Chapter 9: Discover the big secret

After Erica finished watching the things that were staged to harm her, she felt extremely disgusted with Kora and Kora's mother. What Erica didn't expect was that even Max would testify falsely to corner Erica. After all, how strong is Kora to be able to manipulate Max to do Kora's will?

After the conversation, Erica was taken to the detention room.

Meanwhile, knowing Erica, she did not easily accept the results. Kora, Kora's mother, is forced to move on to the next stage of the plan.

…

A few hours later, while Erica was sitting and contemplating what had happened, silently praying for a way to clear her name, the police suddenly arrived to announce that someone claiming to be a lawyer needed to see Erica.

"Hello, I'm Martin Smith. I am the appointed attorney to defend you."

"Can you help me?" Erica asked, somewhat hopeful, but at the same time she had a bad feeling about the man in front of her. The attorney assigned to Erica's defense was decided earlier than Erica thought. Usually, it takes the next day for the Supreme Court to send a lawyer to meet the defendant.

"I have reviewed the documents regarding the case." The lawyer spoke up, quickly getting to the main point. "Based on the evidence and witnesses, I have to be honest and say that everything is against you."

"What do you mean?" Erica frowned, sensing the lawyer's helplessness.

"I talked to Kora before coming to see you," the lawyer revealed. "In my opinion, you should consider negotiating with Kora."

"Negotiate?" Erica said in a skeptical voice. "What does it mean?"

"Kora has made an offer, and you just have to fulfill her request," the lawyer explained.

"She's been trying to throw me in jail. And now she wants to negotiate. What kind of despicable game is she playing?" Erica criticized me frankly. "I'm not interested in playing games with Kora Watson."

"I believe this is an opportunity for you to avoid being incarcerated," the lawyer explained to Erica earnestly. "You won't receive any warnings or incur any expenses. Kora Watson has guaranteed that." "The one who should compensate me for physical and emotional damages is her, dear lawyer," Erica sneered. "You should fight for justice for me."

"Erica Watson. You need to remember that you're currently in a disadvantaged position," the lawyer emphasized. "You can't do anything."

"Why can't I do anything?" Erica snapped back, frustrated. "Aren't you my lawyer? Aren't you here to help me clear my name?"

Erica's sharp question caught the lawyer off guard. The truth was that Martin Smith wasn't here to help Erica but rather to assist Kora. This was a play that had already been staged, with all the characters cast by Kora. From the police to the lawyer, everyone was Kora's. Erica was just unlucky. A moment of anger and impulsiveness led her right into Kora's trap. It's sad to say this.

With accumulated experience, the lawyer easily maintained the spirit to continue to deal with Erica. Martin Smith knew that when Erica asked that, she certainly had suspicions. So he told himself to be more careful.

"Erica Watson. I'm helping you by advising you to compromise. Given the current circumstances, everything is against you. They have witnesses and evidence. How about you? There are no witnesses to come forward. testify for you. Everything you say is unsupported by any evidence."

"All of them are just fake, and it can be clarified through investigation." Erica asserted.

"It's not as easy as you think." The lawyer deliberately lowered his voice to avoid being overheard: "Have you ever thought about the possibility of someone obstructing the investigation?"

"Do you mean that there is a powerful force silently covering up wrongdoing?" Erica asked calmly, showing that she was not naive.

"I don't mean that." The lawyer immediately denied to avoid suspicion: "I just want to tell you about a harsh, cruel, and unfair reality."

Erica sighed in disappointment. She had known for a long time that things would not be easy.

"Erica Watson, don't waste your time on nonsense." The lawyer sincerely persuaded her: "Instead of going to jail and wasting your youth, you should choose to live freely."

Seeing that Erica was silent and showed no signs of argument, the lawyer took the next step.

"This is a commitment; just sign it, and you can leave immediately. Today's matter, of course, will be forever buried, leaving no trace related to your life later."

Looking at the lawyer, Erica wondered if he was representing justice, standing up for the weak like herself. Or was he trying to cover up the evil and defend Kora?

"What is this?" Erica exclaimed in surprise as she read the content of the commitment. This was completely beyond Erica's ability to predict. It was unbelievable; Erica was the inheritor of a huge fortune, a secret that no one had ever told her. Erica's uncle had passed away suddenly before he could explain everything.

"Am I the one who has the right to inherit this property?" Erica asked in shock, looking at the lawyer.

Martin Smith feigned innocence.

The lawyer then remained silent, allowing Erica to contemplate and find the answer on her own.

It didn't take long for Erica to figure out the truth of everything. And she knew that she had fallen into the trap of a terrible conspiracy.

"What makes you think that I should sign this agreement? And what guarantees do I have that once I sign it, I will be released?"

After a moment of silence, Erica asked a very clever question. By now, Erica had figured out that Martin Smith was working for Kora. It was too obvious to deduce. No lawyer would advise a defendant to give up their right to fight unless the accused was truly guilty.

"The final decision is up to you. I've said what needs to be said. You should make the right choice," Martin Smith said at length, avoiding answering Erica.

Silent. Erica really took the time to think carefully.

"I'll sign." In the end, Erica agreed.

"You made the right decision." The lawyer was satisfied and enthusiastically guided: "Here's the pen; you just need to sign this part."

Erica did not rush to pick up the pen, causing the lawyer to give her a puzzled look. Erica seems to be planning something.

Without making the lawyer wait long or ask questions, Erica immediately said:

"I want this signing to be held publicly, with some people present. There are policemen, lawyers representing both sides, and witnesses appointed by me."

Erica appeared relaxed, crossed her arms, and looked straight at Martin Smith expectantly while observing his reaction. Martin Smith was confused, as Erica's unexpected proposal was not part of Kora's calculations.

"About this. I think..."

Erica interrupted when the lawyer was about to say:

"Also, I want this signing to be filmed."

"Why?" Attorneys questioned Erica's condition. Martin Smith couldn't guess Erica's thoughts.

"I just want to make sure that Kora Watson will live up to her commitments," said Erica arrogantly. "We don't know yet if, after I sign, I will be free or still in jail."

Martin Smith looked surprised when Erica finished speaking. Responding to his reaction, Erica smirked as if mocking his clumsy performance.

With an unyielding posture, Erica added, "Please relay my message to Kora Watson. If she doesn't want to comply with my demands, she won't get anything."

"I will relay the message to my client," Martin replied.

…

At first, Kora and Kora's mother were a little annoyed when Erica dared to make conditions. However, in the end, due to the large inheritance sum, they agreed to go along with Erica's arrangement.

On the day of the signing, some people that Erica knew were invited to attend. Additionally, the event was filmed, with each party holding a copy of the video. Erica needed this video as a form of protection and also as evidence to destroy Kora later on.

As this was an internal settlement, the police could not intervene if both parties had agreed to reconcile. All information about the incident was erased as per Erica's request. After Erica signed, she was immediately released. Meanwhile, Kora and Kora's mother happily returned home. They would celebrate their easy victory. Kora and Kora's mother thought they had gotten the money, but there was something they didn't know, and nobody had told Erica yet. The money in the bank was not easily accessible with just Erica's signature, even though she was the inheritor of that sum.