The woman’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What? When did I ever give the order to arrest Es and Mr. Ray?" Her tone was laced with incredulity.
Katrina’s face flushed with embarrassnt as the weight of her own lie crashed down on her. She had been so confident, so sure that she could manipulate the situation in her favor, but now she stood exposed. The head officer’s words rang in her ears, and she realized she had miscalculated terribly. The authority she thought she had was crumbling before her eyes.
Ray crossed his arms, the tension in the room palpable as he watched the scene unfold. Es, standing beside him, couldn’t help but smirk as the officer’s arrival slowly dismantled Katrina’s claims. It seed the woman who had co to back up Katrina had beco her worst nightmare instead.
Katrina’s face tightened, her sharp jaw clenching as she inhaled deeply. Praise had always been her fuel, her armor. She was the prodigy, the golden officer, and she refused to crumble in the face of doubt. Straightening her posture, she t the head officer’s piercing gaze.
"Ma’am," she began, her voice unwavering despite the storm brewing inside her, "there is no mistake here. About half a month ago, we responded to a fire reported at this residence. Mr. Jay, one of Ms. Es’s husbands, called to inform us that their eldest husband, Mr. Ray, had perished in the fire. The body was charred beyond recognition, and the postmortem confird the victim was male. At that ti, only Ms. Es, her husbands, and a handful of servants were present in the house.
"Furthermore," Katrina pressed on, her eyes narrowing at Es, "there were credible reports of severe conflict between Ms. Es and Mr. Ray shortly before the incident. This conflict allegedly caused a miscarriage. Coupled with our investigation, the evidence strongly implicates Ms. Es in this heinous act."
A sharp scoff interrupted her montum, and every head turned toward Ray. His dark eyes burned with indignation as he crossed his arms, a faint smirk playing at his lips. "Credible reports?" he echoed mockingly, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Officer Katrina, do you even hear yourself?"
Katrina shot him a glare, her frustration barely concealed. "Mr. Ray, this is not—"
Ray raised a hand to silence her, stepping forward with an imposing aura. "No, let clarify sothing for you," he said, his voice steady and biting. "First, you accuse my wife of killing . Then, you throw around the word ’miscarriage,’ as if it’s a casual event. Have you ever seen a ’miscarriage’ leave a belly round and full of life? Are you cursing my child?" His words hit like a thunderclap, silencing even the murmurs among the other officers.
Katrina’s knuckles whitened as she clenched her fists, anger flickering in her eyes. "Mr. Ray, no one is questioning the child. What I’m questioning is the fact that a man died here. Burned alive. Evidence—"
"Evidence?!" Ray barked, his laugh cold and humorless. "What evidence? First, you say my wife killed . Then you accuse her of so tragedy with our child. Now you’re pinning a murder on her? You’re spinning tales, Officer Katrina, and I’m done entertaining them."
He turned, shaking his head with an air of finality before fixing her with a glare that could freeze fire. "Show the report. The FIR. Where is this so-called evidence of yours?"
The silence in the room was deafening, the kind that pressed against your chest and made it hard to breathe. Every officer in the room froze, their eyes darting toward Katrina like moths drawn to a fla. It wasn’t just confusion that painted their faces—it was fear. Not fear of Katrina, though she was intimidating enough, but fear of what was about to unravel.
For years, they had blindly followed her orders. Who wouldn’t? Katrina wasn’t just their senior; she was untouchable. The daughter of one of the highest-ranking officials, she carried her power like a loaded weapon, and no one dared question her authority. They assud she had everything under control—the reports, the FIR, the entire investigation.
But now, doubt hung in the air like a guillotine blade waiting to drop.
Katrina’s fingers twitched as she clenched her fists, forcing herself to remain composed. Her gaze snapped to Ray, the man standing before her with a calmness that was maddening. She hated this family with every fiber of her being, but Ray? Ray was a special breed of irritation. He was supposed to be dead, buried and forgotten, yet here he was, alive, audacious, and staring her down.
This family was insane.
She wanted to scream, to lash out, to remind him of who he was dealing with, but the presence of her superior behind her stayed her hand. She couldn’t afford to lose control—not now. Drawing a deep breath, she forced her voice into a semblance of calm authority.
"Of course, Mr. Ray," she said, her tone clipped, professional. "We have the report."
Ray’s lips twitched, the ghost of a smile playing at the corners. "Oh, is that so?" he said, his voice as calm as still water. "Then show it to ."
Katrina’s jaw tightened. Without turning her head, she snapped, "Kiara, bring the report."
Kiara, standing in the shadow of the room, looked as though she wanted to disappear into the walls. Her hands fidgeted nervously, and her voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke. "W-what report, ma’am?"
The room collectively held its breath.
Katrina’s head whipped around, her eyes narrowing into slits as she stared at Kiara. "The FIR," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "The one against Ms. Es. The one her husband filed. Bring it. Now."
Kiara swallowed hard, her gaze darting to the floor. "Ma’am... what kind of report are you talking about?"
The crack in Katrina’s mask was instantaneous. Her expression twisted into fury, her voice rising. "What the hell are you saying? The report that was filed! Are you ssing with right now?"
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