Chapter 523: Conspiracy (16) She Couldn't Give In!

"I'm hungry," Hannah said to Max, her voice peaceful. "Can you please make dinner for me?"

"Sure, I'm on it," Max replied instantly.

He was relieved she felt hungry. He'd worried she might never recover from her despair.

Hannah had considered giving up when she locked herself in her room. She'd felt powerless, believing she couldn't change anything, that she was incapable of defying God's will.

But the thought of Oscar—their shared joy, their marriage, their future—changed everything. She wouldn't give up. She had a bright future with him, and she wouldn't let Charles ruin it. Her life's efforts wouldn't be meaningless.

This thought fueled her, pulling her from the darkness. She showered and changed, vowing never to surrender. She opened her door and faced the challenge anew.

In the dining room, Max had prepared several delicious dishes. Max and Jimmy had skipped dinner, too worried about Hannah. Now, the three of them ate together, the meal a quiet affair.

Hannah ate, occasionally glancing at her phone. Since that afternoon, she'd received over fifty missed calls: twenty consecutive calls from the quick-tempered Susan, followed by calls from Manuel, Oscar's parents and siblings, and her own parents. The remaining calls were from the media or unknown numbers.

"Eat some more, Mrs. Wells," Max said kindly, noticing her distracted attention.

Hannah lowered her phone. "I'm good," she smiled.

"Master Oscar will be fine," Max asserted.

"Yeah, I know," Hannah nodded. As a last resort, they could break him out of jail. Manuel had suggested it, a desperate measure of last resort.

But she refused to resort to such desperate tactics. First, escaping would make Oscar look guilty, adding charges of escape and potentially rape. She couldn't bear to see him so unjustly maligned. Second, it would be a surrender to Charles and his unseen backers, forcing them to relinquish their family property and leave their home. Most importantly, she couldn't accept that those who framed them would steal everything and escape punishment.

She wouldn't give in. Unlike her previous life, where she'd been a pathetic loser, she wouldn't let this happen again. She would fight back.

"Don't worry," she told Max and Jimmy. "I'll get Oscar out, safe and sound!"

Max nodded, his trust evident. Jimmy, though quiet, mirrored his confidence in Hannah.

After dinner, Hannah returned to her room, this time keeping the door open. She planned to work on the case.

The news headline screamed: "Oscar Wells Raped and Murdered Mary Cooper."

Was Mary dead? Hannah remembered seeing Mary in a luxury car a few days earlier. Had she been killed that night? Hannah had asked Theodore to investigate, but hadn't followed up after Oscar's arrest. Theodore was currently detained in River Town and hadn't revealed Mary's companion that night.

She was in a difficult position. Taking a deep breath, she reviewed the news. Oscar's supposed crimes had reignited media frenzy. She studied the blurred photos: Oscar standing close to Mary outside a hotel, appearing intimate; then a blurred image of Mary's body pulled from the Kensbury City moat, her features obscured by water damage.

Hannah couldn't believe Mary was dead. While she hadn't expected Mary to live long, given her reckless behavior, the suddenness of it shocked her. She had envisioned killing Mary herself. In her past life, Mary had constantly insulted her. This time, Hannah had planned to deal with Charles first, then Mary. But Mary was gone.

She felt no remorse. Mary deserved what she got. What angered Hannah was that Mary's death had become further evidence against Oscar.

The news claimed Oscar raped Mary, who then drowned herself unable to cope with the trauma. The autopsy confirmed rape, but the body's prolonged submersion had destroyed any usable DNA evidence. Despite this, the rape charge stood.

Gripping her phone, Hannah imagined Mary's final moments. The news suggested a violent rape, designed to make the crime appear more heinous. The killer had then disposed of the body to eliminate DNA, a flawless plan.

Hannah wondered if Mary had regretted her actions in her last moments. Had she regretted sacrificing herself for something that wasn't hers? Regardless, Hannah felt no sympathy. Mary had reaped what she'd sown.

Hannah closed the news app and called Manuel. Surprisingly, he answered immediately, though it was late. "Hi, Hannah."

"You're awake?"

"I can't sleep, just like you," he replied.

"Difficult?" Hannah asked.

"A little. I'm going to River Town tomorrow," Manuel said. "I want to go in person."

"Be safe."

"OK. How are you doing?" he asked.