Upon seeing such comments, Natalie scrolled further down and was appalled to find some individuals had purposefully posted dubious “evidence” to accuse her directly as the perpetrator. What irked Natalie the most was that some people actually bought into these accusations and began incessantly urging the police to investigate her.
Natalie seethed with anger, but she quickly regained her composure. She knew that fury wouldn’t resolve the situation and that Internet users were often swayed by rumors, lacking the discernment to distinguish truth from fabrication. She realized that her immediate course of action should be to uncover the truth. Natalie quickly contacted Brandon and her family, urging them to probe into the matter and determine the truth as swiftly as possible
If Vivi’s car crash was merely an accident, it would be a regrettable tragedy but understandable. However, if it was a deliberate act, it meant someone was specifically targeting her. The mere notion that someone could target her with such malevolent and insidious tactics, even risking an innocent life to frame her, sent shivers down Natalie’s spine. Without uncovering the truth, she would be unable to find peace in her daily life.
Upon receiving the news, Brandon grew concerned for Natalie’s safety and hastily returned home.
Upon his arrival, he found Natalie curled up on the sofa, looking alarmingly drawn and visibly shaken by the incident.
Brandon’s heart ached at the sight, and he quickly approached Natalie, enfolding her in a tight embrace and reassuring her gently, “Don’t worry, it might just be an accident.”
Natalie’s fingers dug into the fabric of Brandon’s shirt, her frame quivering like a leaf in the wind. “It doesn’t seem like some random occurrence. It feels… personal, calculated. The odds… they’re just too stacked,” she admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Brandon’s hand traced soothing circles on her back. “Easy, Natalie. You’re not alone in this storm,” he murmured in reassurance. But his words, meant to comfort, seemed to fall on deaf ears. If anything, the terror gnawing at Natalie’s insides only seemed to intensify, a relentless tide with each passing second. 1
She lifted her ashen face to his, her lips quivering like a frightened bird. “Vivi’s death wasn’t just some freak accident. It couldn’t be that straightforward. It’s like
I’m caught in a web, a meticulously spun trap. The puppeteer had Vivi plead with me in the morning, and by evening, she was a casualty of a fatal car crash. They manipulated dubious evidence, riling up the Internet users and drawing me into their play. It’s all laser-focused on me!” Her voice dropped to a dangerous growl, her eyes flashing fire. “It’s despicable, utterly inhumane! They sacrificed an innocent life just to frame me!”
Sensing her emotions spiraling, Brandon pulled her closer, his arms a firm anchor in her storm.
Nestled in his embrace, Natalie drank in his comforting scent, and the chaos within her began to ebb away.
She took a steadying breath, locking her gaze with his. “Brandon, level with me. What are the odds this crash was just that—an accident? J] need the unvarnished truth.”
His brows furrowed in thought, the gravity of the situation weighing on him before he finally conceded, “It’s a minefield of coincidences. It’s highly likely there’s a puppeteer pulling the strings.”
A sad, knowing smile touched Natalie’s lips as she nodded, a whisper of resignation tinging her voice. “I thought as much.” Brandon exhaled a sigh heavy with self-reproach. “I let my guard down. I should’ve sniffed out the puppeteer sooner, before they had the chance to ensnare Vivi in their scheme.”
Vivi’s sudden death and the unfounded accusations and curses from Internet users left Natalie in a state of unprecedented depression.
Knowing that Natalie was in a bad place, Brandon didn’t say much. He decided to hold her tightly and stay by her side. Both of them were aware of the imminent danger that was waiting for them at every corner.
They felt like helpless preys targeted by a vicious predator.
The White family and Brandon’s subordinates were all efficient. Within one night of investigation, they managed to investigate Vivi’s accident, digging for all the details they could find. The news was disappointing nonetheless.
On the day of Vivi’s car accident, the car she was driving was actually a new purchase. That same afternoon, she bought it from an unlicensed dealer. She wasn’t the first owner of the car which turned out to be illegal too. With the dash cam damaged, no evidence of what had happened during the crash was left. In addition, there were no security cameras where the car was parked before it was sold. It was impossible to know if anyone had tampered with the vehicle. The only clue they had was footage from a surveillance camera that caught Vivi’s car before her accident.
But it was far from the exact site and when she passed, Vivi’s car showed no signs of deceleration. She didn’t even change her lane before colliding straight into the nearby roadside.
Considering the driving conditions at the time and how a human would normally react during an emergency, there were only two possibilities: either the car had malfunctioned or the driver wasn’t in a prime driving condition.
As they studied the evidence, Natalie and Brandon grew more certain that what had happened wasn’t an accident.
Everything that had happened until now was all linked to a bigger conspiracy. One that was done almost flawlessly.
“I’m afraid this entire incident was really aimed at us,” Brandon said. His voice was low but it reverberated in the room. With his eyebrows knitted, he watched the surveillance footage of the accident. “That time when Vivi pleaded for forgiveness at the hospital entrance was likely a part of their plan.”
Natalie was still pondering every detail they knew, but she nodded. Finally, she said, “We had just arrived at the hospital when Vivi appeared back then. The timing seemed too perfect. She must have known our schedule beforehand.
Some resourceful person must be supplying her with the information.”
Brandon considered her words and everything else. He was lost in thought for a while before he added, “Moreover, Vivi even brought someone along to live- stream the incident. I thought it was just one of her accomplices, but after what had happened, I’m certain a mastermind planned it all. That person was probably sent to assist Vivi.
“The enemy is hiding really well. We, on the other hand, are in plain sight,”
Natalie said. A grim expression settled on her face. “The live stream at that time wasn’t so Vivi would gain the users “sympathy. It was part of a bigger plan. The mastermind wanted the users to suspect me, with the live stream as their basis.”
“That should be the case,” Brandon agreed. “They used these two events to provoke the users’ emotions. They want to direct the target toward you. Furthermore…”
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Natalie’s eyes were calm as she said, “Furthermore, as your wife and the daughter of the White family, the stocks of the Larson Group and my family’s company will surely be affected by this.” Natalie’s gaze turned cold in an instant. “What a clever way to kill three birds with one stone.”
Brandon looked down at the file his subordinates brought. He examined the evidence once more. After a while, he frowned and said, “What’s even more cunning is that Vivi, for fear of media harassment or our retaliation, chose a route without surveillance cameras when she left the hospital. There’s no way to find out where she went or whom she met after she left.”
Natalie’s gaze landed on the documents as well. She studied each of them as carefully as she had just several moments ago. And just like earlier, she came out empty-handed.
A raging headache was brewing in her temples. She rubbed them while saying, “The people behind it had spent a long time calculating all this. So far, every step they took was perfect. They want us to go through mountains to find clues.”
“Let’s start investigating by other means,” Brandon suggested. “With how meticulous they were, I doubt we’ll find anything from the car accident. Let’s begin by looking into the people that Vivi had any kind of contact with recently. We’ll investigate everyone we can, including her colleagues, friends, and even strangers she may have spoken to.”
New Book: Beginning with a Daring Encounter
Celsie was tired of being labeled as an introvert, workaholic, and dull virgin by her friends. Determined to prove them wrong, she made a bet that she would do something daring on her 25th birthday. Now that the day had arrived, it was time to fulfill her promise. On her daring to-do list, there was one task: a one-night stand with someone.
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