Chapter 149

With a firm stare fixed on Verena, Waldo carried an air of authority that demanded respect and left a lasting impression.

In most cases, anyone questioned under such pressure would have found it difficult to stay composed,even with nothing to hide.

Despite this, Verena sat perfectly at ease, her composure never wavering.

A gentle shake of her head followed as she answered, "Officer Collins, I can honestly say I never had any disputes with Katelyn."

The level-headed way she spoke took Waldo by surprise, but he kept his face impassive, true to his reputation as one of Shoildon's most experienced officers.

Leaning a little closer, he fixed his attention on Verena. "You say there were no disagreements,but Katelyn has shared a different account."

Without letting her expression change, Verena waited in silence for him to continue.

Waldo turned a fresh page in his notebook. "According to Katelyn, she returned from overseas to help treat your husband. Because she thought your family might doubt her credentials, she specifically asked Wendell Branson to confirm her identity as the renowned Evelyn Rowe. Eventually, the patient's mother agreed to let her proceed, but you were opposed. Your objection was driven by jealousy over her childhood bond with your husband, and you wanted them to have no contact at all. To stop her from operating,you supposedly tried to pay off Wendell and get him to claim she was lying. However, your mother-in-law,who has great influence in the household, already supported her. Once you realized your mother-in-law distrusted you, the accusation is that you took drastic measures, hiring someone to eliminate the threat for good."

His eyes remained locked on Verena as he tried to read her reaction. "Now, give me a straightforward answer: did you encourage your husband to follow Wendell, hoping to intimidate him for your own purposes?" Verena let the question hang for a moment, taking time to think.

It became clear that whoever targeted Katelyn was likely the group of people from overseas.

She knew the true target was not Katelyn, but herself.

Those responsible had acted quickly, apparently desperate to get rid of her before she saw them coming.

There was no way they expected the Evelyn they were pursuing to be someone else entirely.

As she realized this, Verena could not help but acknowledge the lengths Katelyn had gone with her dramatic scheme.

Even after nearly dying, Katelyn was still determined to ruin her. That kind of drive had to come from real hatred.

But Verena knew the charade needed to end.

"Absolutely not." Verena refuted Waldo's question with steady confidence. "Let me explain why I said there were no disputes with Katelyn. She never even got the opportunity to argue with me. She wanted to be my husband's doctor, but both he and I refused. Even with my mother-in-law insisting, my husband's answer stayed the same. I had no motive to harm Katelyn, so there's no reason I'd ever consider a crime against her. And about Wendell, I never tried to bribe him to turn on Katelyn. In truth, Katelyn was the one putting pressure on him. She forced him to lie and say she was Evelyn Rowe. The only reason there were people around Wendell's family was for their protection, not intimidation. You can confirm everything with him directly."

Waldo drew his brows together. "What makes you so sure Katelyn lied? How can you know for certain she isn't Evelyn? If your mother-in-law hadn't told you that Wendell identified Katelyn as Evelyn, what would have led you to him in the first place? Doesn't that show you tried to pay off Wendell?"

"I know she's lying because I'm the real Evelyn Rowe, and I have no reason to bribe Wendell."

Her blunt reply caught both Waldo and the note-taker off guard.

Waldo blinked in surprise, taking a second to process. "Excuse me, what did you just say?" He clearly had not expected such a revelation.

Verena answered in the same measured, even tone, "Wendell and I have a long history, and I understand the kind of person he is. He isn't someone who could be bribed. So, when my mother-in-law said Wendell had vouched for Katelyn as Evelyn, I suspected that he must have been threatened. I reached out to him and found out my instincts were right. That's why I made sure he and his family had someone to look out for them.And with Katelyn, since I am the real Evelyn, I have no motivation at all to try to harm her. If I wanted to keep her away from my husband, there are plenty of ways to do that. The only reason I haven't told my mother-in-law or anyone else who I am is that there are still complications I need to resolve first."

A long silence settled after Verena finished. Waldo watched her, reading the unwavering calm in her eyes.

Even though she sounded a bit proud, her logic was clear and difficult to dispute.

If Verena truly was Evelyn, then Katelyn's accusations against her didn't add up.

"So, you're claiming to be Evelyn, and you believe Katelyn is pretending."

Verena answered with assurance, "Yes, I am Evelyn."

After a moment's pause, she gave a gentle smile. "I would appreciate it if you kept this confidential. I'm not able to reveal my identity to everyone just yet."

Waldo stayed quiet for a moment, his fingers drumming against the table, before saying, "Words alone won't convince anyone. What proof do you have that you're Evelyn?"

Verena, already expecting the question, answered openly,medical team will be back soon, and every patient we've treated will be able to vouch for me."

Waldo believed he had caught a weak point and said, "If that's true,then why not allow us to reveal your identity as Evelyn to the public right now?"

He pressed further, and Verena chose not to hold back as she explained, "Someone is trying to kill me. Until I find out who they are, I can't reveal my identity."

That answer sparked a look of realization in Waldo's eyes. While looking into Katelyn's background, he remembered coming across a news article about her.

The article hinted that she might actually be Evelyn.

Hearing what Verena just revealed, he realized if Verena truly was Evelyn and Katelyn was simply posing as her, then the group hunting Evelyn must have read that article, assumed Katelyn was Evelyn, and set their sights on the wrong person.

The real target was always Verena.

Now seeing the larger picture, Waldo understood that things were even more tangled than he thought.

But he could not take Verena's word at face value without solid proof.

Rising from his seat, Waldo came over to Verena. "Mrs. Bennett, for now, we'll remain cautious about your claim and will conduct a thorough investigation to confirm what you've said."

He reached out to shake her hand. "That's all the questions I have for now. As the inquiry goes on, we may need you to return for more questioning. I hope you'll cooperate."

With a small smile, Verena shook his hand. "Of course. It's a citizen's responsibility to help the police whenever possible."

Once she stepped out of the interrogation room, Verena was led to a different waiting area.

In the midst of giving a lecture, Wendell got a call from the police station.

When he learned the police wanted to question him for a case, his mind blanked for a second, but he quickly tried to compose himself.

Once the call ended, he told his students to keep studying on their own, and then left the classroom with nerves showing in his steps.

Over at the Bennett Group headquarters, a management meeting was in progress when a knock interrupted the proceedings.

Isaac disliked interruptions in the middle of meetings, and a trace of irritation crossed his face as his tone cooled."Come in."

Jacob entered, visibly uneasy, and walked up to Isaac to whisper, "Mr. Bennett, the police station called and they've requested you to come down."

Isaac looked at him in confusion. "Did they say why?"

Lowering his voice further, Jacob leaned in. "It seems to be about your wife..."