Chapter 45

For his son's sake, Sara was willing to risk everything. She and Ashley sneaked back to the hotel. Seeing Selina enter an elevator that stopped on the 26th floor, they hurried into another. Arriving on the 36th floor, they found two distinct areas.

"Mommy, where is Selina?"

"Let's start with Area A."

After searching, Sara spotted Selina speaking with someone nearby. Sara and Ashley exchanged glances and approached. Unexpectedly, around a corner, they heard a click. Selina, phone in hand, had just photographed them, looking stunned.

"That's interesting, Mrs. Harvey. Don't you have any shame? Do you realize your actions could be considered illegal before the trial?"

Selina considered Sara and Ashley shameless. She'd noticed the elevator next to hers was ascending to the 20th floor—she'd been waiting.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You don't own this hotel. Can't I be here?"

"Or... were you here to do something shameful?"

Sara, accustomed to adversity, quickly composed herself. They couldn't admit they'd come to plead with Malcolm.

With a cold smile, Selina knocked on a nearby door. "Malcolm, I'm here."

The door opened, revealing the tall, handsome Malcolm. His smile froze at the sight of Sara and Ashley. "Why are you here?"

Before Sara could respond, Selina interjected, clutching Malcolm's arm. "Malcolm, she said I was here to do something shameful. I came to see my senior and acting lawyer. Why would that be shameful? I suspect someone has a guilty conscience."

"Did you really say that?" Malcolm asked, his tone sharp.

Sara quickly replied, "No, Mr. Weber. We just happened to be passing by." She couldn't afford to offend Malcolm; he held Manuel's fate in his hands.

Malcolm narrowed his eyes, a hint of menace in his gaze. "Passing by? Sokonis is vast, yet you happened to pass by my floor? Mrs. Harvey, if I called the police, you'd be in serious trouble!" He'd seen countless people like Sara, trying to sway him to drop the case. He knew she thought him an idiot. But Malcolm had been discreet, yet the Harveys had still found him. As a top Sokonis family, they had connections.

"Mr. Weber, please! Let Manuel go! He didn't mean to... He's Selina's brother! They argued. If Manuel goes to jail, Selina will regret it! You wouldn't want that, would you?" Ashley, desperate, grabbed Malcolm's clothes, pleading pitifully. She even knelt, tears streaming down her face.

Sara exclaimed nervously, "Ashley! What are you doing? Get up!"

"Mommy, I can't... Manuel's always been good to me. I've always caused trouble, never done anything for him. Now he's in trouble, I can't stand by! Even if there's a sliver of hope, I must fight for him!"

Ashley's performance was impeccable. Selina, however, was unimpressed. Ashley had been this manipulative before. She had been blinded by kinship in the past, putting up with Ashley's behavior again and again, only to be betrayed.

Ashley was not her sister; she didn't deserve it.

Sara was deeply moved by Ashley's display, feeling Ashley was superior to Selina in every way. She felt guilty for her selfishness in giving birth to Ashley and only wanted her as a daughter.

But Sara was alone in her sentiment. Selina and Malcolm remained expressionless, almost amused by the performance.

Malcolm, with a playful glint in his eye, turned to Selina. "What do you think of her display?"

"Let's see how sincere she is. Ashley, kneel as long as you like. If I deem your sincerity sufficient, I'll drop the lawsuit against Manuel." Malcolm then said, "Selina, let's go inside and talk."

They left Ashley kneeling, her face darkening. She'd aimed to play the devoted sister, but more importantly, she'd tried to seduce Malcolm – a highly successful, handsome lawyer, far superior to her former husband Timothy, and closely associated with Selina. She was consumed by jealousy.