CHAPTER 195: CHAPTER 195: COUNTING THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY RACHEL SHAW

Annelise Lancaster opened her mouth and cried loudly.

Damien Lancaster looked at her seriously, "Annelise, what did you just say? Say it again."

Annelise just cried and didn’t speak.

The crying was ear-piercing, and Damien was very irritated by it, but he did not intend to let her go, "Explain what you just said, or I’ll send you back to the orphanage."

Hearing the words "send back to the orphanage," Annelise was immediately scared; after all, she was just a child.

"Speak!"

Annelise sobbed, "That... that lady said that as long as I was kidnapped, she could get rid of Sophie, and then I could become the only child of the Lancaster Family!"

Damien’s long, narrow eyes squinted coldly, "So your kidnapping back then was fake, it was arranged by someone."

Annelise cried again.

Damien understood everything clearly.

There was no need to elaborate on who that woman was.

He had long known that Rachel Shaw hired a killer to harm Sophie and Ivy Summers, but he hadn’t expected that even Annelise’s kidnapping was also orchestrated by her.

Good! Very good!

Rachel Shaw!

...

At night, Damien’s study was silent.

Damien sat in front of the computer, looking at piece after piece of evidence against Rachel Shaw, with a terrifying murderous aura surrounding him.

Julian Jacobs stood beside him, sweating profusely.

Colluding with child traffickers to kidnap Sophie!

Staging a fake suicide on a Ferris wheel to frame Ivy Summers!

Arranging for Annelise to be kidnapped, hiring a killer to kidnap Ivy and Sophie.

Attempting to take Sophie away again at the Sterling Family banquet.

One incident after another.

Julian wiped his sweat nervously and said, "Sir, Miss Shaw did more than just this. Miss Summers had previously reminded you to check the hospital surveillance for someone who appeared, and now there’s a result.

A woman dressed as a nurse fled guiltily when we found her, and when we caught her, we found a million in cash at her home. Under interrogation, she confessed the whole process of using a hammer to hit the old man’s back of the head and implicated Miss Shaw."

Damien’s eyes gleamed red, "Continue."

"Sir, do you remember that car accident at the airport? It wasn’t an accident; it was arranged by the Shaw Family. They knew you and Miss Summers were at the airport, and their people laid in wait outside. As soon as they saw Miss Summers come out, they staged an accidental car crash to kill her."

"Boom!"

Damien kicked the heavy desk hard, sending it sliding back several meters.

Julian had no doubt that if this kick had landed on a person, it would have been fatal!

Causing a car accident!

Killing the old man!

"Very well, very well." Damien’s squinted eyes gleamed with bloodthirst.

This woman wouldn’t be punished enough even if she died ten thousand times. He thought he treated her well, and this is how she repaid him, by harming his wife and family!

Damien’s fists clenched tightly, making a cracking sound.

Julian hadn’t expected the evil deeds of Rachel Shaw to far exceed their imagination; the phrase ’by any means necessary’ wasn’t enough to describe her.

"How’s the Shaw Group investigation going?"

"There are some results already," Julian replied.

Julian said, "Earlier in the year, a project developed by the Shaw Group encountered safety issues due to non-compliant construction, resulting in a foundation collapse that buried seventeen workers, all dead."

The foundation collapsed, resulting in seventeen deaths, a major safety incident; this wasn’t a matter of just compensating some money.

This was a criminal case involving lives.

Damien raised an eyebrow, his gaze deep, "Seventeen lives, not a word about it, and Phillip Shaw is still fine; he’s got quite the skill."

Julian said, "President Lancaster is aware of this matter."

"Did he help Phillip Shaw?"

"No, Phillip Shaw did ask for President Lancaster’s help, but Lancaster was abroad at that time and did not agree."

Damien smirked briefly, "So if he hadn’t been abroad, he might have helped."

Julian didn’t think so; Gregory Lancaster wouldn’t court such trouble for himself, "Phillip Shaw handled it himself in the end, faced with protests from the families of the victims, he hired people from the underworld to threaten them, threw some money around, and quelled it."

"Quite capable."

Phillip Shaw was gutsy, daring enough to do anything.

"Additionally, there are also some tax issues," Julian said, putting a file in front of Damien.

Damien glanced over it. Setting aside tax issues, the mere fact of those seventeen lives and resorting to underworld methods to settle matters would be enough to ruin the Shaw Family.

"Sir, if a woman like Miss Shaw marries into the Lancaster Family, outsiders will see the Shaw Group and the Lancaster Group as one. When their secrets are exposed, the Lancaster Group will also be in big trouble."

Damien let out a chuckle, "You should say this in front of Gregory Lancaster."

Gregory Lancaster was adamant about the marriage alliance with the Shaw Family.

Seraphina Kennedy also believed Rachel Shaw was the Lancaster Family’s lucky charm.

He would just wait and see if they could still call her a "lucky charm" at that time.

"Keep these things ready, Aethelgard hasn’t had any excitement for a while, and we are going to throw a grand engagement banquet."

"Yes, sir."

...

Shaw Family.

The designer had specially prepared several dresses for Rachel Shaw to choose from.

Rachel Shaw stood in front of the full-length mirror, admiring her stunning curves, and found that every dress looked beautiful on her. She couldn’t decide which one to choose.

The engagement party was in three days. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, yet she felt uneasy for some unknown reason.

It was as if something would happen at the engagement party.

Penelope Page walked in from outside and beamed at the beautiful Rachel Shaw, her eyes filled with delight. "Rachel, have you picked one yet?"

"Not yet, Mom. Help me decide which one looks best."

"I think they all look beautiful. Your father had these dresses specially designed for you, so of course, they all look great."

Rachel Shaw smiled faintly, but her smile was a bit forced.

Penelope Page noticed it. "Rachel, why do you seem a bit unhappy?"

"I don’t know. I used to want so much to marry Damien, but now that it’s happening, I don’t want to anymore."

"What nonsense are you talking?"

Rachel Shaw didn’t know why she was feeling this way either.

It was probably because of recent events.

With everything that had happened, she clung to the fact that Damien Lancaster had promised to marry her after those two nights, assuring herself that there was still something between them.

"Oh, let me tell you something that will surely make you happy. Damien just arranged to upgrade the engagement party at the hotel. He cares about you and wants to give you the best. Stop overthinking it."

"Really? Does he really care about me?" Rachel Shaw gazed at her reflection in the mirror, appearing lost.

So confused.

"What’s wrong with you today? You’re talking so strangely."

Rachel Shaw shook her head, perhaps... doing too many bad things can also make one afraid.

"I’m a bit tired."

Penelope Page led her to the sofa to sit down. "If you’re tired, take a break. You can choose the dress tomorrow. Don’t let your mind wander."

Rachel Shaw nodded.

She wished everything was just her imagination running wild.

Rachel Shaw took out her phone, and a news alert popped up. It was the image of Damien Lancaster putting a ring on Ivy Summers’ finger at the auction.

Rachel Shaw’s eyes went cold, and she threw her phone at the mirror.

"Ah!" The loud crash made Penelope Page go pale as she turned around in shock to look at Rachel Shaw. "What are you doing?"

"Damn Ivy Summers, everyone is laughing at me! They’re all saying Damien Lancaster doesn’t care about me!"

Penelope Page, aware of the recent news, tried to comfort her. "Those are just the media writing nonsense."

"But Damien Lancaster personally bid 200 million for the ring and put it on Ivy Summers in front of everyone. He did it right in front of me. What does he think of me?"

"Damien still cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be hosting an engagement party with you!"

"Care? Does he really care?"

Rachel Shaw didn’t know.

She really couldn’t see clearly.

"Don’t be angry. Your father knows about this too, and he said he’ll handle it."

Rachel Shaw frowned, "How will he handle it?"

"You’re now Damien Lancaster’s fiancée. What does Ivy Summers even count as between you two?"

"A mistress!"

"Exactly. We can guide the public opinion online. Exposing a mistress is enough to ruin Ivy Summers!"

Rachel Shaw narrowed her eyes, "Indeed."

...

Ivy Summers arrived at the Lancaster Family to pick up Nathan, Leo, and Sophie. Hearing that Ivy Summers had come, the three little ones were delighted and rushed out.

Ivy Summers’ car was parked at the entrance, she hadn’t entered the Lancaster Family home.

Seeing the three little ones running out, Ivy Summers immediately crouched down and opened her arms to welcome them.

"Mommy!"

"Mommy, why did you come so late? We missed you so much." Leo whined in Ivy Summers’ embrace.

Ivy Summers chuckled softly, "Let Mommy see where you missed me."

"Right here." Leo pointed to his chest.

Ivy Summers patted Leo’s head, "Alright, Mommy is here to pick you up now, isn’t she?"

Seraphina Kennedy and Gregory Lancaster walked out from inside. They were unwilling to let Ivy Summers take the children back. Seraphina Kennedy bent down, "Nathan, Leo, Sophie, come back to Grandpa and Grandma’s in a couple of days, alright?"

Nathan, Leo, and Sophie leaned closer to Ivy Summers, obviously reluctant. Coming here was out of necessity.

Ivy Summers looked up, "I’ll take them back now."

Gregory Lancaster said, "You should also teach them to be close to us, not distant."

"Whether they’re close to you depends on what you do, not on what I teach."

Children understand everything; if they aren’t close to you, adults should reflect on themselves.

Ivy Summers took the three little ones home, and on the second floor, a figure stood there, watching them leave before retracting his gaze.