Chapter 266: Patricia took the blame

Words : 1103 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 266: Patricia took the blame Gustave cleared his throat, his eyes flicking briefly between Augustine and Anne as he stepped forward with the file in hand. "The test results are conclusive," he began. "The cupcakes were indeed poisoned. The toxic substance found in Audrey’s system matched the traces discovered in the plastic pouch collected from the bakery. The troubling part—only Lorie’s fingerprints were present on it." Anne’s brows shot up in disbelief. "So you are saying Patricia didn’t know about the poison?" Her mind flashed back to Paule’s visit—his insistence that Patricia would never try to kill her, no matter how deep her resentment ran. Gustave gave a helpless shrug. "That’s what it looked like at first. But everything took a sharp turn after the results came out. Patricia changed her statement completely. She confessed. Said she alone was responsible." Anne’s heart sank, confusion clouding her thoughts. "Why? Why would she suddenly admit to it?" Gustave opened the file and read from the statement. "She claimed she has hated you ever since you became part of the Clair family. Blamed you for Lorie’s pain. She said Robert loved you, that he wanted to marry you, and that you deliberately tricked Lorie, setting her up with him. According to Patricia, that betrayal drove Robert to despise Lorie, and he took that hatred out on her." As Anne absorbed Gustave’s words, a gnawing guilt began to settle in her chest. A part of her started to believe that Lorie’s suffering might have been her fault. If only she hadn’t swapped the drink that day, if she had found another way to avoid the trap, perhaps Lorie wouldn’t have been pushed into marrying Robert. Perhaps she wouldn’t have met such a tragic end. "She said it was revenge," Gustave finished, lowering the file. "That Lorie had no knowledge of the plan. She claimed that it was hers alone." Anne stood frozen, her mind reeling. Gustave let out a quiet sigh. "Honestly, it’s getting harder to tell what is real. I don’t know if Patricia is telling the truth, or if she is covering for someone." "She is lying," Augustine said firmly. Anne and Gustave both turned to him in surprise. "If Patricia really orchestrated this," Augustine continued, "then how come her fingerprints weren’t found on the poison packet? That doesn’t make sense." Gustave nodded slowly, considering the point. "You are right. According to her, Lorie had no idea about the plan. So Patricia must have been the one who sourced the poison. Let’s suppose she wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. But if she was that careful, why would she discard the pouch so carelessly in the trash, and why would they have Lorie’s fingerprints all over them?" His voice took on a new edge, confident now. "Patricia is definitely lying." But Augustine didn’t relax. His brows remained drawn. He couldn’t conclude anything, not until they found the man who murdered Lorie. He was the real key to all of this. He grabbed the meeting file from his desk and strode toward the door. "Keep me updated," he said before disappearing down the hall. Gustave followed him out. Anne remained rooted to the spot, her thoughts a tangled storm. Nothing made sense. Patricia’s confession didn’t fit. It only raised more questions. Why was Patricia lying? The need to understand clawed at her heart. "I need to see her," she whispered under her breath. Later that afternoon... While Augustine left for the Sphere Group’s branch office, Anne made her way to the police station. After what felt like an endless wait, an officer finally led her down a quiet corridor to a solitary holding cell at the back of the station. "This way," the officer said. He unlocked a side gate and gestured her forward. "You have got fifteen minutes." "Thank you," Anne replied with a nod. As the officer walked away, Anne stepped closer to the cold iron bars, her hands wrapping around them. Her eyes settled on Patricia, who sat slouched on the bench inside, her shoulders rounded and her head bowed in exhaustion or shame—or maybe both. Anne opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Patricia didn’t bother to look up. "Why are you here?" she muttered. "Come to enjoy the sight? To gloat?" "No. I came to hear the truth." Patricia scoffed without moving. "I’ve already said what needed to be said. You heard it, didn’t you? That should be enough." "But it’s not the truth. You are lying, Patricia. You took the blame for something you didn’t do. Why?" At that, Patricia finally lifted her head, her eyes locking with Anne’s. There was a flicker of shock, confusion, or maybe alarm in her gaze. "You? What do you think you know?" "I know more than you think," Anne said firmly. "Your fingerprints weren’t on the poison packet. Only Lorie’s were. You could have defended yourself with that evidence. But you chose not to. You are lying to protect Lorie. You want her name to die clean." Silence hung between them for a long second. Patricia’s eyes flickered, emotions bubbling beneath her stony exterior. Anne didn’t miss the change in her expression. That brief crack in Patricia’s mask told her everything. Her hunch had been right. "Am I right?" For a moment, Patricia just stared at her. Then she slowly shook her head. "No," she whispered. "You are wrong." She drew in a shaky breath. "The real culprit is me. I’m the root of it all. The hatred you saw in Lorie—she learned it from me. Since she was little, I taught her how to despise you. How to mock you. How to treat you like you were nothing. I raised her on bitterness, on envy, on cruelty." She laughed bitterly. "I should have been a mother who taught her good things. But all I gave her was poison... and now she is gone." Her eyes filled with tears, and her composure began to shatter. "As she grew older, that hatred only deepened. It took root in her. Even when I realized what I had done—when I begged her to let go, to make peace with you, to start over as sisters—she wouldn’t listen. She was too far gone. She said you ruined her life... and she couldn’t forgive that." Patricia’s shoulders began to tremble. "Even that evening, I advised her. I didn’t know she was planning something so horrific." Her voice dissolved into sobs. "But I should have known. I made her this way. I created the monster she became. So if anyone deserves punishment, it’s me."

Chapter 266: Patricia took the blame

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