Sophie White's survival instinct was fierce—she immediately retorted, "Minister Warwick! It was all Princess Lily Hayes's doing! She ordered us to do it!"
Then, Sophie White put on a look of grim determination, hurling all the blame onto Princess Lily Hayes: "Well, Princess Lily Hayes, you told us to help you steal those children, promising us a reward! Now we've been exposed, and you act all innocent! Don't let her fool you—she's the real monster, a bloodsucking witch! She tricked us into kidnapping kids today just so you'd believe she's not the culprit. All the filth, she dumps on us—how cruel! We were just her pawns, doing her dirty work, and now she's throwing us to the wolves. I won't take the fall for her!"
Sophie White was relentless, her eyes brimming with malice as she glared at Princess Lily Hayes. Today, she was determined to drag Lily down with her, biting and clawing wildly. If Lily wanted to clear her own name, Sophie would make sure there was no way out.
Princess Lily Hayes let out a cold laugh, fixing her gaze on Sophie White. "Utter nonsense!"
"I'm not lying! We were all following Princess Lily Hayes's orders!" Sophie White insisted, biting out every word.
Princess Lily Hayes looked at Sophie White with disappointment. "Hopelessly stubborn!"
Sophie White bit her lip, her eyes practically spitting venom.
Princess Lily Hayes simply turned away, ignoring Sophie White. Instead, she addressed Minister Warwick.
"Minister Warwick, do you recognize the criminal lying here?" Princess Lily Hayes asked.
Minister Warwick, prompted by Princess Lily Hayes's question, walked over and looked at the man lying on the ground.
Panther shrank back, immobilized by Quentin Lin's silver needles. He tried to lower his head to hide his face, but couldn't move at all.
Minister Warwick watched for a moment, then a flicker of recognition crossed his face. "Hmm, this man looks familiar! I feel like I've seen him somewhere before..."
Princess Lily Hayes pressed, "Minister Warwick, please think carefully. This is crucial."
Minister Warwick frowned and stared intently at Panther, searching his memory.
Suddenly, Minister Warwick's eyes widened. "I remember now! He's one of the infamous assassins from the underground syndicate!"
Princess Lily Hayes nodded gravely. "Exactly. Panther is notorious in the underground world."
Sophie White, sensing the tide turning, grew visibly anxious. "No, that's impossible! Panther wouldn't betray us!"
Panther's lips twisted in a bitter smile, but he remained silent, unable to move.
Minister Warwick turned to Princess Lily Hayes, his voice low. "Should we interrogate him further?"
Princess Lily Hayes nodded. "Yes. Panther holds the key to the syndicate's secrets."
Sophie White's face paled. She knew that once Panther talked, there would be no escape for her.
The room was thick with tension, every eye fixed on Panther, waiting for the truth to emerge.