless. Grace’s tone turned serious. “What exactly happened? Tessa, tell me everything, from start to finish.” The Hayes Enterprises and the Walton Corporation still had business ties. And they were only engaged–how dare he pull something like this now? How could she ever trust Julian to treat her daughter well in the future? This engagement had to be called off. Tessa had no choice but to explain everything that happened with the police and the hospital. “Mom, I really don’t know where that drug came from.” She lowered her head, voice dropping a few notches. “As for Julian, it’s true I was the one who asked him to come to Millford. I came here alone, and I didn’t feel safe. After all, my brother–in–law has always been a little unstable. He didn’t even listen to the doctor before—he just moved my sister without permission.” Hearing that, Grace suddenly remembered what Tessa had told her before.