radicalducati Chapter 629: Prove It
Chapter 629: Prove It
A collective gasp swept through the audience. Blake’s composure cracked. “What nonsense are you saying? This is a live broadcast!”
“Not anymore.” A commanding voice cut through the tension. Dave rose to his feet. “Ms. McGee, it’s under control. The police are already here.”
Brenda’s glare stayed fixed on Blake. “You kidnapped me. You even used someone to impersonate me.” Her voice shook with fury. “And I called the police the moment I arrived. You won’t be walking away from this.”
“What?! Blake kidnapped Brenda? This is unbelievable!”
“I knew something was wrong with that fake Brenda. She was way too close to him! I never thought they were working together to kidnap the real one.”
“Unreal. He acted like the victim while pulling the strings the whole time. If Brenda hadn’t come when she did, Phoenix Alliance Group’s boss would’ve been in serious danger!”
The whispers of shock and outrage swept through the crowd. Blake’s eyes darted around the room, searching for his men and for anyone loyal to him. But they were gone. Every one of his people had vanished, replaced by strangers. He was completely alone.
The livestream was cut, but it didn’t matter. Hundreds of people had witnessed it firsthand. Word would spread. His name, his reputation, even Lawson Group itself, everything would be dragged down.
Blake forced himself to stay calm. He straightened his suit and lifted his chin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He couldn’t admit to anything. Not now. Not ever. Rupert and Ashley were the ones who gave him the plan. If someone had to take the blame, it should be them.
But his stomach twisted. None of that mattered anymore. The plan had failed.
Across the room, Bianca finally turned her back on him.
That single act, her rejection, her disappointment had cut deeper than any accusation. Blake had truly believed that this time he would defeat Dave. That he would win Bianca back. Instead, everything had fallen apart before his eyes.
“Still lying, Blake!” A voice cut through the stage. Catherine stood beside Brenda, her eyes sharp. She stepped forward. “Do you really think we’d accuse you without proof?”
The giant screen behind her flickered on. A video played that Brenda was bound and blindfolded. She was locked inside a dark basement and was being rescued.
The audience gasped. No one could have imagined a Universal Pictures representative being dragged into something so terrifying, right here in Edenfield. Their shock quickly turned to fury.
“Liar! He just tried to blame others a moment ago! That fake Brenda must’ve been his plan too!”
“This kind of scum deserves to be behind bars!”
Even Blake’s own business allies were furious. One of the investors, who had followed his lead in targeting Phoenix Alliance Group stormed forward, his face red with rage. “You lied, Blake! Look at Phoenix Alliance Group’s stock price, it’s climbing! Who’s going to cover my losses? You swore everything was under control. Does this look under control to you?!”
Another investor jumped in. “We signed one bad contract after another with Emerald Artists Agency and Phoenix Alliance Group, thinking we’d profit. And now, instead of collecting money, we’re the ones paying for it!”
Their public outrage, spoken loud for everyone to hear, proved Blake’s guilt more than any confession could.
“This man runs Lawson Group? What a joke. I almost got dragged into this mess myself!”
“Enjoy your time in prison, Blake. You’ll be there for a long time.”
Blake’s fists tightened, his eyes burning with fury. “Nonsense! What the hell are you all talking about?!”
But the others were too wrapped up in their losses to see what he already knew. If he were convicted as the mastermind, they would be seen as accomplices. The consequences would catch up to them, too.
“Nonsense?” A sharp voice cut through the air. A businessman with quick eyes stood and sneered at him. “You’re too full of yourself, Blake. But kidnapping Brenda? That was your biggest mistake. You didn’t just destroy yourself, you dragged all of us down with you.”
“Let me make this clear,” he went on. “I only followed your lead for business. I had nothing to do with the kidnapping.”
Before Blake could reply, the studio doors slammed open. The sound echoed through the hall as a team of uniformed officers poured inside.
Gasps and whispers spread through the audience. Some froze where they stood, while others shrank back in fear.
“Nobody move!” a commanding voice rang out.
Blake’s first instinct was to run. But before he could move, two of Dave’s secret bodyguards grabbed him. The police swiftly moved, snapping handcuffs around his wrists in one swift motion.
“Stay calm,” an officer announced. “We are making a lawful arrest of the suspect.”
The crowd sat in stunned silence. A few quietly raised their phones, recording the moment.
As Blake was dragged away, his panic burst out. “I didn’t kidnap her! It was Rupert! It was all Rupert’s idea!” His voice was broken with desperation. “I was tricked by him!” He struggled to clear his name.
Brenda stood nearby, trembling. “If it wasn’t you, then who?” she cried, her voice breaking. Her eyes filled with tears as memories of the dark, suffocating basement came rushing back.
The weight of her pain settled over the room. The audience, once only watching, now felt anger, pity, and disbelief. Some let out heavy sighs. Others only shook their heads.
The police quickly took control of the venue.
Bianca, Dave, Brenda, and Catherine were escorted to the station to give their statements.
Outside, the news spread like wildfire. Phoenix Alliance Group’s stock shot up, while Lawson Group's stock crashed.
Blake, once the face of Lawson Group, had become the symbol of disgrace. Photos of him in handcuffs, humiliated, flooded the internet.
Speculation exploded online.
“What the hell just happened?! Can someone explain? Didn’t the Universal Pictures Actor Selection Competition just end? Wasn’t Blake the organizer? Why is he suddenly in handcuffs?!”
“Looks like he’s in deep trouble this time. I heard it’s connected to that fake Brenda.”
“You mean the stand-in? I thought that was just an act. What’s really happening?”
“If these photos are real, Blake’s finished. My goodness!”
Under the harsh lights of the interrogation room, Blake looked nothing like the powerful CEO he once was. His arrogance was gone. His confidence had vanished.
“Talk.” A police officer slammed a hand against the table, making Blake flinch. “You claim Rupert was the mastermind. Fine. Prove it.”