Chapter 3

At 8:30 the next morning, I arrived at the Spark Charity Review Center lobby right on time.

There weren't many people in the lobby, but I immediately spotted Rachel and David.

They were gathered around a young man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, talking.

Emma sat in a wheelchair nearby, wearing a mask and hat, looking so weak she might faint at any moment.

I moved closer and heard Rachel wiping away tears: "Mr. Brooks, you have to believe us. My youngest daughter has such a hard life—so young and she got this disease. That Stella is her sister. She's been jealous of her since childhood. This time she's so heartless as to steal her medical records to scam charity funds! You absolutely cannot give the money to her!"

David chimed in from the side: "That's right—misfortune in the family! We brought Emma here today to prove our innocence. Emma has hundreds of thousands of fans online now. Everyone's watching. Your charity organization must handle this fairly."

The man called Marcus Brooks frowned slightly, flipping through the materials in his hand, his voice cold: "The handling result depends on evidence, not follower counts. Since both parties' materials conflict, we'll wait until the other party arrives."

"I'm here."

I spoke coldly, walking up to them.

Emma saw me and her body clearly stiffened for a moment. Panic flashed through her eyes, but she quickly covered it up. She tugged at Rachel's sleeve and called out timidly: "Stella..."

Rachel jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pointing at me and cursing: "You still have the nerve to show up! You shameless ungrateful wretch! Stealing Emma's life-saving money—aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"

The eyes of others in the lobby immediately focused on me.

David charged forward directly, raising his hand to hit me: "Get lost and go home! Stop embarrassing yourself here!"

I didn't dodge. I just looked at him coldly: "This is the charity review center. There are surveillance cameras everywhere. If you dare touch me today, I'll call the police immediately and have them investigate your fraud while they're at it."

David's hand froze in mid-air, his face iron-gray. Finally, gritting his teeth, he lowered it.

Marcus Brooks looked up, his gaze sweeping over me.

He didn't show sympathy or contempt like others—he just asked in a businesslike manner: "Are you Stella?"

"Yes."

"I'm Marcus Brooks, legal volunteer for Spark Charity, responsible for this material review." He pointed to the conference room nearby. "Since both parties are here, let's go in. According to regulations, conflicting materials require face-to-face confrontation and real-time verification through the medical insurance system."

Hearing the words "real-time verification through the medical insurance system," Emma's expression changed instantly.

She grabbed the wheelchair armrest tightly, her voice becoming shrill: "Why do we need to verify through medical insurance? Aren't the paper materials I brought enough? They all have the hospital's stamp!"

Marcus Brooks glanced at her, his tone calm but leaving no room for argument: "Paper materials carry the risk of forgery and tampering. The medical insurance system connects directly to the National Health Authority—it can't be faked. What's the matter, Ms. Emma? Is it inconvenient for you to verify?"

"I... I..." Emma stammered, looking to Rachel for help.

Rachel immediately puffed out her chest: "Verify then! Our Emma really is sick—what is there to fear! On the other hand, certain people who stole others' medical records will show their true colors soon enough. Let's see how she handles it!"

I looked at Rachel acting like she wouldn't shed tears until she saw the coffin, and the last trace of hope I had for family affection died completely in my heart.

"Fine." I walked to the conference room door, pushed it open. "Then let's investigate."