“It wasn’t me who dug out the evidence,” Stella calmly replied. “It was the police that took him away. Surely, they wouldn’t apprehend him without proper evidence, right?”
Seeing that Stella wasn’t about to bend, Lindsay tried to appeal to her once more. “Please, Stella. Let Robin go just this one time. He really had no bad intentions. If this incident ruins his life, I… I will never forgive myself for as long as I live.”
But no matter what she said, nothing moved Stella.
When Lindsay realized this, she slapped her own leg with as much force as she could muster, and said tearfully, “It’s all my fault. If my legs weren’t so useless, none of this would have happened. I shouldn’t have come back here. I should have just died in Sothrea. Then none of this would have happened!”
Heartbroken, Lucia went over to comfort her. “Don’t say that, Lindsay. If this is all just a misunderstanding, the police will definitely release Robin. And even if he did do it, the fault lies with him, not you. No one is going to blame you.”
Lindsay acted like she didn’t hear a thing and continued to blame herself in between choked sobs.
At that point, Matthew finally spoke. “I’ll talk to the authorities and have them release Robin.”
Both Stella and Lindsay turned to him in shock, though the emotions behind their reaction were different.
Stella was overcome with disappointment, and she looked at Matthew like she was seeing a stranger. The trust she once had in him was now shattered irreparably.
Lindsay, on the other hand, was filled with joy and relief. She could barely conceal it from her eyes.
“Are you serious, Matthew?” she asked, as though she couldn’t quite believe what he just said. “You’re really going to get Robin out?”
Matthew nodded slightly. “You can’t get too emotional right now. I will handle this matter, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Thank you, Matthew,” Lindsay gushed. “You’re so kind.”
Then she paused and furrowed her brows in feigned concern. “But won’t Stella get mad at you for doing this?”
Stella shot Lindsay a frosty look and said crisply, “As long as Robin is innocent, I won’t be able to sully his name with false accusations no matter how capable I am. How could I be angry? However, I plan to have a word with Matthew about this later, away from prying eyes. I have no desire to stir a scene in front of Lucia.”
Catching the undercurrents of strain, Lucia chimed in with a comforting smile, trying to lighten the mood. “Let’s not let this dampen our spirits. Why don’t you all stay for dinner? It’s such a rare joy to have us all together.”
Lindsay, appearing drained, softly declined, “Thank you, but fatigue has gotten the better of me today. I’ll pass and just head home to rest. Count me in for next time, though.”
She then turned to Matthew, her eyes pleading gently as she asked, “Matthew, could you take me home?”
Knowing well that Matthew would Likely acquiesce to avoid any further stress after her check-up, Lindsay waited.
True to her expectations, Matthew agreed smoothly, “Of course, I’ll take you home.”
Stella, having also lost her appetite, informed Lucia in a straightforward manner, “I’m afraid I must excuse myself as well, Lucia. There are pressing issues at the studio that require my attention.”
With those words, she too readied herself to leave.
Lucia, her heart heavy, escorted them to the door. She watched their backs as they departed, a sigh of resignation escaping her lips while a shadow of concern crossed her face.
Once Matthew had helped Lindsay into his car, Stella seized the moment to pull him aside. “I need a word,” she insisted.