He sidled up to Evelyn, his voice dropping to a hushed tone.


    "This is where it ends, okay? Let''s not stir things up any further. If Wesley dares toy a finger on Aunt Margaret, I''m not letting him off the hook. I''ll see to it that justice is served, alright?"


    Charles was trying his best to calm Evelyn down, urging her not to get too caught


    up in her stubborn ways.


    Thanks to Charlie, Eve had a bone to pick with Dahlia.


    She always seemed to jump to conclusions.


    Evelyn''s emotions, which she''d been trying so hard to keep in check, unraveled with Charles'' words.


    She shot Charles a fiery re, her eyes aze with anger. "Just zip it!"


    Brooks wrapped aforting arm around the trembling Evelyn, feeling her distress deep in his heart.


    Charles noticed Brooks''rge hand resting on Evelyn''s shoulder, and his face darkened even more.


    That''s when Dahlia showed up.


    With a female officer''s assistance, she''d managed to scrub off the grime, but a night of mental torment had left her looking drained.


    In just one night, it seemed as if she''d lost a noticeable amount of weight.


    When she saw Charles, she called out to him, her voice tinged with grievance, "Charles..."


    She wheeled herself over to him, her whole body leaning into his.


    Charles reached out to steady her.


    Dahlia, still trembling, slumped weakly against Charles'' chest. "Charles, I''m worried about Sandy. Can you take me back to the hospital, please?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Seeing Dahlia, who''d been through the wringer all night, tugged at Charles'' heartstrings.


    He couldn''t turn her down and quietly agreed, "Alright."


    "Dahlia can''t leave!"


    At the mention of Dahlia leaving the police station, Evelyn''s anger red up. She shouted, trying to block her way. "Officer, Dahlia''s the mastermind. You need to keep digging..."


    "Eve!"


    Charles'' patience was wearing thin, and he turned to Evelyn, looking stern.


    "Didn''t I just exin it? The case has been investigated, and Wesley''s confessed. Dahlia''s not involved."


    "You need to let it go!"


    "Last night, you called the cops to haul Dahlia in. I didn''t stop you."


    "She spent the night in there, dealing with the aftermath. Do you know what she went through? Isn''t that enough?"


    Charles couldn''t shake the image of Dahlia''s pitiful state from his mind when he saw her that morning.


    If he had been asked


    Bet


    right questionsst night,


    Dahle more insistent and in isn''t have been dragged


    this mess for no reason.


    "Inparison to the things Dahlia''s done, this little bit of suffering is


    through is her own doing; sel


    nothing. Everything she went


    brought it on herself!"


    Brooks cast a cold nce at Dahlia, who was feigning fragility. Charles seemed to


    be the only one not seeing through her act.


    "Mr. Brooks is really pulling out all the stops to please a woman, even if it means turning a blind eye to right and wrong."


    Charles figured Brooks''ments were just a show to get on Evelyn''s good side, deliberately taking her side.


    "Ms. Evelyn, we handle cases based


    on evidence. We won''t let the guilty


    slip away, and at the same time, we won''t falsely use someone innocent without proof."


    The officer eyed the tense standoff between Charles and Brooks.


    This whole mess was because of Evelyn.


    He tried to get Evelyn to see the investigation''s conclusion for what it was. Evelyn looked at the officer, realizing the verdict was already set in stone. Once again, Dahlia had managed to walk away unscathed.


    Wesley watched Dahlia, who hadn''t spared him a nce the entire time.


    She better use Charles'' influence to get Sandy back on her feet. If anything happens to Sandy...


    He''d make sure Dahlia pays a steep price!