Chapter 172

As the words fell, a voice called out from a distance, “Merry, Cordelia, the headmasteris asking foryou.”

Hearing this, Paulina and Cainhurried to follow, while Leila, after a moment’s thought, quietlyfollowed behind them.

They e entered the headmaster’s office directly, with Leila waiting at the doorway, peering inside.

Four police officers were inside gathering evidence. Skyler, with a warm smile, said, “Lia, you’rehere? We’ve stumbled upon some unexpected developments.”

Cordelia nodded, “Go on.”

Skyler continued, “The photo that’s been making rounds online definitely didn’t originate from thatschool. That’s one thing we can be sure of. But where did it come from? That’s another line ofinquiry. I’ve rechecked the image against Lia’s, and there’s no doubt it hasn’t been digitally altered,so it’s genuine. So, I have to ask, Merry, do you have a habit of taking such photos?”

is that?”

Paulina couldn’t hold back, “What kind of question is Skyler raised his hand to stop her, “Please, madam, I mean no offense. I’m just trying to trace theorigins of the photo. Don’t you want to find out who targeted Merry?”

Though Paulina disapproved of his questioning, she held her tongue.

Merry shook her head, “Never.”

“Little Parrot wouldn’t release such a photo to hurt herself,” Cordelia added.

Skyler agreed, “Right, she’s the victim, so she couldn’t be the perpetrator. But from what Iunderstand, you have a twin sister who looks identical to you, right?”

Merry nodded.

Before Skyler could continue, Paulina, now infuriated, demanded, “What are you implying? Leila isthe culprit? That she took these scandalous photos of Merry and posted them online?”

Turning to her, Merry said, “It’s not my photo.”

Confused, Paulina asked, “Not yours? What do you mean?”

She couldn’t fathom the truth, not even considering the correct possibility.

Merry laid it bare, “It means the photo is of Leila, not me.”

Paulina was stunned, then angrily retorted, “Nonsense.”

Cain couldn’t believe it either, “Merry, how could you falsely accuse Leila? There might be sometension between you two, but surely there’s no deep–seated hatred because you are sisters.”

“You’re trying to drag Leila through the mud just because the school took your picture?” Paulinaaccused, “Merry, how can your thoughts be so dark?”

Merry looked at her parents, a sad smile on her face. Their defense of Leila wasn’t laughable orwicked to her, just profoundly desolate.

As parents, their protection was basic, yet before the school incident, they had doubted her, with notrust at all.

The flicker of joy she felt when she heard that they had asked Leila to move out and invited herhome, was now gone.

She didn’t say anything more, her mind was already made up. Her bond with her parents was likelysevered for life.

Thinking this, she lowered her eyes, signaling a wish to end the conversation.

Skyler frowned, “Mr. Jordan and Mrs. Jordan, without evidence, please refrain from baselessaccusations.”

Paulina challenged him, “And what evidence do you have that the photo is of Leila?”

Skyler was at a loss for words, but then Cordelia spoke up calmly, “We have evidence.”

“What?” Paulina looked at her.

Cordelia took out her phone. “When the incident happened, the post was deleted quickly, but Isaved the picture. I assume you haven’t seen it yet.”

Cain’s brow furrowed.

Cordelia didn’t show it to him but handed the opened photo to Paulina.

Paulina glanced at it and quickly averted her gaze, feeling embarrassed and even angry at the sightof her own daughter’s photo. “What are you showing me this for?” she asked, feeling humiliated.

Cordelia asked, “As their mother, can’t you tell the difference in the photo?”

Paulina hesitated. She looked at the photo again. The girl in the photo had no mole or birthmark,with smooth, delicate skin. The face was partially hidden by hair, obscuring the details.

Merry’s features were actually a bit more distinct than Leila’s. If she had a clear photo, as a mother,she could compare them.

But with the hair covering the face in the photo, it was indistinguishable.

After struggling to discern any difference, Cordelia pointed to the breasts on the photo, “Little Parrotis a bit bigger here.”

Paulina was stunned.

Her mind flashed back to the times she went to the spa with Leila, recalling how she looked withouther clothes. Mother and daughter often went to the spa together, so she knew Leila’s body well.

But it had been a long while since she had been that intimate with Merry.

She involuntarily looked up at Merry, who had lost weight from the stress at school, but one part ofher remained full and well–developed:

She looked back at the photo in disbelief.

Sometimes, it was not that she couldn’t see the truth, and she simply refused to believe it, unwillingto accept it and kept making excuses for herself.

She stared at the photo for a long time before finally looking up, “Even if, even if this photo is ofLeila, it doesn’t prove that she posted it.”

Paulina shouted, unable to accept the truth, her heart refusing to believe that the Leila she raisedcould betray her little sister Merry.

Suddenly, she felt like she had never truly understood Lella at all.

Cain, too, couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on? Is that photo really of Leila? What happened toher? Why would such a photo exist?”

Paulina clung to her last shred of defiance, “It must be photoshopped. It has to be. It can’t possiblybe Leila.”

No sooner had the words left her lips, when a nearby officer piped up, “Got it. The IP address tracesback to the senior year headteacher’s room, used on the senior class‘ second section’s computer.At this time of day, hardly anyone would be around. Check the security footage, and we’ll see who itwas.”

Hardly had the echo faded when the headmaster chimed in, “We’ve got surveillance cameras.They’ll have covered this area.”

The group booted up the surveillance system and pulled up the records from the time in question.There on the screen, they saw Leila glancing around before slipping into the office.

With the surveillance footage and the photos combined, the case was rock solid.

That answer they all least wanted to believe turned out to be the truth.

Merry turned to a stunned Cain and watched Paulina, who seemed to have aged a decade in thespan of a moment. Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she spoke, “Well now, what do you have tosay for yourselves?”