The police chief welcomed Laila into his office with a friendly smile, though no one could tell that his heart was filled with bitterness, thinking, "Oh no, trouble."
God only knew how much he wished he could return to his warm home, where even his usually noisy children seemed as cute as angels. But he couldn't! Even if he could push those two idiots out to face the consequences they deserved, he couldn't do it.
Firstly, those two idiots' foolishness had reached absurd levels, and forcing them to apologize might make things worse. Secondly, he understood that if he didn't step up now, the people below would have significant grievances against him for not protecting his subordinates effectively. There's a saying, "When unity is lost, the team is hard to lead."
Even though the mess was created by his subordinates, and even though he could send the troublemakers to Siberia to lick ice after this was over, he still had to fulfill his duty and resolve the situation.
Thinking about the reporters he had seen outside just moments ago and what had happened in front of him, he sighed deeply, with tears welling up in his eyes.
"Director Moran, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a private conversation with you," he said to Laila, but his gaze shifted towards Walton.
He had made the same mistake as others, assuming that Laila was too young and innocent to handle the situation without the "troublemaking" lawyer present. It wasn't surprising, as they usually dealt more with lawyers, and those interactions were rarely pleasant.
Walton, however, didn't mind at all. He knew Laila's capabilities well and had no concerns about her being swayed by the other side. Laila was also eager to hear what insights the police chief had, so she readily agreed to his condition, allowing Walton to go outside and help resolve Aiden's and the others' issues.
After Walton left, the police chief breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Laila was accommodating. If she had insisted on having the lawyer stay, he would have had no choice.
"Director Moran..." he began but was promptly interrupted.
"Please, call me Laila," she insisted.
The words he had mustered the courage to say were cut off, leaving the police chief feeling deflated. However, looking at her smiling face, he forced a smile himself and summoned the remaining shreds of his courage.
Little did he know that Laila was using her linguistic artistry to take control of the conversation.
"Alright, Laila," he cleared his throat, "regarding today's events, our people acted improperly. I want to extend my sincerest apologies to you for the grievance you've suffered."
Laila blinked as if not understanding his words, "Where did your people go wrong?"
The police chief opened his mouth to explain, but he was stifled once again. He could see that she was feigning ignorance, likely because she was upset.
He could empathize. If he were in her shoes, he'd probably be even more upset. He might even have torn the entire police station apart. The fact that this young woman in her early twenties could maintain a smile was remarkable, and it was no wonder people outside called her the last lady of America.
"In reality," even though he knew she was playing dumb, he had to continue speaking. After all, he couldn't tell her the truth. "Our people were too negligent, allowing unrelated individuals like Victor to enter the interrogation room and harass you. This matter is truly grave, and we will take punitive action against those responsible. I am deeply sorry for the grievances you've experienced."
Laila chuckled lightly, but there was no humor in her smile. Her ice-blue eyes remained cold, and few could withstand her direct gaze when she was determined.
Even the police chief couldn't hold his gaze and looked away first.
It was a subconscious action, and when he realized what he had done, his expression soured. Only guilty people would exhibit such embarrassing behavior. What infuriated him even more was that he had been made to feel guilty by a young girl!
He remained silent for a while, unsure of what to say. If he insisted on the explanation of "negligence" now, not only would the other party not believe it, but he would also lose face.
However, if he didn't explain it this way, could he tell the truth? Could he admit that his two subordinates had used their limited power to make a quick buck? He did not doubt that if he did, the whole story would be on the front page of every newspaper in the United States, especially the media owned by the Moran Group...
"Laila, alas..." He sighed deeply. He who was not yet fifty years old suddenly felt like he had grown old instantly. "I know you have been wronged today. If there is anything we can compensate for, please let us do our part."
If it were not Laila Moran, just an ordinary person, even a Hollywood director, he could use various methods to solve the problem. Even his usual poker friends can help him talk. The worst-case scenario is to pay another sum of money or provide some facilities to silence the other party and allow both parties to resolve the issue peacefully.
But it happened to be Laila Moran. She is rich, powerful, and has everything that others can envy but not have. She has tens of millions of fans, and people who follow her all over the world. As long as she says that the people in this police station are idiots, I believe it won't be long before people all over the world believe that they are indeed idiots, and the United States will It took such an idiot to protect the safety of this place.
"Oh no, trouble!" the police chief roared inwardly. Why did he have such a bleak life? He could even imagine that when this brilliant director writes her autobiography in the future, he, the foolish chief who helped his foolish subordinates, would become synonymous with a joke, passed down through generations.
Perhaps he would even be portrayed in a movie... or worse, turned into a statue to be mocked by people... Maybe even his children and his grandchildren would lead miserable lives under the ridicule of others...
Laila only saw that the police chief's expression was getting worse and had no idea that his thoughts had reached decades into the future. As for writing an autobiography or making movies, she hadn't thought that far ahead.