Revenge Forged in Prison

Chapter 56: Only You Are Involved With Her

“Wait a minute,” Caleb spoke just before the whip came down. “Let me finish first. You can hit me afterward if you still want to.”

His wounds from a few days ago were still fresh, and if he took another few lashes, he’d probably be bedridden for days.

“Hmph, what could you possibly say? Haven’t you already repeated the same tired excuses? ‘I didn’t steal anything,’ ‘I didn’t do anything.’ How predictable,” George sneered.

But Caleb remained unfazed, his voice unwavering as he continued, “There was someone else apart from me in the mansion.”

George didn’t believe a word. “Who else? Apart from you, who would associate with that lowlife from the Sherman family?”

Caleb swallowed his anger. “Who helped capture me? Who was once a close friend of Gianna? Even without me spelling it out, you should be able to figure it out.”

George froze, and an unsettling silence hung in the air. In that moment, one name surfaced in the minds of everyone present—Raquel.

Despite their current conflict, Raquel had once been a close confidante of Gianna. She had free rein at the Sherman residence before their fallout. Gianna would have trusted her completely, even sharing the mansion’s secrets. If anyone had the chance and the skill to take something from the Sherman family, it was Raquel.

Realizing everyone’s eyes were on her, Raquel became visibly flustered. “Mr. Quixall, Yelena, why are you both looking at me like that? Yes, I did visit the Sherman residence, but that doesn’t mean I’m the thief!”

Her voice trembled, her eyes reddening, as though she were the one wronged, making her seem like the victim in this whole situation.

Yelena’s expression softened with sympathy. “Raquel’s right. She’s the heir to a prestigious family, with no shortage of wealth. Why would she steal from anyone? It’s always those with less who are most motivated to steal. After all, food and clothing are necessities, and when survival is at stake, people can be pushed to do things they might otherwise never consider.”

Her words dripped with veiled sarcasm, though she stopped short of directly attacking Caleb.

Caleb, though clearly the target of her comments, remained composed, not allowing himself to react. He recognized the subtle jab, recalling how Norman had made a similar insinuation during his visit. Kathryn had been to Gianna’s mansion this morning and saw Caleb there. Even when it seemed like there was a clear suspect, Norman had emphasized that “the only visitors before the incident were members of the Quixall family,” carefully leaving Caleb’s involvement open-ended.

Caleb seized the moment, making sure to protect his reputation from any false accusations. He looked up, his tone measured and logical. “First of all, Gianna was the only one who told me about the location of that mansion, apart from the Shermans. Raquel, without the owner’s consent, brazenly trespassed onto…”

Raquel, flustered, shot back, “I followed Mrs. Sherman inside just to find you! How can that be considered trespassing?”

Caleb scoffed, his voice cold. “I don’t care who you were looking for—you’re still trespassing.”

Realizing she had no real defense, Raquel fell silent.

Caleb continued, “Secondly, you and Gianna had a falling out recently, which gives you plenty of motive.”

Raquel’s face flushed with indignation. “My family is powerful. Even if we had a falling out, I couldn’t care less about their insignificant wealth!”

With a small, knowing smile, Caleb replied, “I know you’re not after money.”

Raquel, somewhat relieved, asked, “Then what are you implying?”

Caleb cut her off, his voice sharp. “Stealing isn’t always about money. Sometimes it’s driven by spite.”

Chapter 57: Not Like You