CHAPTER 612: TRIAL OF INTENT

Aaron was silent for a moment. "But evidence isn’t that easy to find."

Selina curved her lips into a faint smile. "Is that so?"

Her fingers twirled a strand of hair as her eyes narrowed. "I’ll just have to find an opportunity... to have a little chat with Hannah."

...

Lately, Hannah had been receiving a wave of public sympathy.

After all, in most people’s eyes, she hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet she had supposedly given up most of her wealth to atone for her adoptive parents’ sins—even abandoning her luxury lifestyle.

When Selina finally tracked her down, Hannah was teaching in an art studio.

It was clear Hannah had already spoken to the students about something, because the moment Selina walked in, the children glared at her with hostility.

Hannah put on a helpless expression as she soothed the kids beside her. "Selina."

The two of them stepped aside. Hannah sighed in mock apology. "Sorry. These students are close to me, so they might be a little defensive toward you..."

"Oh? And why would they be defensive toward me, Hill Lady? You didn’t... tell them anything, did you?"

Hannah’s expression froze.

Selina’s voice was unhurried, almost lazy. "Because let’s be real here—your adoptive father was a criminal who got exactly what he deserved, and your fortune was nothing but blood money. Ending up like this is only the natural consequence. Normal people wouldn’t take the side of a murderer’s family and blame the victims’ family."

She tilted her head slightly. "These kids are seven, maybe eight. Their worldview isn’t even formed yet. So, Hannah, what exactly did you tell them?"

Silence thickened in the air.

Hannah knew she couldn’t afford to blow up here. "Selina, you’ve really misunderstood me. The children just feel sorry for me, that’s all..."

"You’ve always had a talent for playing the weakling in front of others, haven’t you? At twenty, you played the victim. At forty, you’re still playing it. Planning to keep up the act for the rest of your life?" Selina cut her off smoothly.

Hannah’s face darkened.

Selina, however, didn’t care. She suddenly smirked. "Over the years, Matt introduced quite a few decent men to you, didn’t he? Yet you turned them all down. Why is that, Hannah?"

The smile on Hannah’s face stiffened. "That’s my private business. There’s no need to discuss it with you, is there, Selina? What is this—an interrogation?"

"My father and brother may have committed crimes, but they’ve already paid for them. And the police investigated me thoroughly. They confirmed I knew nothing and released me."

Her eyes were sharp as she asked, "Selina, don’t tell me you don’t believe the police?"

Selina’s lips curved into a slow, cool smile. "Believe them? Of course, I do."

But had the police really let Hannah off the hook?

Perhaps only Hannah thought so. Her life still seemed comfortable, her reputation was even climbing again, and the police had publicly stated that the murders and stolen inheritance had nothing to do with her.

They’d even mentioned Victoria—Selina’s gaze darkened. Her mother’s death had been officially deemed an "accident." But the world conveniently blamed it on Matt: if he hadn’t killed Victoria’s father and tormented her, she never would’ve met such a tragic end.

As if everything could be pinned on Matt alone.

But Selina knew better. The police were only creating an illusion—to make Hannah drop her guard.

Still, Hannah was cautious. If the authorities approached her again, she’d only become more alert.

That’s why Selina came herself.

Her lips curved, her tone deceptively light. "Hill Lady, don’t be so nervous. We were ’relatives’ once, weren’t we? I just came here today... to check in on you."

"Like right now—we’re just chatting."

Selina’s smile was faint, her tone light. "By the way, I heard that all these years you never married. Is it because there’s someone in your heart?"

Hannah’s face changed.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she let out a soft laugh. "Selina, I don’t understand... where did you hear something like that?"

"From my father."

Selina enunciated each word slowly. "My mother’s fiancé... wasn’t he the man you loved most?"

Jeff had once told Selina about her father—born into a family of scientists, later ruined by Matt’s schemes. But her father had pursued research with or without family support, a man wholly devoted to his field. Unfortunately... he had crossed paths with Hannah.

Hannah’s eyes turned venomous. "I don’t understand what you’re talking about!"

Selina narrowed her gaze, studying her quietly for a moment before speaking. "Don’t get so worked up. I was just making small talk. You can take it—or leave it."

"Selina, it’s best not to put stock in gossip like that."

Hannah secretly ground her teeth. Selina’s bright, amused eyes left her unsettled. Just how much did Selina actually know? And if she did know something, if...

"Actually, it’s not exactly gossip," Selina said airily. "Back then, quite a few people knew about it. Surely you didn’t... deal with every last one of them, did you, Hill Lady?"

"What are you implying, Selina?!" Hannah shot to her feet, only to realize how much she’d revealed. She forced a smile back onto her lips. "Yes, I liked your father once—but that was more than twenty years ago."

Selina wasn’t surprised Hannah could play it cool. After all, she hadn’t lied—Selina really had been speaking offhandedly.

But she also knew Hannah’s schemes had always revolved around gaining the Hill Family. And in Hannah’s mind, gaining the Hill Family meant taking everything the rightful heirs had. Even Victoria’s fiancé.

Thinking this through, Selina rose slowly. "Seems like Hill Lady doesn’t have much left to say to me. Oh, right—I also heard you being adopted by Matt wasn’t an accident, but something you engineered yourself?"

Hannah chuckled lightly. "And if I did? What’s so strange about that? I didn’t want to rot in an orphanage. Of course I wanted the Hill Family to adopt me."

Selina gave her a long, cool glance, "Well, let’s hope so."

She turned to leave the studio, but paused mid-step, glancing back. "Eat well and sleep well while you can, Hill Lady. You may not have that chance in the future. This studio is in a nice spot—I wonder who’ll take it over when you’re gone. Then again... as the daughter of a murderer, and perhaps about to become one yourself, anything you leave behind will probably be considered cursed."

With that, Selina walked away without looking back.

Hannah’s fists clenched tight, her eyes clouded with unease.

What did Selina know?! Why had she come all the way here just to say those things?

The past...

For the first time, Hannah’s chest tightened with real panic. It shouldn’t be possible—she had covered her tracks perfectly. No one had suspected her for decades.

But back then, with Matt and Philip drawing attention, she’d been invisible, unremarkable. Now things were different.

And worse, she’d grown careless. She had left loose ends. If Selina really had found something...

Hannah’s heart lurched violently.

...

After leaving, Selina didn’t hurry home. Instead, she circled the area around the studio a few times.