Everyone who lived in the mansion stood in the main hall, facing the police officers gathered there. One of the officers approached Ann, addressing her directly.

"So, Miss Ann Gresham," the police officer began, "please explain."

"Thank you, officer," Ann replied. Her voice was filled with a sense of urgency. Though she appeared slightly improved, Ann still looked thin and frail.

Before Ann could continue, Penelope interrupted, her face stern with a mixture of concern and frustration. "Ann, what are you..."

"Madam," the police officer interjected firmly, "let her speak first."

Penelope halted, her breathing heavy, allowing Ann the opportunity to share her side of the story.

"Seraphina Frost," Ann spoke, her voice carrying a grave tone, "was the former maid of this mansion, who succumbed to pneumonia eight years ago [https://img.wattpad.com/4ac86699fe0cee2f4d143a4047a70b54a1f9b7a3/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f65654d5a39472d356357636371413d3d2d313336303736323737322e313737316263626566333434353234373731363538383130363433312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

"Seraphina Frost," Ann spoke, her voice carrying a grave tone, "was the former maid of this mansion, who succumbed to pneumonia eight years ago... or so Dr. Henry Jenkins claimed."

"What are you insinuating, Ann?" Dr. Jenkins asked with a hint of concern, his brows furrowing.

"Seraphina did not die of pneumonia, Dr. Jenkins," Ann asserted, her gaze steady. "She was poisoned."

A collective gasp echoed through the hall as Ann's words reverberated. The revelation struck everyone with a sense of disbelief and dread.

"But... I examined her, and she passed away from pneumonia," Dr. Jenkins protested, his voice laced with defensiveness.

Ann maintained her composure, her eyes piercing through Dr. Jenkins. "May I inquire, then, why you adamantly forbade anyone else from examining her? Why did you guard her so closely?"

Dr. Jenkins stood frozen, his countenance betraying a lack of response.

"The assertion that Seraphina died of pneumonia came solely from you, Dr. Jenkins," Ann pressed on. "No other medical professional had the opportunity to verify her cause of death. It seems rather convenient, doesn't it? Because it is highly likely that you were responsible for her poisoning."

Gasps and murmurs filled the air, the inhabitants of the mansion expressing their shock and disbelief. They questioned Ann, challenging her accusations against Dr. Jenkins.

"I ventured into the secret room not on a single night but on four occasions," Ann revealed, her voice unwavering. "Within those hidden confines, I discovered notes and various substances. One particular substance stood out to me, unmistakably used for poisoning: arsenic. Furthermore, I stumbled upon contractual agreements with an individual. When I fled from the mansion, I seized the papers and a bag containing arsenic, delivering them to the nearby police station. They scrutinized the evidence and found that the contracted individual was already imprisoned for the production of deadly poisons."

The gravity of the situation settled upon the assembly, their disbelief gradually transforming into a somber acceptance of Ann's claims.

"I forgot to mention," Ann interjected, her voice unwavering, "the contract with that individual has forged eight years ago, coinciding with Seraphina's untimely demise."

Nyx's mind swirled with a mix of disbelief and confusion. Could it be true? Was Dr. Jenkins truly a criminal orchestrating such a heinous act? The other servants, too, were stunned by the weight of the evidence presented before them.

Dr. Jenkins, his face etched with a mixture of shock and desperation, confronted Ann. "Why... Why would you accuse me of such a nefarious act? What possible motive could I have had to poison Seraphina?" he demanded.

"What motive?" Ann retorted, her voice laden with conviction. "You were promised a handsome sum for carrying out the poisoning, a sum that, coincidentally, remains the highest payment you have ever received. I stumbled upon your records detailing the highest payment you had ever received, and it happened to be mere days after Seraphina's tragic demise."

"But who would pay him much money?" asked one of the maids, her voice trembling with disbelief.

"Who?" Ann retorted, her gaze shifting towards Mr. Charles. "Who else provides Dr. Jenkins with funds? It can only be Mr. Charles Lancaster himself."

The room fell silent as the servants and police turned their gaze towards Mr. Charles, who stood before them, visibly shaken and nervously fidgeting under their scrutiny.

"A few days ago," Ann continued, her voice firm, "Dr. Jenkins disclosed to Mr. Lancaster that his recent payment was the highest he had received in the past eight years. Curiously enough, it coincided with the year of Seraphina's untimely death. This revelation led me to investigate the laboratory for the first time and cast suspicion upon both Mr. Lancaster and Dr. Jenkins. I managed to find the key to the lab to be hidden behind a jacket in the double bedroom, which I replaced with a fake one."

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"Mr. Lancaster?" one of the maids exclaimed, disbelief etched on her face. "I can't believe it!"

"Ann has also informed us that you and Seraphina were secretly married," one of the police officers added, addressing Mr. Lancaster directly. The room erupted in gasps of astonishment.

Charles remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor, his anger palpable.

"We even possess a marriage certificate validating your clandestine union with Seraphina. You temporarily divorced Penelope to marry Seraphina and have a child, but you didn't disclose this to most people. After Seraphina gave birth, you married Penelope again," the police officer declared.

"Yes," Mr. Charles finally admitted, his voice filled with resignation. "I confess the marrying... but why would I kill her?"

"Because Seraphina had discovered the secret behind your accumulated wealth," Ann declared, her tone unwavering.

Mr. Charles appeared suspicious, his brows furrowing. "What secret?"

"In the papers that I retrieved from the laboratory," Ann explained, "although I cannot fully comprehend matters of finance, I took them to the police. They uncovered that you had manipulated and deceived the owner of a stock market and stolen his entire fortune, leaving him now living in poverty. Most of your success stems from him. You possess great skill in the art of deceiving someone in matters of finance, do you not?"

Mr. Charles's countenance sank, his façade of confidence crumbling.

"I knew Seraphina well," Ann continued, her voice filled with conviction. "She would never condone stealing from anyone, be they rich or poor. My theory is that she confronted you about your misdeeds, urging you to rectify your actions, or else she would expose your crimes to the authorities. Am I right, Mr. Lancaster?"

Mr. Charles shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting nervously from side to side, beads of perspiration forming on his brow.

"I also discovered an aged document within that room," Ann revealed, her voice steady, "which contained various names associated with the support of Mr. Charles's illicit activities. Among those names were Mr. Charles himself, Dr. Jenkins, and a faintly inscribed name that appeared to be Seraphina's. And lastly, there was a name that indicated encouragement of these actions, and that name is Penelope." Ann fixed her gaze upon Penelope, her tone filled with gravity.

Penelope, taken aback, wore a mixture of shock and defiance upon her face. "What are you..." she retorted, her breaths heavy with tension.

"You," Ann proclaimed, her voice unwavering, "were the one who conceived the notion of killing Seraphina. It was you who encouraged Mr. Lancaster and Dr. Jenkins to commit this heinous act."

Nyx's eyes widened, disbelief coursing through her thoughts. Could it be true? Was her aunt, Penelope, truly capable of such a heinous crime?

"Why, you audacious..." Penelope began to speak, her voice filled with a controlled fury.

"Seraphina had confided in me that you envied her," Ann declared, her voice unwavering. " Particularly after giving birth to a child... a child who, unbeknownst to all, is Thomas," Ann interjected, her voice cutting through the charged atmosphere.

The servants exchanged incredulous glances, their minds grappling with the shocking revelation. All eyes turned towards Thomas, who kept his gaze fixed upon the floor, his expression a mixture of calm and internal turmoil.

"Yes," Ann continued, her voice resolute, "Thomas is not Penelope's biological son; he is, in fact, the offspring of Seraphina." She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle in the room. "Seraphina confided in me about her marriage to Mr. Charles and the birth of their child. However, when I began my employment at the mansion, Mr. Charles told me that both Seraphina and her child had tragically passed away and were laid to rest in the same grave. Although some individuals were aware that Mr. Lancaster had a child, the true identity of the child's mother remained uncertain. It was after Seraphina's demise that Mr. Lancaster orchestrated the deception, falsely claiming the child to be Penelope's."

One of the police officers approached Thomas, his tone filled with curiosity. "Did you have knowledge of Penelope not being your biological mother?"

Thomas, with a downcast gaze and a tinge of sadness in his voice, responded softly, "I... I was aware."

"You knew?" the officer inquired, surprise evident in his voice.

"What on earth are you saying, Thomas?!" Penelope erupted, her voice filled with a volatile mix of anger and disbelief. "What are you saying?! You and Nyx are merely children!"

"That's precisely why you attempted to kill Nyx," Ann interjected.

Nyx stood in a state of shock, her mind reeling from the revelation.

"What absurdities are you uttering?" Penelope retorted, her anger barely masked by her outward calmness.

"In two separate instances, Nyx had confided in you, Penelope, expressing doubts about Thomas being your biological son. After that you directed your anger towards me twice and became suspicious of me," Ann explained, her voice composed. "Upon discovering the presence of arsenic, I became fearful, suspecting that you might have been planning to poison me, especially after witnessing your attempt to kill Nyx."

"Ann," Nyx exclaimed, her voice filled with confusion and disbelief, "What are you saying? When has Auntie ever tried to kill me?"

"It was during your outing to the river," Ann replied, addressing Nyx directly. "I had a feeling that something sinister might occur, that Penelope could potentially take drastic measures once confronted by Nyx with the truth. So, I discreetly carried the rifle with me, staying close behind them. When the assailant approached, intending to kill Nyx, I aimed and shot him in the hip, thus rescuing Nyx. However, Penelope's immediate response was not gratitude for saving her niece, but anger directed at me for having a firearm. I must inquire, Penelope, why was it of greater concern to you that I had a rifle, rather than acknowledging the fact that I had saved your niece's life?"

Nyx couldn't deny the truth in Ann's words, for the sequence of events resonated deeply within her.

"Furthermore, the police have determined that the man whom I shot at the river was an accomplice of the poison maker contracted by Dr. Jenkins. It is highly likely that Penelope had hired that man with the intent to murder Nyx. When Penelope realized the man could expose her involvement, she took matters into her own hands and killed him. Subsequently, her suspicion towards me grew, and I refrained from consuming any food or drink to protect myself. They may have even attempted to poison Nyx within the confines of the lab."

"But they said I had a severe illness that required medication," Nyx interjected.

A police officer approached Nyx, placing a hand on her forehead as he asked her a series of questions. After receiving her responses, he stated, "Your condition is most likely not severe. We will check you."

"So that means... Dr. Jenkins lied to me?" Nyx asked, her voice surprisingly composed.

"We will examine the liquid that Dr. Jenkins claimed was a medicine," the police officer declared, taking the bottle, which was concealed within a bag, into custody for analysis.

Penelope directed her anger towards Mr. Charles, exclaiming, "I warned you against hiring Ann as our maid. I knew this would lead to trouble." She then glared at Ann, stating, "You have been deceitful and investigating us."

"No," Ann countered, her voice resolute. "I never harbored suspicion towards you until a few days ago when I discovered that Thomas is Seraphina's son."

The truth unraveled, exposing the intricate web of deceit that had engulfed the mansion.