"Our current capabilities might not be enough," Samantha admitted quietly.

Elise pressed her lips together. "But we might have a chance with Mr. Levine."

"Ms. Scott, who do you believe is behind all this?" Samantha asked.

There was a brief silence between them.

"That means you likely have your suspicions." Elise nodded slowly.

"Considering my connection to William, and his relationship with her, who do you think he would support?"

"I'm not an expert when it comes to relationships," Samantha confessed honestly.

"But based on Mr. Levine's willingness to ask Andrew Saunders to entrust me with your case, I believe he cares deeply."

"Yet relationships often mean little when significant money is involved."

Samantha paused, finding no immediate response to that truth. She had only met Elise once before, during a dinner with Elizabeth.

Since Elizabeth had been busy drinking that evening, Samantha had been occupied keeping her friend out of trouble, leaving little opportunity to truly know Elise.

Now, she was seeing Elise in an entirely new light. For a moment, she felt they were strikingly similar.

"Even so, we must try," Samantha told her firmly. "Fighting until the end is far better than surrendering without effort. Besides, there's still a possibility we can turn this around."

She met Elise's gaze directly. "I want you to know that even if you had no connection to Andrew Saunders or Mr. Levine, I would still give this case my all simply because you're Elizabeth's friend."

Elise felt her heart tighten unexpectedly.

Though Samantha appeared reserved—likely a professional trait from her legal background—her words were precise and her expressions controlled, always maintaining composure.

This demeanor naturally inspired confidence in others.

Despite their brief acquaintance, Samantha possessed sharp enough perception to understand exactly who she was dealing with.

Yet there was no time for emotional reflection as Samantha quickly returned to discussing the case with serious focus.

"Now, please walk me through these revenue reports and explain how your signatures appear on them. I don't believe you would be careless enough to allow your finance department to manipulate company funds."

"Those reports were authenticated through our OA system," Elise explained. "I've delegated certain document approvals to my secretary, particularly since I've been overwhelmed with an important tender invitation recently."

"So the issue lies with your secretary," Samantha concluded.

Elise frowned. Her initial suspicion had also pointed toward Matthew, but she was the one who had personally selected and trained him.

That made it almost impossible to believe... yet if not him, then who? Even if she trusted Matthew's character completely, there were times when temptations and threats could become... overwhelming.

"Therefore, our key investigation points are clear," Samantha stated methodically. "The source of the bank account, your accountant Helen Williams, your assistant Matthew Johnson, the tax bureau's deputy commissioner Henry Carter, and the anonymous tip... with the assumption they've all been compromised through bribery."

Elise nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I understand the general situation now," Samantha said, not wasting any time. "I've attempted to post bail, but they're refusing your release for the time being. However, I'll contact you immediately if we uncover new evidence regarding your case."

"But if my defense fails..." Elise's voice remained steady. "How many years are we looking at?"

Samantha studied Elise carefully, thinking how remarkably composed she remained under such circumstances.

Still, she answered truthfully. "I'll strive to plead your case effectively, potentially reducing the sentence to ten years."

Ten years...

There went her youth.