In the backseat of a Maybach, on the road.
"Fuck off! I will beat the crap out of all of you if you dare bother my sister!"
Roy couldn't help smirking as he rewatched the video of Karlene cursing at the reporters.
"Still as fearless as ever," Roy murmured, pausing the video and staring at the angry-looking Karlene on the screen.
It had been more than a decade since he last saw Karlene, and he couldn't believe how effortlessly she still commanded his attention. Looking at her fiery defiance played out on the screen before him, his pulse quickened, a subtle reminder of the lingering affection he held for her.
"Ha! Even after so many years… Haha! I must be crazy…" Roy chuckled.
"M-Mr. Roy, are you alright?" His assistant, Tom Murray, who was seated in the passenger seat, turned around to ask.
"You won't understand," Roy replied nonchalantly and continued to instruct. "I've just sent you a memo. Make sure the cyber team follows up with it."
"Yes, Mr. Roy." Tom immediately checked his email and his eyes widened in surprise upon reading the content.
He swallowed nervously and asked, "Are you sure about this, Mr. Roy? Shouldn't you inform the chairman or CEO before doing something like this? I mean… isn't this going against the Carters?"
"Don't fret. I'll inform them later. Just do as I said," Roy paused for a while before adding, "Also, contact KE Law Firm…"
KE Law Firm?
Tom was confused.
Why would his boss need a lawyer from the top law firm in the city when they already had their own legal department at the Lloyd Media Group?
Tom speculated that his boss might require a lawyer for personal matters, so he simply followed instructions and kept quiet. Instead, he asked, "Will you be attending the annual board meeting later?"
"No."
"As expected…" Tom thought. He had long stopped expecting his boss to be diligent at work.
"There's somewhere I need to go," Roy added, his eyes not leaving the tablet.
"May I know where you will be heading?" Tom asked curiously. He couldn't imagine a place more important than the company's annual board meeting.
"The police station."
…
At the Capital Police Station
"When will you be releasing my sister? She has been in there since morning," Shuri asked the officer at the counter.
"Miss Lee, your sister is currently in the interrogation room. The other investigators will be handling her cases. I won't know when she'd be out," the officer at the front desk replied. "But just so you know, she might be detained for 48 hours. I suggest you go home and wait."
"She didn't harm anyone on purpose, so why are you detaining her?"
While trying to protect Shuri, Karlene had knocked down a few cameras and reporters, resulting in her arrest a moment later. Shuri had been waiting at the station lobby all the while, and all her requests and questions had been denied by the front desk.
Feeling exhausted, Shuri sat back down in the waiting area, contemplating whether to enlist the help of a lawyer. As she picked up her phone to search for a reliable law firm, she noticed the many missed calls and messages from Noran.
It had been hours since the reporters caused a commotion in front of their café, sparking discussions both online and offline. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that Noran had learned about it.
"He must be worried," Shuri thought as she opened his messages.
"Rin, I didn't cheat on you. That night, Miss Carter set me up… I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't keep this from you. I thought I could handle this on my own without making you worry… I'm sorry."
"Are you alright, Rin? You don't look so good. Did those bastards hurt you? I'm sorry, I should have been there to protect you."
"Rin, I'll be flying back soon. I'll make sure to settle everything once I'm back. You don't have to worry. I won't let anyone bother you again. Please wait for me."
His messages were filled with anxiety and remorse.
Shuri knew Noran had been blaming himself for everything that had happened so far.
"It's not even your fault, silly…" Shuri murmured.
Shuri thought that while Noran was a genius in whatever he did, he became a fool when it came to love. Like how he gave up everything just to be with her, how he tried so hard to give her a better life, and now, despite being the victim, he's apologizing to her.
How silly…
Shuri was about to return Noran's call when someone approached her.
"Are you Karlene Lee's sister, Shuri Lee?"
Shuri looked up and saw a tall middle-aged officer standing before her.
"Yes." Shuri immediately stood up to face the officer. "Can I bring my sister home now?"
The officer crossed his arms as he looked down at Shuri. "I'm David Stern, the senior investigator in charge of your sister's case. We are pressing three charges against your sister for vandalism of cameras, assault on reporters, and causing bodily harm to Miss Sophia Carter. So, we can't release her."
Shuri looked suspiciously at David when she noticed the bad vibe around him. She took out her phone. "I'll call a lawyer."
David smirked. "Don't bother. No one in New Valley will want to defend your sister."
Shuri grew silent and simply stared at David.
He didn't know why, but her gaze sent a chill down his spine.
"What are you looking at?!' David snapped.
"So, Miss Carter bribed all of you," Shuri spoke as if she was stating the fact.
David widened his eyes in surprise but he quickly feign ignorance, pointing his finger at Shuri and shouting, "Are you accusing me, a senior investigator, of committing bribery? Without evidence, I can arrest you for false allegations against a police officer!"
"A hundred thousand dollars to bank account 08346642," Shuri stated calmly.
David took a step back in shock. "Ho-how the fuck...?"
How did she know?
Not only the bribery amount but his account number?
"You!" David clutched his fist and pulled out his handcuff. "I'm going to arrest you right now!"
"On what basis are you arresting her?"