LOGINShe wanted to know how things had spiraled into this mess, but realized she had no way of finding out.The correctional officer also realized that the situation was turning against him."Commissioner Warren, I'm innocent in all of this."Without hesitation, he threw himself onto Galton's side."Commissioner Warren, I'm telling the truth. I was forced into it by Tessa. If she hadn't threatened me, I never would have done something like this."I know the department has rules and regulations, and I understand my responsibilities. None of this was my choice."Hearing those words, Tessa's eyes widened in disbelief."Are you serious?""Of course, I am. You're the one who got me into this mess."The officer no longer looked anything like the man who had eagerly followed Tessa's instructions before.Now he looked like someone trying to shift all the blame onto someone else before anyone could point a finger at him.Tessa finally saw him for what he really was.She had been far too naïve."Alri
Other than Lucas, no one could order him around that easily.Besides, if just anyone could tell him what to do, then what was the point of him being Commissioner?Even now, no one had bothered to tell him what was actually going on.That was exactly what Galton found unacceptable. He couldn't understand why everyone was still dragging their feet.His gaze swept across the room.The next moment, Dolly's impatient voice rang out."Enough, Commissioner Warren. Since none of them are willing to tell you the truth, I'll do it myself."The moment those words left her mouth, Tessa's heart leapt into her throat.She hadn't expected Dolly to still be so determined to pursue the matter."Fine. Then tell me exactly what's going on."Galton had already run out of patience.At this point, he simply wanted someone capable of giving him a straight answer. If someone was willing to speak, he was more than willing to listen.Dolly let out a cold snort and shot Tessa a threatening look.Since Tessa had
Was this some kind of joke?Tessa felt as though the world kept getting darker by the second. She was beginning to realize that things were far more complicated than she'd imagined.Everything that happened today seemed to be working against her.Not only had every one of her plans fallen apart, but she still had no idea where that letter had ended up.And now Galton had shown up as well.The happiest person in the room, however, was Dolly.She heard plenty about Galton's reputation. He carried considerable authority within the department, and people respected his judgment.That was exactly why she had wanted to speak with him from the beginning. As far as she was concerned, there was no point talking to the warden, Tessa, or anyone else anymore.None of them had gotten anywhere.Besides, she often felt that the warden's words couldn't be trusted. He was always weighing his own interests before making a decision.For a long time, she wanted Galton brought in.Now the opportunity arrive
Because she knew that, at this point, the warden was merely trying to intimidate them."We're not the ones making a spectacle of ourselves. The real issue is that you refuse to bring Commissioner Warren in. This isn't about whether the matter is big or small, it's about whether you're willing to do your job."As she spoke, Dolly fixed Tessa with an icy stare."So, when exactly are you planning to hand over that note?"If you don't, we'll stay right here and keep this deadlock going."Those words made Tessa stiffen.She hadn't expected them to still be hung up on that.So much time had already passed that she'd assumed everyone had forgotten about it.But things were nowhere near that simple. Not only had no one forgotten, they were still talking about it.Tessa took a deep breath and found these people unbelievably difficult to deal with. Why couldn't they just let it go after all this time?"Did you hear her, Tessa?" the warden snapped. "Are you handing over the note or not?"The last
Otherwise, the warden would never learn what fear felt like.Dolly fixed the warden with an unblinking stare.Sometimes, people were like springs. Strength was met with strength, while weakness only invited more pressure.After dealing with people like this for so long, Dolly had already figured out the pattern.At times like these, the only option was to stand firm and act confidently. She could never let the other side see any fear.Otherwise, they would only keep bullying her more and more.Because Dolly understood this, she decided to target the warden's weakness. Otherwise, he would do nothing but stall and argue instead of actually resolving the issue."Sir, now that you understand how serious this matter is, I think we should bring Commissioner Warren over and hear what he has to say."This kind of matter isn't something we can decide on our own, is it?"There was both warning and probing in Dolly's eyes.Seeing her like this, the warden suddenly felt uneasy.He realized that th
He also felt that the way he handled things today wasn't entirely by the book.But his authority had been challenged repeatedly throughout the day, and that didn't sit well with him.He worked in this prison for years and had dealt with Dolly more times than he could count. Yet ever since Tessa arrived, everything seemed to have changed.Thinking about it now, the warden was beginning to grow dissatisfied with Tessa as well.He already had more than enough problems to deal with every day. The last thing he needed was inmates creating even more trouble for him.Anyone in his position would be frustrated.As it stood, the warden had developed quite a few grievances against Tessa. On top of that, his superiors had already made it clear that there was no need to treat her differently because of her former status as some wealthy young lady.As a result, his tone became noticeably more direct."Now that I think about it, you do have a point."The warden turned an impatient look toward Tessa
No matter how busy the director was, he always answered her calls or at least replied shortly after to say he was occupied.He had never left her hanging like this while clearly in his office.As that thought settled in, Aurora’s unease continued to grow.She instinctively turned to look at Lucas.L
Lina’s thoughts fell into complete chaos.With everyone raising their arms and shouting, how could she not be afraid?The scene felt like a full-blown uprising.Was this the moment the oppressed finally rose up?…Meanwhile, Aurora lifted her hand and knocked on the door of the director’s office.Sh
But he kept pressing, “Yvonne, why aren’t you saying anything? I’m asking you—was it really like that?”Edwin pressed her again and again.Over the phone, his anxious voice came through clearly.Even without seeing him, she could tell how desperate he was.Seeing that there was no way to hide it any
But now, Aurora had truly met a man whose eyes and heart held only her.That man was Lucas.Lucas’ devotion to her went far beyond what she had ever imagined.“Don’t do this. We came today to talk business,” Aurora said softly.Seeing that Jason was fine, Aurora finally felt at ease.She also did no







