A Joint Trial  As''s handsome face was as cold as  ice, and his lips pressed tightly  together. His sharp eyes gleamed with  intensity.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    He stared icily at the steward. Every word he uttered seemedced with frost, sending a shiver through the room.


    Seeing mee out, he settled me on the sofa. I turned to the steward. "Who told you to deliver the message?"  "It was a woman, Ms. Chloe. I didn''t get a clear look at her. She told me to inform you to go to the fourth-floor lounge. She also said that you should go alone." The steward''s face was deathly pale, trembling as if he had seen a ghost. It was clear he was


    terrified.


    One of As''s aides entered, holding an evidence bag. "Sir, these are the clothes salvaged from the sea!" I quickly looked over. It was a dark gray tracksuit. I was confident. "Yes, this is the right color. A dark figure in a hooded tracksuit attacked me. That''s why I couldn''t see the face." I closed my eyes, trying to recall the moment. A dark figure rushed toward me, causing me to fall back. The fall was sudden, and I forced my eyes open.


    "It seems—" Before I could finish, someone else entered, eximing, "Sir, we''ve identified the person!" The attendant handed As a


    smartphone with downloaded footage.


    He stared at it for a while. His expression darkened tenfold. Then he gave the phone to me.


    I took it and saw the erged image on the screen. It was Carina.


    I silently passed the phone to Mia. She nced at me, and a sense of disappointment washed over me.


    "This brazen fool has some nerve," Mia remarked with a frown.


    "Bring her in!" As''s voice resonated, dripping with menace.


    Soon, an attendant escorted a still- defiant Carina into the room. "What''s this all about? Do you think you can keep me locked up? What more do you le >? ool" want? Let me g0: As she was forcibly pushed into the


    room, she rushed toward the center of the living room.


    Upon seeing us, she seemed taken aback, and her tone softened. "What do you want?" "Where were you half an hour ago?" As''s voice, sharp and prating, rang out.


    "1-1 was in my room. You told me not to leave, didn''t you?" She retorted, unapologetic.


    Dn approached her, carrying the tracksuit. "Whose is this?" She stepped back nervously, eyeing the tracksuit. Dn, afraid she might not see clearly, unfurled it. "Take a good look!" 11. It''s mine!" Carina stammered,


    flustered.


    Dn looked at As, then continued, "Why was it thrown into the sea?" Carina seemed confused and appearing somewhat fearful of As and Dn.


    "Speak!" "1 didn''t throw it! I just bought it in case I wanted to wear it!" She shivered and swallowed hard.


    Dn tossed the dripping wet clothes to her. "Put it on!" put it on?" She looked at Dn skeptically, noticing the clothes were still dripping.


    uput it on!" Dn repeated it sternly, and an exasperated Carina reluctantly put on the wet tracksuit.


    "There, happy?" Dn asked the trembling steward, "Is this her?" Fearfully, The steward looked up momentarily at Carina, still in the wet tracksuit. He looked back at her, seemingly uncertain.


    "Based on appearance and her voice." Dn then raised the hood over Carina''s head. "Take another look." "1-1t looks like her!" The steward stammered.


    "Looks like her? Stop talking nonsense. I was in my room the whole time. I didn''t go anywhere. How could someone look like me?" Carina shouted, bewildered.


    She sensed that this wouldn''t end well,


    or they wouldn''t be conducting this intense interrogation.


    "You say your clothes were still in your room. Where exactly did you put them?" Dn interrogated Carina, his tone unwavering.


    "They were in my suitcase!"  Dn exchanged a nce with the attendant waiting by the door, who immediately left the room.