The night had eventually settled in, leaving the police station unusually silent.The officers on duty spent most of their time behind their desks, occupied with stacks of paperwork, while the rest of the station remained still. The sharp clang of a cell door or the faint buzz of a radio occasionally interrupted the silence.Inside the holding cell, sleep never came to Derrick or Bella, they were all awake thinking about their next action to retaliate whenever they finally released them.Derrick sat quietly on the hard bench, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His hands were tightly clasped together, and his head hung low, as though the events of the day had left an unbearable weight on him.Bella remained at the other end of the cell. She pulled her knees close to her chest and kept sneaking glances at him, only to look away each time he failed to react.Just a few hours earlier, she had believed they would lean on each other for comfort, since they had already been through

“What were you thinking?” she cried. “You admitted to everything! You confessed to every crime.”Her voice shook with fear and anger.“You’ve destroyed us!”Derrick turned to look at Bella.For the first time in several days, a real smile appeared on his face. It wasn’t filled with regret or sadness. It was calm and confident.“Did I really?” he asked in a quiet voice.Bella frowned, completely confused.“What do you mean?” she asked, unable to understand what he was saying.Derrick slowly leaned closer until only she could hear him. His voice became a low whisper.“That apology was only the beginning.”He paused for a moment before continuing.“They believe they’ve beaten me. They think I’ve admitted defeat. They think I’ve completely fallen apart.”Bella blinked in disbelief.“But…”Derrick slowly shook his head.“No, Bella,” he said. “I’m not broken.”His eyes grew cold, and a dangerous look settled on his face.“I’ve only just begun.”As those words sank in, Bella’s expression slow

The next three days passed in complete chaos. Every hour brought another shocking discovery, and each one made the situation even worse.More fake videos appeared, showing Cecilia with different men, a hotel executive, a government official, and even one of her own staff members.The rumors about her being unfaithful spread everywhere. Soon, people stopped questioning only her marriage. They also began doubting her professionalism, her decisions, and her honesty.Fred Corporation’s board quickly called an emergency meeting. During the discussion, several board members insisted that Cecilia step down from her position.“Your personal actions have damaged this company’s reputation,” one of the directors said firmly. “As the CEO, you must accept responsibility.”Cecilia struggled to stay calm. “Those videos were fake. I was never involved with any of those men. Someone deliberately tried to ruin my life.”“Can you prove it?”She couldn’t, not yet. The expert Derrick hired did an excellen

The courtroom grew completely silent as the judge walked in. Derrick remained standing at the defendant’s table, looking pale and exhausted.His once well-fitted suit now looked wrinkled and worn. His hair was messy, and his face carried no strength at all. His eyes looked empty and distant, like someone who had already lost all hope and stopped fighting.From the back of the room, Bella sat quietly, her expression was unreadable. She wasn’t even fully sure why she had come to the trial, but she did anyway.Maybe she needed to witness it with her own eyes. Maybe she needed to see the final collapse of the man she had once loved.The case against Derrick was strong and undeniable.There were videos showing him meeting with an AI specialist, financial records tracing suspicious payments to shell companies, and the deepfake videos themselves, which experts had carefully reviewed and confirmed were completely fabricated.And, above everything else, the most damaging evidence came from the

Back in the United States, news about Caiden and Cecilia forming an alliance with House Menodj spread quickly across the country.Every major news channel covered it, with loud headlines like “Howards Join Royal House of Menodj!” and “From Scandal to Royal Alliance: The Howards’ Amazing Rise.” The story dominated television, newspapers, and online platforms.Social media was filled with reactions. Some people admired them and praised their success, while others felt jealous or bitter. Still, everyone was talking about them.Meanwhile, in a prison cell, Derrick sat in the common room watching the broadcast on a small television.His face tightened with anger as he saw Caiden and Cecilia smiling during the royal ceremony, with medals shining around their necks. It felt like a painful reminder of everything he had lost.“I should have been there,” he muttered under his breath. “That should have been me.”But deep down, he already knew the truth. His downfall had come from his own choices