Everyone turned to look. An old woman, leaning on a cane and supported by a servant, slowly walked in. Her weathered, sharp gaze fell coldly on Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang was surprised her mother-in-law had appeared. "How are you here?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Hmph! Did you think I was already dead? Could your scheme succeed so easily?" the old woman scoffed.
Mu Jiuchen was also surprised by this turn of events, as Unit One had not mentioned the old woman's arrival. He wasn't one for storytelling; he preferred listening. With the old woman here, he no longer needed to continue his tale. The stage could now be handed over to her.
Madam Jiang looked at the old woman before her, disbelief etched on her face, trying to find a flaw. But she knew the old woman was real. The crowd parted, making way for the elder. No one dared to step forward, all eager to witness what was unfolding. What kind of person was the mysterious and prominent first lady of a top-tier affluent family? The answer would be revealed tonight.
"Chen Ru, I never imagined you could be so heartless. You switched them, turning my son into a vegetative state, and presented the son of your lover as my own. Do you have no conscience? They are brothers, yet you could lie with them in the same bed, defying all moral ethics. Can you even call yourself human?" the old woman's powerful voice rang out, her words clear, stunning everyone present.
Jiang Nuan: "..." Is this old woman His Excellency's mother? Excellent! With the old woman's appearance, Madam Jiang couldn't escape. She was truly surprised her husband had uncovered so much.
"You're spouting nonsense, Mother. I know you have Alzheimer's. Your words are absurd, and no one will believe you." Madam Jiang continued to argue. She didn't love Jiang Yu and couldn't bear to live with him. She didn't want to waste her life; she wanted to be with the man she loved. Was that so wrong?
The elderly lady let out a cold snort. "The one with the illness is you – delusional!"
Madam Jiang: "..."
"To ensure your scheme succeeded, you forged a medical certificate declaring me senile. At the age of sixty, you had me sent to a hospital, with a caregiver watching over me. Do you know why I didn't resist or argue and simply walked into the hospital?" The old woman, though her hair was white, was impeccably groomed and dressed. She looked spirited and spoke with clarity, showing no signs of dementia. Madam Jiang felt a pang of fear. Was it all over for her today?
The crowd gasped in unison upon hearing this revelation. The esteemed and admired Madam Jiang was, in fact, such a person.
"Chen Ru, even now, you refuse to confess? Do you need to be disgraced further before admitting your crimes?" The old woman sat on a nearby stool, her cane planted firmly before her. Despite her advanced age, she exuded an air of nobility.
"Mother, you have Alzheimer's..."
"Silence! Would someone with Alzheimer's speak so clearly? By labeling me with a disease, you thought you could succeed? Let me tell you, police are outside arresting you. The man you yearn for has already been apprehended. Your pride and joy, Lin Zeyue, has also been caught. Do you truly believe you can escape this predicament today?" the old lady stated calmly.
Madam Jiang let out a startled cry, still looking at the old woman with disbelief. How had she gotten out? She had given orders that no one was to approach the old lady. However, the next moment, the old woman explained her query.
"It was Leyu. She told me you switched my son with that man, which is why I came out. Did you really think I couldn't get out? You never treated Leyu as your daughter, doting on Letian excessively because their fathers were different. Jiang Letian is your daughter with that scoundrel. That's why you sent our Leyu abroad and abandoned her. If her father and I hadn't meticulously cared for her, do you think she would still be alive and well? As a mother, you are worse than a dog."
Madam Jiang: "..." Another unexpected twist! How did this old woman know these things?
"Furthermore, I have been collecting evidence of your crimes over the years. Much of it I have already handed over to the investigators. This time, no matter how cunning you are, you have been caught off guard," the old lady said, her sharp eyes fixed on Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang's heart pounded with dread, unable to bear such a blow. She suddenly collapsed onto the ground, her face ashen, too terrified to meet the eyes of those around her.
The old lady looked at Mu Jiuchen. "Young man Mu, Chen Ru targeted you not for any particular reason, but because you are too capable. She wanted to crush you to satisfy her own sense of accomplishment."
"She abused her authority and committed many heinous acts. When my son discovered this, they decided to go all out. They sent me to the hospital, turned my son into a vegetable, and then, using Lin Zeyue's facial reconstruction technology, they made that man look like my son, and the two of them lived together."
Mu Jiuchen cast a cold glance at Madam Jiang, embodying the saying that the greatest evil in humanity is jealousy.
At this moment, Madam Jiang calmly got to her feet. "Old lady, Mu Jiuchen, are you just speaking words? Don't frame me without evidence." Having recovered, she looked at them defiantly, her demeanor cool and distant. She refused to believe this was the end of her prosperous life. Damn it! When had Jiang Leyu returned to the country? she thought, gnashing her teeth in anger. Those who falter at critical moments were always her closest kin. How could she not be furious? Her usually elegant and noble features contorted into a ferocious mask.
The old lady slowly spoke, "The evidence you seek will be here shortly."
Madam Jiang glared at her, her face darkening. "Evidence? You're making a scene here merely to stall for time. Do you think delaying will yield evidence? Without sufficient proof, I will be released within twenty-four hours, and you will all pay the price for your actions."
Mu Jiuchen's deep eyes were filled with a burning anger. "Madam Jiang, rest assured, you are implicated in multiple murders. I can provide all the evidence. When you were plotting against me, I had already investigated you thoroughly. Do you think you can escape?"
"You..." If these words came from the old lady, she wouldn't have been afraid. But hearing them from Mu Jiuchen's lips filled her with dread. Having observed him from afar for years, she knew that when he appeared with such confidence, his plans were always successful.
Suddenly, a large group of plainclothes police officers flooded the entrance. Unit One led the way, his tall figure exuding an air of competence, his deep peach-blossom eyes fixed forward, brimming with a sense of justice. He stood coldly before Madam Jiang, presenting an arrest warrant and his identification.
"Madam Jiang, I am from Bureau An. I am now officially arresting you on charges of murder, bribery, disrupting market order, and more."