Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 206: Defend!?

When Alaric and Henry stepped out of the study, they saw Aveline typing something on her phone. Her expression was so calm, it was hard to guess whether she was scared or plotting something. But so far, she told them nothing, even if she had any plans.

After knowing her so closely in the past few months, it was hard for Alaric to believe she could do nothing and follow his lead blindly. Not that he had a problem, but he knew she was quietly preparing for something.

Nevertheless, he didn't push her, "Sunshine…"

Aveline turned to him and saw him beckoning her. She subtly nodded in response, typed in something, and followed him upstairs to the closet.

She didn't resist when he started picking her clothes. First, she wore a warm base layer, layered with black turtle neck knitwear and comfortable black pants. He chose minimal accessories and thigh-high boots.

Aveline tilted her head in confusion when Alaric put on a round hat over her head. It did look good, but it wasn't a winter hat. Nevertheless, she didn't refuse, just relished his action while he quietly got her ready in clothes that could keep her warm without the heater.

At last, he draped an overcoat over her shoulder, preparing not just to battle against the wolves but the cold.

When they arrived downstairs, they finally heard her voice, "Mom, somebody might be walking ten steps ahead of us, when we step front, that somebody will become a nobody."

Margaret held back her tears and nodded in acknowledgement. Before the cops arrived at their doorsteps, creating a huge scene for the media and onlookers, they were heading to the precinct.

When Aveline turned to her father, all she had was, "I'm sorry, Dad. I never wanted or wished for Laurent's name to be dragged through the mud because of me."

Knowing or unknowingly, Avelien felt like she was again shoving the Laurents off the cliff.

Henry shook his head, ready to retort, but Aveline held his hand, "Alaric will take care of me. You should take care of Mom and Grandmother Celeste. If there comes other news, she won't be able to handle it. Dad, you have to keep her positive."

Celeste falling critically ill because of her situation was the last thing Aveline wanted.

"Please, Dad," Aveline insisted, despite knowing how difficult it would be for him to just watch her instead of taking care of the situation.

Henry wanted to refuse her, outright. But one look at Alaric, and he swallowed his words down. Not even once did Alaric step away from Aveline, so Henry knew Alaric would handle it, maybe much better than he could.

So he could only appease his daughter with, "Alright. You need to stay strong. Don't let her emotions make the decision." It was important for Aveline to stay rational and think before speaking.

Aveline nodded assuringly and left the penthouse with Alaric.

….

At the precinct,

Aveline refused to bring Alaric inside the mess of media. Alaric had to step out of the car a few blocks away, and the car entered the gates of the precinct.

The street was a sea of flashing lights. News vans, reporters, and cameras that fed on tragedy like vultures. When she stepped out of the car, microphones thrust forward, voices tearing at her from every direction.

"Miss Laurent, do you admit negligence?"

"Are you responsible for six deaths?"

"Will Grace & Bloom be shut down permanently?"

"Do you have blood on your hands?"

Aveline didn't flinch at the questions. Apex Guards and the officers rushed to block the reporters, creating enough distance for her to walk with her hat covering half of her face.

Giselle arrived right behind her. Heels sharp against the pavement, her jaw locked, her gaze cutting through the crowd with merciless precision.

Cameras panned to her, the reporters jabbing her with a series of questions.

"Ms. Lancaster, do you still take Aveline Laurent as your client?

"Will you be able to prove her innocence?"

"Will this be your first case to lose?"

Giselle didn't usually spare the press even a glance. But today, she paused, her eyes narrowing at the man who spoke about her loss. "Lose? You should pose that question to the investigation team. Will they lose the culprit?"

With that, she walked away, letting the media guess their moves in the battle.

…

The sterile corridor of the precinct reeked faintly of coffee and ink. Officers stared as Aveline walked in. Some were stunned at the sight of her without a mask on her beautiful face, and some watched her with suspicion, others with pity, but none dared strike up a conversation with her.

When Giselle walked in, everyone looked away, quickly getting back to their work. She pulled the chair beside Aveline and dropped a thick file on the table.

"We are here to file a complaint." The room stilled when Giselle's declaration hit the air. They couldn't believe their ears.

The captain leaned back, arms crossed, tone sharp. "Ms. Lancaster, this is not your courtroom. We'll be conducting an interrogation. Your client is facing severe criminal charges at the moment." Since it was Sunday, it was taking them time to get the warrant against Aveline.

"My Client is also filing severe complaints." Giselle's voice cracked like a whip, each word deliberate, dragging the room's attention to her.

"Record this, Captain. Every word. Because what you have tried to build against my client is not a case, it's a circus. And we will not play the clown."

The captain clenched his teeth. It was his first time facing Giselle, but he had heard numerous times about her sharp tongue.

Aveline sat quietly beside her, her back straight, hands folded neatly on her lap as if touching the table could dirty her hands. She didn't look like a woman crumbling under accusations, she looked like someone waiting to cause the storm.

Giselle opened the file, flipping to the first page. "First complaint: Sabotage of Grace & Bloom's event.

The power cut during the event was deliberate and caused forceful damage." Her finger tapped the picture attached.

"The wall collapse occurred due to possible tampering by the third-party vendor contracted for that partition or a different culprit. We're filing for corporate negligence and deliberate sabotage."

The kitchen explosion. The catering team was independently hired and managed their own gas lines, storage, and staff. This wasn't Grace & Bloom's doing. It was either negligence or foul play. My client is filing against the catering company."

One of the junior detectives shifted uncomfortably, his pen faltering. He glanced at the other detectives, who began shifting closer to the captain to listen to the ladies.

"Second complaint: Insurance fraud. Multiple insurance companies have denied the payouts to Grace & Bloom, citing negligence before this investigation has even concluded. That is bad faith denial. We are filing against them, and if evidence is being 'lost' in this precinct, such as surveillance footage conveniently missing, or deleted, I will not hesitate to add obstruction of justice to that filing."

It was bold and loud blackmail to the investigation team. The captain's jaw flexed, but he said nothing.

"Third: Government liability. The municipal board delayed permits, then issued safety certifications, yet now they conveniently point fingers at my client. If oversight was compromised, or worse, bribed, those deaths are not on Ms. Laurent. They're on the inspectors and their supervisors. We're filing complaints for corruption and dereliction of duty."

Murmurs rippled across the officers lined up at the back when they saw the copy of the certificates attached to the complaint.

They glanced at Aveline. She sat, without flinching or worry. It was as if she were merely following the protocol to be sitting there.

Giselle continued confidently, "Fourth: Cullens' opportunism. They claim ten times compensation for jewelry and couture, while families mourn their dead. That is not only extortion but malicious defamation. They took credit, sang praises for Grace and Bloom halfway to the event, and had the audacity to speak against it after getting the fame. We are filing for breach of good faith, defamation, and opportunistic damages."

By now, the room had gone utterly silent. The captain's pen stopped mid-note. He watched them with his mouth agape.

"And finally, defamation and malicious framing. From headlines calling my client a killer, to whispers of 'blood on her hands,' this precinct has allowed a witch hunt instead of an investigation. She will not only defend herself, she will demand justice."

Giselle's hand slapped the file closed with finality, the echo ringing in the sterile room.

The captain's lips parted, but no words came. The team behind him looked shaken, some were baffled, some were ashamed.

The carefully created scales had shifted. The villain mask the world tried to shove onto Aveline was now crumbling into one of the victims.

At last, Aveline met the captain's eyes. Her voice was calm, almost too cold. "You want me to answer for negligence?"

Her eyes swept across the room, unflinching. "Then answer me this, where is the surveillance footage of the event? Have you even checked it before filing Fire and Safety Act violations for improper exits and extinguishers?"

She smirked when they dared not look her in the eyes. If they had assumed she would be scared because of lawsuits against her, they had underestimated her beyond their imagination.

"Where is the inspection certificate you claim is missing? Where is the official who signed off on safety protocol? Produce them. Or admit, you've been dancing on someone's fingers while trying to make me your scapegoat."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Not a single officer moved.

Aveline leaned back in her chair, her delicate features were unreadable, her calmness was more cutting than any scream.

Giselle was preparing all night to defend Aveline because she had no idea Aveline was thorough in her work and followed every rule by the book.

And when she got the call from Aveline in the morning, she realized Aveline wasn't a prey anymore, she didn't need saving, she needed the right tools to start the hunt.

She stood, "Until you bring us the real culprit, consider every officer in this room officially on notice." It was a warning.

The entire hall stood stunned. Even they could see now, the story they were feeding to make Aveline the villain stood no ground.