Winning Her Heart Back (Emelie Hoven )
Chapter 898

Chapter 898

The music in the room never stopped. The orchestra played a gentle rendition of "Aria in G", its pure and tranquil melody flowing like a river under the moonlight, echoing the unfolding

story.

Yennifer took a deep breath and continued, "Did he make a mistake? Yes. Did he deserve to be punished? Yes. Did it have to be brought to court? Yes.

"But was the death penalty reasonable? I believe in the fairness of the law, but I also believe that if there hadn't been those stirring up public anger to pressure the judiciary, his sentence might have had some room for reconsideration."

What Yennifer didn't mention was that, during that chaotic and unregulated time, almost everyone was making mistakes.

It wasn't just Xander. He was both guilty and innocent. Before the incident, no one had said that what he was doing was unacceptable.

However, the rules suddenly changed, and the legal principle of non-retroactivity was only established and enforced later. At that time, even the law enforcers were still figuring out how to proceed.

Had it not been for the relentless pursuit by the Middleton, Davis, Swanson, and Collins families, Xander might not have been pushed to that extreme.

However, this case could have gone either way, and those families manipulated public opinion and pushed it all the way to the extreme. Hence, he was tried, and he was sentenced.

She said, "Why did those people want Xander dead? Because they wanted his business, his market. They were afraid that if he lived, he would retaliate and expose their crimes,

dragging them down with him. And I'm not just making baseless claims. I have the evidence.

II

Yennifer locked her gaze on the camera without blinking, as if staring directly into the eyes of those behind it.

She pulled out a thick leather envelope. Through the translucent cover, a hefty notebook was visible inside.

"Caleb Davis, Maverick Collins, Kaden Swanson, and Henry Middleton," she called out their names. "Do you see this? Is this not the Pierce family's account book you've spent your whole lives searching for? The one that records all your criminal activities?"

Emelie left her seat and moved to her sister Ashlyn's side, holding her cold hand.

Ashlyn had risked her life to protect the account book. She smiled quietly as she began to tear up. It was at this moment that she finally fulfilled the order given to her by their father years ago.

Yennifer stood up, still addressing the Four Families. "It's not just this account book. Over

the years, we've gathered plenty of evidence. I will hand it all over to the lawyers, and I will report this to the authorities and take it to court. I will make sure you pay for what you did to Xander 28 years ago.

"And yes, your sons' names will be on the defendant list too. The persecution that you entrusted to your sons robbed my daughter of her adoptive father. She was displaced for many years and nearly lost her life several times. I will make you pay for all of this.

"It's not that I don't want to take revenge, but the time has not come yet. Even though some of you are already dead and buried, I'll take the court ruling and burn it at your graves. Just you wait."

Murmurs erupted among the audience.

In the unnoticed corners of the hall, several people hastily left the banquet. They were the ones who couldn't afford to be seen.

Who could have imagined that the Filo family would bring up such a matter during such a significant wedding banquet? It caught them completely off guard, and they needed to leave quickly to come up with a plan.

However, no amount of strategizing would help. The decision to reopen the case had already been made. Emelie had spent three years preparing for this moment, confident that the case could be reopened.

After all, the Four Families were now weakened, with many of their members dead or incapacitated, leaving them with little ability to defend themselves or retaliate. Even the higher-ups, when weighing their options, would likely decide to abandon them.

That was why Emelie chose to take them down one by one and then settle the final score together. This approach avoided the risk that those in power might try to protect the four families for fear of the negative impact their downfall could have on the Cedonian economy, leading to underhanded deals.

Currently, the families were insignificant, posing no threat, allowing the court to rule fairly.

Yennifer closed her eyes, ignoring the discussions around her. She thought of Xander, the man she had loved for ten years.

Their wedding back then hadn't been as grand or luxurious as the one Emelie was having today, but he had made it incredibly romantic.

He bought sunflower seeds and planted them on a barren piece of land, tending to them day after day. He watered, fertilized, and protected them from pests. Finally, fields of golden sunflowers bloomed there, and they got married in that sea of flowers.

She had asked him when he had planted those flowers, and he told her he did it on the day he fell in love with her.

From the day he fell in love, he wanted to marry her. Hence, he started planting from that

day, knowing that he wanted to give her a wedding there.

Yennifer, born into the Filo family, had seen enough wealth and power that material things no longer moved her. However, she would never forget the unwavering sincerity that Xander

had for her.

Her throat constricted with emotion. When she overheard some guests whispering, wondering if the daughter she mentioned could be Mandy, she opened her eyes and smiled.

She said, "Yes, you're right. My daughter is Mandy Pierce. She is the daughter of Xander and me."

When Emelie's hand was suddenly grasped, she turned to see William standing beside her. She continued explaining, "Back then, the four families pursued us relentlessly, trying to eliminate our every trace.

"I had planned to fake our deaths and escape with my three-year-old son and newborn daughter. However, in a twist of fate, my daughter was taken in by Xander's bodyguard, Edward Hoven. Hence, in the end, I only left with my son, and we took refuge with the Graham family."

Norman Graham had attended the wedding. He was sitting in a corner, maintaining a low profile. Yennifer looked over, and they exchanged smiles.

The guests couldn't help but ask, "So did you remarry Mr. Graham? Given Cronus's Cedonian name, Wesley Graham, we thought that Mr. Graham was his biological father."

"Cronus's Cedonian name is actually Kingston Pierce." Yennifer clarified. "The name Wesley Graham was used to avoid suspicion.

"As for my relationship with Mr. Graham, he was Xander's close friend, and we were very good friends. After Xander was imprisoned, Mr. Graham did everything in his power to save him. When it was too late, he did everything he could to protect my son and me. I am deeply

grateful to him."

Another guest asked, "If you were hiding at the Graham family's home, how did those who wanted to harm you not replace you? Mr. Graham was Xander's best friend, so wouldn't they have suspected that he might be protecting you?"

It wasn't doubt or gossip. They were just curious as they were invested in the story and wanted to understand the details of the parts they didn't comprehend.

The guests had been drawn into the narrative, their emotions entwined with its twists and

turns, eager to know more.