Chapter 414

The judge’s voice, usually stern and impassive, made Natalie’s heart skip a beat. She paused briefly, then tried to keep up the façade of calm. “I just couldn’t reach her. Naturally, I started to worry—” Claire jumped in with a scoff. “Worry? That’s a bit of an understatement, don’t you think?” “Everyone saw your reaction just now. Looked more like you were sure she was dead. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have bet like that, right?” “Losing contact doesn’t mean someone’s dead. Only killer types or the grim reaper could be that sure.” Natalie clenched her jaw, tone laced with sarcasm. “Maybe I overreacted. Concern makes people emotional. Isn’t that… human nature?” Julian tapped on his phone while speaking. “That’s some intense ‘concern’ you’ve got there.” A news clip played from his phone, and the room fell into tense silence as the headline spilled out: a car accident… over a cliff… one woman… Asian… identity not confirmed yet… “You claim you couldn’t reach my cousin,” Julian said coolly. “Y