Chapter 301

The maid was escorted away by officers for additional interrogation.

Yet Olivia's momentary relief was overshadowed by growing apprehension as the servant kept insisting she'd witnessed Olivia shoving Seraphina into the lake.

A cold dread settled in Olivia's stomach. Could someone have actually seen her - or someone dressed identically to her - at the scene? The possibility that an imposter had replicated her unique gown to frame her seemed absurd. But who within the Kensington household, besides Seraphina herself, would want to harm her? Given Seraphina's fragile health, staging such a dangerous act seemed improbable. Was this a case of mistaken identity or something far more calculated?

As Olivia grappled with these disturbing thoughts, Alistair noticed her rising distress and moved closer. "You need to rest," he murmured, his voice steady. "Your cousins and I will manage this situation. Don't trouble yourself."

Before Olivia could respond or make her exit, a security guard rushed toward Julian, breaking the tense silence. "Mr. Julian Kensington, we've successfully recovered the surveillance footage. I haven't reviewed it yet but came straight to you."

"Get it to the authorities at once," Julian commanded urgently. "Let's see what evidence it holds."

A laptop was promptly produced, and all eyes turned toward the screen.

The restored footage showed Seraphina standing near the lake's edge, engaged in conversation with Celeste.

Suddenly, a figure stormed into frame and violently pushed Seraphina into the water, exactly as the maid had described.

Celeste's immediate reaction was pure panic as she screamed for assistance.

The video evidence corroborated the servant's account, clearly showing a woman wearing a dress indistinguishable from Olivia's.

Julian, pretending to examine the details carefully, zoomed in on the footage.

The Kensington estate's high-resolution security cameras revealed every intricate detail of the dress - the fabric, the embellishments - all identical to Olivia's gown.

Watching the scene unfold, Olivia felt ice water run through her veins as she witnessed her apparent doppelgänger committing the act.

Police officers quickly located Olivia among the gathered crowd. "Miss, we need you to come with us for questioning."

With no alternative, Olivia reluctantly complied.

Julian shook his head with feigned disbelief. "This can't be Olivia. Yes, she and Seraphina have had their differences, but Olivia isn't capable of this. There must be some mistake."

An observant officer nearby overheard and interjected, "There was conflict between them?"

"Indeed," Celeste stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention.

Alistair was well aware of the ongoing tension between Seraphina and Olivia and had deliberately avoided questioning Celeste to prevent unfairly implicating Olivia.

Unexpectedly, Celeste appeared, her gaze locked on Olivia with undisguised contempt.

"I remained silent earlier, fearing the consequences of speaking out. Now, with law enforcement present, I feel compelled to tell the truth. It was Olivia. I saw her do it with my own eyes."