“Diana Tate Patterson, my name is Attorney Frank Edwards, and I will be the one representing you. Now I need you to tell me the entire truth—”
“I didn't kill him,” The words left Diana Tate’s lips in a broken whisper as a cold shiver rocked down her spine.
“Remember, Mrs. Patterson, I am your lawyer, and so I am on your side, so I need you to be very honest with me now and tell me the truth,”
“The truth is, I didn't kill my father,” As the cold feeling reached her chest, she forced herself not to remember that precise moment that changed her entire life.
“Mrs Patterson, I know you're still in shock of everything that happened last night, but I could be able to get you a lighter sentence if you just confessed—”
“For the last time, I didn't kill my father,” Hot tears rolled down her eyes, as her lips trembled against each other. “They did. Antonia Saunders and her daughter, Emily killed my father,”
He leaned back against the chair. “Your sister—”
“Stepsister,” Diana corrected. “My step-mother and her daughter killed my father,”
“Mrs. Patterson, you are aware, you are being charged with first-degree murder for killing your father and an attempted murder on your step-sister's life,”
Her lips parted in shock as more tears burned her eyes. She swallowed through the pain in her chest, leaning forward.
“I swear I didn't touch her. She tried to kill me, right after they killed my dad, pushing him from the office in his own company.” The memory still burned through her mind. It was as if she was still stuck in that moment where she watched helplessly as Antonia and her daughter pushed him right after he had collapsed.
Diana still couldn't believe it. How one night could change her entire world. Just yesterday her father was alive and happy and excited for the party last night to celebrate Tate Group's anniversary. She didn't know it would only end in his death.
She sniffed as tears rolled down her eyes.
“Please believe me, I could never murder my father. I had no reason to—”
He cut her off. “Maybe because last night, Mr Tate had planned to announce at the party that he was stepping down, leaving the company for your step sister,” He pulled out a document from his bag. “This was the speech he had prepared for last night,”
As he handed the paper to Diana, she read through it and didn't need an expert to know that it was fake.
Her eyes shot back to the lawyer. “This is a fake. Dad wasn't just planning on announcing during last night's party that he was making me the new CEO of Tate Group, he has transferred his entire shares to me. Antonia somehow found out, and—”
“The prosecutor's office has footage of you arriving at the company last night, a few minutes after he did. You abruptly left the party you claimed was to announce your appointment and followed him to the company; why?”
“He left the party in a hurry, I was worried about him. So I followed him,”
“We caught you arguing with him in one of the footage,”
“We never argued. And when I arrived at his office, Antonia and her daughter were already there, they were the ones arguing with him. Didn't you watch the footage,”
“We did Mrs Patterson. Unfortunately, some of the security cameras were down but we did see Antonia and her daughter arrive at the scene after your father's murder. You are the only prime suspect in this case,”
“Those footage have been fabricated. I swear I'm telling you the truth, Antonia and her daughter killed my father,” Diana screamed, banging her hands against the table separating them. “Antonia Saunders killed my father; please, you have to believe me,” She yelled in tears.
“I'm sorry Mrs Patterson, but everything points to you,”
“Why are they stopping my husband from seeing me? I need to speak with Gabe Patterson. Please call him,” She screamed.
“There's no need for that. Mr. Patterson came with me, and he's waiting outside,” Frank Edwards pulled up from his chair and adjusted his suit. “I'll come by again tomorrow,” He said before strolling to the door, and as he pulled it open, she saw her husband, Gabe standing outside the door.
Frank sent a final glance at her before he left. Diana stood up from her chair and ran straight into her husband's arms, tears pouring down her eyes.
“Gabe, Dad…” She broke down in tears. “Dad's dead… He's…” She choked on her sob as she noticed a figure leaning against the doorway. It was Emily. “What the hell is she doing here?” Diana pulled away, her eyes sparking with hate and rage as she shifted it to Gabe, demanding an answer.
“Diana, you need to be calm,”
“Calm? She and Antonia killed my father. And they set me up. I am in here because of them,” Diana yelled as Emily entered the room and locked the door with an evil sneer on her lips.
“Diana—” He started but she cut him off.
“Are you not listening, they are the ones that need to be locked up. You need to believe me, Antonia and Emily killed my father,”
“I believe you, Diana,” Gabe's large hands gripped my shoulders firmly. “I know Antonia and Emily were the ones who pushed Mr Tate last night. I also know they have been poisoning your poor father for years now, and last night, after finding out your father had revised his will, and transferred all his shares to you, they had no choice but to kill him before he made the announcement public at the party,” Gabe sighed, withdrawing his hands and he sauntered to one of the empty chairs, taking a seat.
Diana was left frozen in her spot as his words kept echoing in her ears. Antonia and Emily had been poisoning her father. All these years?
A shiver ghosted through her, and slowly, her gaze traveled to Gabe. “You knew? All this time? Why didn't you… How on earth do you know about that?”
“Because I have been doing the same to you for two years now,” His lips stretched into a cold, sinister smile, and for a second, he looked nothing like the sweet-hearted Gabe she fell in love with in college. He looked a lot like the devil himself.
“What? You've been what?”
