Chapter 266 The Last Stand
Lilith’s voice returned to the screen after a brief moment of silence, her expression now grim and calculated. "Liam," she said firmly, "we need to find a way to get the video from Josh. If we can get our hands on the original footage, we’ll be able to prove it was doctored. It’s the only shot at clearing your name—publicly, legally, and permanently."
Lana’s eyes sharpened as she leaned forward slightly, her tone skeptical. "What about the SWAT officers that we... killed?" she asked, her voice dropping at the last word.
Lilith smirked, just a little, and shook her head. "You think they’re going to hold that against him? Please. That would destroy their credibility. If it gets out that Liam took out an entire elite squad by himself, it’s not just embarrassing—it’s catastrophic. Makes them look weak. Untrained. Reckless."
She shrugged, folding her arms. "They’ll bury that story so deep it’ll never see sunlight."
Vanessa, who had been sitting quietly at the far side of the room with her arms crossed and her boots now off, finally spoke. Her voice was low and thoughtful. "There might be another way to clear Liam’s name."
All eyes turned to her instantly. Lilith raised an eyebrow on the screen. "I’m listening."
Vanessa turned to Liam and Lana and gestured slightly with her hand. "They’re accusing Liam of being the Nightcrawler, right?" Her green eyes flicked between them. "Well... why not catch the real Nightcrawler ourselves?"
There was a moment of stunned silence. Then Lana tilted her head, intrigued.
"Catch the Nightcrawler?" she repeated slowly, processing it. Then she nodded. "If we catch the real one... that would be undeniable proof Liam’s innocent."
Vanessa nodded firmly. "Exactly. We find the real killer, bring them in or expose them to the world, and everything falls apart for whoever’s trying to frame Liam."
Lilith was silent on the screen for a moment, clearly impressed. "That... might actually work," she murmured. "It’s a solid plan."