Chapter 177

"Nothing transpired?" Layla's voice echoed with disbelief as she gazed up at him. "What do you mean by that?"

With a gentle stroke of his thumb, Samuel wiped away her tears. "Immediately following the incident," he began, "I contacted a friend who is well-versed in criminal investigation. I requested him to return from the U.S. to delve into the matter."

A buzzing filled Layla's head, her fingers tightening around his hand. Her eyes sparkled with a newfound hope. "So, you still have faith in me, correct?"

He responded with a nod. "I confess that jealousy clouded my judgment, leading me to actions I now regret. However, there was always a voice within me whispering that I should trust you-that you would never betray me, that our bond was worth believing in."

Layla nodded fervently in agreement. "Yes, even a sliver of trust from you is sufficient!" At that time, the evidence against her had seemed irrefutable, yet he had harbored doubts. Most importantly, a shred of trust had been enough to turn the tide, allowing them to forge ahead together.

With this revelation, Layla was reassured that she hadn't misplaced her heart.

"The trap was intricately laid, but there's always a trace, always a flaw. Do you recall telling me about someone entering your room? My friend scrutinized the surveillance footage repeatedly and noticed a brief flicker on the screen."

"What does that imply?" Layla queried, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"It suggests that someone tampered with the footage, excising a segment they didn't want to be seen. A hacker friend of mine accessed the system from before the incident. It appears that two maids entered your room, exited five minutes later - but those specific moments were edited out of the tape."

"The two women were apprehended in France. They confessed to being bribed to undress you and Nathan, creating an illusion. In reality, both of you were unconscious when they entered; nothing transpired."

"He played his cards well, predicting that I would review the cameras and presented me with the edited version to mislead me into doubting you," Samuel elucidated.

Suddenly, everything fell into place for Layla.

Nothing had happened between her and Nathan.

What a relief.

The sensation of narrowly averting a crisis was perhaps the most gratifying in the world.

"So, Nathan was framed as well? Who would do this to us? Could it be that Mr. Smith we met that day?" Layla questioned indignantly.

"It wasn't him."

"Then who?"

"Figure it out yourself," Samuel insisted, his gaze intense.

Layla frowned in confusion, shaking her head after a moment, "I can't think of anyone."

Samuel sighed in exasperation. "You're too naive for your own good, oblivious to your own victimization."

"Just tell me, who is it?"

"Nora Eilish."

Ms. Eilish? Layla was taken aback, vehemently shaking her head, "Impossible, it's not her. You've got it wrong. Ms. Nora Eilish is a good person; she couldn't have done it."

Samuel's exasperation intensified. How had he ended up with someone so blissfully ignorant? Betrayed, yet still defending the traitor.

"Do you have proof? Have you verified it's her?" Layla demanded.

"There's no need to check, I'm certain," Samuel replied confidently.

"How can you be so sure without evidence? What if you're wronging her?"

"It's about intuition and understanding human nature."

He was so sure of himself...

Layla had always trusted him implicitly, but Nora Eilish... she couldn't reconcile the woman with deceit and conspiracies.

But then something occurred to Layla.

"I remembered that day, Nathan mentioned it was Nora Eilish who orchestrated the confession. Could it really be..." Layla's mind was a whirlwind of disbelief. How could human nature be so dark? Among those snobbish heiresses, Nora Eilish seemed different.

But now... she felt thrown off balance.

"I don't know either," she admitted.

"We'll find out soon enough," Samuel's voice barely faded when...

"Anthony," came the stern command as Nora Eilish was escorted in by her bodyguard.

The composed, gentle smile on her face froze at the sight of Layla on the bed.

She had been the one to invite Samuel to the hotel. Nora Eilish was dressed in her favorite outfit. She was filled with anticipation for something exciting, only to be blindsided by the presence of Layla, hand in Samuel's grasp.

Had the truth come out?

Panic flickered in Nora Eilish's heart, and her body tensed involuntarily, but she mustered all her strength to remain calm.

Even if she had orchestrated dubious schemes, she was merely teaching Layla a lesson-it was a rightful act. She saw herself as the one Samuel should marry. Eliminating Layla was simply a move to guide him back on track.

With this thought, Nora Eilish stood tall, emanating the arrogance of a rightful partner.

"Miss Adkins, you shouldn't be here," Nora Eilish proclaimed, head held high with undiminished pride.

Layla's heartbeat stabilized as she glanced at Samuel. With his nod of approval, she rose from the bed and faced Nora Eilish, "Are you the one who framed Mr. Marley and me?"

"Frame? I'm not sure what you're talking about," Nora's voice dripped with feigned ignorance.

"You orchestrated everything at the hotel to look like Nathan and I were intimate."

"I can't seem to follow you. Are you creating your own drama?" Nora Eilish countered, her laugh filled with mockery.

"That night I was out with Mr. Marley, we had drinks, I took him back to his room, and you had set up that confession. I know it was you. Stop pretending."

Nora Eilish offered a faint smile, too indifferent to bother denying it further. In her eyes, her actions were justified, and nothing to be ashamed of.

Standing upright, her heels giving her a height advantage over Layla. Her presence was even more domineering. "Even so, it was not I who forced you to drink, nor did I force you to take Nathan back to his room, and I certainly did not force you to seduce him."

"I did not seduce Mr. Marley!"

"Really? Or could it be that stringing men along while playing the innocent is the new playbook for attention-seekers?" Nora Eilish laughed.

"Watch your words," Samuel warned. He wanted his woman to become strong, to learn how to tackle foes, but he wouldn't tolerate Nora Eilish belittling her.

"Did I say something wrong, Mr. Holland? Would a player like Nathan have fallen for her if it weren't for Layla's hints and maneuvers? Could she, with her status, even come close to you without a cunning plan?"

"Women understand other women best. I've seen enough of these tricks-wolves in sheep's clothing, deep with schemes, manipulative liars, stopping at nothing to marry into wealth. Yet to men, she appears innocent and pure, kind and harmless, like someone in need of protection," Nora Eilish said with a laugh, shaking her head, "Does even the wisest man fall for such women? It's sad, really."

"I'm not like that at all. Samuel and I share mutual feelings, and my relationship with Mr. Marley is purely professional."

Nora Eilish smirked incessantly, "Innocent? You, Layla, have never been innocent. If you were as naive as you claim, could you steal my man and then act as if nothing's amiss in front of me?" She grit her teeth in anger. That was the thing about Layla she despised most.

"I want to explain, but..."

"Save it. Mr. Holland might buy your sob story, but I don't. The one thing I can't stand is a homewrecker! They're like rats in the street, deserving to be beaten."