“Does something about this case trouble you, Matias?”
Emerging from his contemplation, Matias offered a measured smile.
“This appears to be quite a significant case. It will likely require your personal oversight. Other matters demand my attention, so I’ll take my leave.” He slipped one hand into his pocket and strode away, his footsteps echoing in the corridor.
His mind churned with the near-certainty that Corrine sat in that interrogation room.
The question of whether Nate knew about this development weighed heavily on his thoughts.
After careful deliberation, Matias resolved to return to the company immediately and inform Nate, knowing full well Wilbur’s reputation for unwavering strictness and absolute impartiality.
Within the station’s confines, interrogators methodically questioned each suspect. Corrine remained seated at the center, her wrists bound to the table by cold metal handcuffs
Wilbur’s entrance brought a chill to the room.
“Name, age, occupation!” he demanded, his voice sharp as steel.
Corrine responded to each query with composed precision.
“What brought you to the scene? Were you involved in illegal transactions? Did you transport those items?”
“To save someone. No, and no.” Corrine’s replies cut through the air with deliberate brevity.
Her detached demeanor ignited Wilbur’s fury. His fist crashed against the table.
“Young lady, you have a promising future ahead. Here’s some wisdom-better safe than sorry! Otherwise, you might spend your prime years behind prison walls!”
The day’s events struck Corrine as peculiar. Though the identity of the informant remained a mystery, she refused to dwell on such trivialities.
“Might I make a phone call?”
“You think this is a hotel?” Wilbur’s anger flared anew, his eyes blazing.
“Cooperate, or face the consequences!”
Corrine’s gaze drifted to the wall clock, her voice carrying practiced indifference.
“Whatever.”
Her thoughts wandered to Jules-surely the message had reached him by now, and he was en route.
In the neighboring interrogation room, perspiration soaked through Donnelly’s clothes. Panic gripped his mind as he wondered about the anonymous tipster.
This situation spelled disaster!
Carl’s reaction to Corrine’s predicament would be catastrophic. Donnelly dreaded the consequences. Even more terrifying were Jayden and Waldo, those seemingly kind men who transformed into fiercely protective uncles when it came to Corrine.
Their devotion knew no bounds when it came to her welfare. Would they lay siege to the police station upon discovering this?
Donnelly’s stomach churned-he had stumbled into a nightmare of his own making.
Matias burst into Nate’s office, his footsteps echoing with urgency.
He found Nate sitting behind his desk, those dark eyes radiating an intensity that seemed to pierce through everything they beheld, creating an almost palpable aura of danger around him.
The weight of Nate’s penetrating stare made Matias’ chest constrict, his fingers curling involuntarily into tight fists.
Drawing in a steadying breath against the oppressive atmosphere, he ventured cautiously, “Sir, I encountered Miss Holland at the police station.”
The mere mention of Miss Holland caused a subtle shift in Nate’s glacial demeanor. He set his pen down with deliberate care.
“Was this a professional visit?”
Matias observed the strange juxtaposition of calm and intensity in Nate’s bearing. Though tempted to make light of the situation, he recognized that anything concerning Corrine demanded absolute seriousness. The consequences of any misfortune befalling her at the station would be severe indeed.
“The complete picture remains unclear,” Matias continued, measuring his words carefully.
“However, I overheard the investigating officers mention Miss Holland’s possible involvement in illegal transactions, potentially connected to a case from three years past.”
Before he could elaborate further, Nate snatched his coat and strode from the office with purposeful determination, leaving Matias momentarily stunned into silence.
While he had always known of Nate’s particular regard for Corrine, the depth of his concern proved surprising. Considering Nate’s anxious departure, Matias allowed himself a small smile-perhaps this year’s bonus would see a substantial increase.
Meanwhile, at the police station, Corrine maintained an air of studied nonchalance, her legs crossed elegantly as she propped her chin on one hand, periodically glancing toward the wall clock.
Her demeanor suggested expectation, as if awaiting someone’s arrival. Her subtle movements did not go unnoticed by the watchful officers in the surveillance room.
“Are these the suspects you mentioned?” an officer asked when a graceful figure walked into the observation area.
Leah approached the one-way glass, her gaze settling on the handcuffed Corrine. She felt the pent-up frustration in her heart finally dissipate. Her gaze then shifted to the two men.
“Those two-I would know them anywhere, even reduced to ash!”
These were the very men who had sold her the counterfeit gem, leading to her humiliation before the Ashton family.
The officers exchanged meaningful glances at her confirmation.
“Miss Burgess, we appreciate your cooperation. You’re free to leave once the paperwork is complete,” an officer informed her.
“Leave?” Leah’s surprise quickly transformed into a practiced smile.
“But what about them? They defrauded me of over two million.”
Though the sum meant little to her personally, Leah refused to let the matter rest. She craved the sight of Corrine’s complete degradation, yearning to witness her rival’s shame as she was led away in chains.
“We will keep you informed of any developments,” the officer stated firmly.
“Please, Miss Burgess, follow me.”
Faced with the officer’s resolute stance, Leah had no choice but to comply. As she turned to leave, she cast a venomous glance at Corrine, her eyes glittering with malice like a serpent concealed in tall grass, ready to strike. Justice would prevail, she thought, and Corrine would soon taste the bitter draught of disgrace.
In the interrogation room, Corrine seemed to sense the hostile scrutiny. She raised her gaze toward Leah’s position, her expression impassive.
Her eyes held the biting chill of midwinter frost, radiating an arctic coldness that could freeze the blood in one’s veins.
In that brief moment of connection, Leah felt her heart constrict as if gripped by an invisible force, her breath catching in her throat. A flicker of primal fear crossed her features as she stammered, “Can she see…”
The officer dismissed Leah’s anxiety, attributing it to natural concerns about criminal retaliation.
“The glass is one-way, Miss Burgess. They cannot see you,” he assured her with practiced patience.
Relief washed over Leah’s tense features as she drew a steadying breath, following the officer toward the exit.
In their wake, Wilbur returned to the room, dropping a folder onto the table with barely contained frustration
“Have you reconsidered your position?”
“I’ve stated my case. Your disbelief doesn’t change the truth. What more can I add?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.