CHAPTER 432: CHAPTER 432: MISTAKEN FOR A CRIMINAL

The sudden raise in voice, coupled with the ferocity on Mrs. Alden’s face, startled everyone present.

In the next moment, Mrs. Alden suddenly grabbed Ariana Grant’s hand, which was holding the phone.

"You’re colluding with the person on the phone to deceive, aren’t you? You’re just exploiting the situation! How can this broken piece of junk be worth two million? Who are you trying to fool? Do you really think my daughter and I are idiots?"

Ariana was taken aback by Mrs. Alden’s sudden change of demeanor and instinctively tried to pull her hand back.

But instead of letting go, Mrs. Alden tightened her grip.

"Girl, let me tell you, heaven sees all that you do. With such a wicked heart, you’ll get your comeuppance! Beware, for even heaven might not bear to watch and strike you down with lightning!"

Ariana was indeed shocked.

Was this the same amiable Mrs. Alden from earlier?

This woman was obviously even more shameless than Wendy Alden.

Jocelyn Hayes snapped out of her daze at this moment, stepped forward, and pried Mrs. Alden’s hand off Ariana’s.

She had seen through this mother-daughter pair.

Where did their differences lie?

If the lower beam is crooked, it’s because the upper beam isn’t straight.

The mother and daughter were clearly two of a kind.

In that case, there was no need for her to show any kindness.

"Ma’am, just because you’re ignorant doesn’t mean others are exploiting the situation. This hairpin isn’t just any ’broken thing’ but a genuine antique."

"An antique? Just find something and call it an antique? In that case, if I say the shoes I’m wearing are antique, does that make them so? My shoes got a bit scuffed on the way here, are you going to pay me two million for that too?"

Mrs. Alden’s tantrum surpassed even Wendy Alden’s antics.

Jocelyn was too tired to argue with people like that and reminded the others that there were three witnesses here.

She pulled Ariana over to the two policemen and the school administration staff, saying, "We stand by our claims legally. This hairpin is indeed worth this amount."

The policemen were unbiased, stating outright, "Words alone aren’t enough. Can you present evidence proving this hairpin is genuinely an antique?"

Ariana was about to say to wait a moment when her phone suddenly chimed.

Elder Prescott had sent over the purchase invoice.

The invoice clearly stated that the hairpin was transacted at The Gilt Market for two point six million.

At the same time, Jocelyn found a stamped provenance certificate in the hairpin’s box.

This seemingly unremarkable hairpin was actually from The Lumina Dynasty.

And even its materials were not ordinary.

In other words, even if it’s not an antique, the materials alone are worth at least six figures.

When the two policemen took a look at the two pieces of "evidence," they realized that Ariana and Jocelyn were telling the truth.

Not to mention the impossibility of forging such evidence in such a short time, just the receipt and its stamp alone showed they weren’t fake.

The police explained the situation to Mrs. Alden, whose expressions instantly froze on her face.

The supposed two million suddenly increased by six hundred thousand?

If she hadn’t said those things earlier, could they have avoided the extra six hundred thousand?

"Two point six million, not a cent less," Ariana said, with a sense of vengeance.

The Alden mother and daughter turned pale.

Forget two point six million, they couldn’t even come up with twenty-six thousand!

Mrs. Alden suddenly changed her tone and said, "Officer, there’s been a problem with this from the start! They are setting us up! My daughter said the hairpin was already broken when she got it! How can we be made to pay?"

Even the police were left speechless by this.

The school staff was even more reluctant to downplay the incident.

Given such a valuable item, it’s hard to downplay, and it’s better to resolve it quickly.

So the two policemen had no intention of saving face for them.

For those who don’t care about their reputation, saving face for them is just making things harder for themselves.

So the police simply proceeded to forcibly take Wendy Alden away, with Mrs. Alden crying and attempting to resist.

It was the teacher who warned, "Assaulting a police officer is a crime, don’t make things worse. Instead of causing trouble, think of a way to gather the money."

Meanwhile, the police turned to Ariana and Jocelyn, saying, "Since the owner of the hairpin isn’t here, we’ll need you two to come with us. We need you to provide detailed statements and make copies of the evidence you presented."

They naturally had no objections.

Yet they didn’t expect that where they were headed was the same place Ashley Shaw had been taken by Hugh York.

In the holding area of the district police station.

Even though Ashley was still wearing her clothes, over them was a green vest from the holding area, making her look like she’d committed a crime.

After a physical examination, Ashley was immediately "interrogated."

By usual practice, even if there is an interrogation, it should be conducted by the officers from this district police station.

But currently, it was Hugh York who was interrogating her.

He had changed into a police uniform at some point, with epaulets that distinguished him from regular officers, showcasing his unique status.

The moment Ashley entered and saw Hugh York, there was no surprise in her eyes, only disgust.

She was placed on a "suspect" seat, and just as she settled, two scorching lights blazed open in front of her.

Ashley felt a sudden sting in her eyes and was soon met with a red glow overpowering her vision.

She instinctively closed her eyes.

Though she could avoid the light, the heat from the lamps was inescapable.

In less than half a minute, she was drenched in sweat, as if fished out of water.

Forcing herself to endure the discomfort, she squinted as she adapted to the light, seeing Hugh York sitting by the monitor, looking at her with an expressionless face.

She felt an inexplicable shiver down her spine.

Though the surroundings were unbearably hot, a chill ran down her back.

She heard Hugh York’s cold voice ask, "Name."

Ashley sneered.

"Don’t you already know? You even checked whether I have any backing, yet you still need my name?"

Clear displeasure surfaced on Hugh’s face.

But due to the intense light, Ashley couldn’t see the coldness in his eyes.

"Answer when you’re told to!" the nearby officer’s stern voice reminded.

"I’m not a criminal, so why should I answer your questions? I refuse to answer any of your questions. I want to contact my family and have them send a lawyer to speak with you."

"Your family?"

Suddenly, Hugh laughed, "If I recall, hasn’t your family all passed away?"

This statement struck the deepest vulnerability in Ashley’s heart.

She abruptly tried to stand, but due to the unique design of her seat, she couldn’t manage to get up.

Nonetheless, no matter what Hugh asked next, Ashley remained silent.

Even though she was sweating profusely from the heat, she endured it without uttering a word.

She had to wait for Owen Sinclair to arrive.

She couldn’t say anything that could be manipulated before Owen arrived.