When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese) novel Chapter 750

"E-Even if the photo is real, the person in it isn't me!"

Elizabeth stubbornly argued, still trying to wriggle out of the truth.

If she ever admitted to the truth, it would be the end of the last shred of civility between her and Jonathan.

Jonathan, however, remained cold and unmoved. "Many people saw you that night; more than one person recalled exactly what you were wearing. The person in the photo is wearing the same set of pajamas as you did that night. Plus, her physique and the features of her profile are identical to yours. Do you really think you can talk your way out of this?"

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew—nothing she said would change anything anymore.

Tears spilled from her eyes as she gazed at her son, overwhelmed with remorse and anguish.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Jonathan… I never meant to deceive you. I just… I had too much to drink that night. I was so disoriented when I first woke up that I couldn't even remember where I was. My instincts just took over, and I ran for my life. It wasn't until I reached the foot of the hill that I gradually came back to my senses and recalled you were still in the villa. As soon as I did, I turned around and ran back immediately!"

Wracked with panic and guilt, she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"You claim to be so drunk that you were completely out of it, yet you somehow had the strength to escape the fire and even run that far?"

He coldly returned her stare. His sharp gaze bore straight into the depths of her eyes, clamping down on the fear and panic buried deep within.

"I…" she stammered. "P-People can do crazy things when their s-survival instinct kicks in…"

Something clicked into place for Anneliese, who had been watching Elizabeth closely until now.

"If you were trying to escape the fire, running out of the burning villa would have been enough. You'd stop once you reached safety. There was no reason to run that far. This… feels more like you were running from something else."

Before she even finished speaking, Elizabeth glared at her viciously.

"Shut up!" Elizabeth snapped, her voice shrill. "It's all your fault! And you haven't even explained yourself: Did you have an illegitimate child with Steven?"

When Elizabeth remained silent, Anneliese turned toward Derek and Penelope. "Grandpa, Grandma… My maternal grandmother once told me that there's more to the fire than the official investigation results revealed. She never accepted the 'accidental' verdict. That's the real reason she vehemently opposed my relationship with Jonathan. She couldn't allow my father to die in vain.

"I trust her judgment. More importantly, I promised to uncover the truth behind the fire. Now, it has been revealed that Elizabeth not only fled the scene during the fire but also appeared on a mountain road far from the villa. Isn't that suspicious? I have reason to suspect she was the arsonist who started the fire that night!"

Elizabeth yelled, "You're talking absolute nonsense! Are you insane? It wasn't me! How could it have been me? What reason would I have to set fire to my own husband and son?"

Panicking, she turned toward Jonathan. "Jonathan, do you see what she's doing? She's clearly trying to turn our family against each other! She's been targeting me from the beginning! I even suspect that she's only with you because of the fire back then. After all, you indirectly caused the death of her adoptive father. She approached you, seeking revenge! She doesn't love you at all. She even hid the fact that she had an illegitimate child with Steven. She has completely played you for a fool. And now… now she's trying to drive a wedge between us, to turn us into enemies!"

Before Elizabeth could finish, Jonathan suddenly let out a short laugh.

Elizabeth froze, staring at him in shock, unable to understand his reaction.

Her stunned expression brought him back to his senses, and he finally reined in his emotionless burst of laughter.