Chapter 10 : Always Keep It Professional

Mafia's Nemesis***

༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶPolice HQ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

Breanna sat at her desk, her focus dividend by the stack of documents and CCTV footage she has been replaying repeatedly.

Fatigue gnawed at the edges of her focus, but she refused to yield to exhaustion, due to the grainy surveillance image of Antonio stepping out of a Bentley car, at the same alley where the victim had been found.

Though there was no direct surveillance that covered the crime scene.

But the footage from the parking garage showed a man lead a foreign woman into the car— which after some minutes, another man joined them, but his back was the only visible thing.

She zoomed in and out a couple of times and sighed, even though it was the back she saw—she was damn sure it was Antonio's, because she knows Antonio even without seeing his face.

Finally she reached for the roll of red string and stretched it across the board, connecting Antonio’s name to the crime scene.

Beside it, she pinned a message clipping from Morgan's diary—a drug case from Antonio's Casino that had gone cold.

"Sophia!," she called, her voice steady but low.

Her aide responded promptly, stepping inside.

"Yes ma’am?"

"Organize these documents into a folder and send me a copy," Breanna instructed, handing over the paperwork.

Sophia hesitated.

"Ma’am, you should get some rest. You’re showing signs of fatigue."

Breanna dismissed the concern with another instruction.

"I sent you a picture. Find that woman. Also, check the plate number with the V.I.O. —I need to know who it was assigned to."

"Understood," Sophia replied.

A few minutes later, She returned, her voice jolting Breanna back to reality.

"Ma'am ?" Sophia called.

"Any news?"

"Yes—I ran the image through the system, and cross-referenced it with Heathrow Airport records."

Breanna straightened.

"Go ahead."

"Her name is Nevena Bachvarov, a Bulgarian national on a tourist visa. She’s currently staying at 4A New Oak Guest House, Drench Lane, New Mexico."

A glimmer of satisfaction crossed Breanna’s face as Sophia briefed the update, exuding an aura of professionalism.

"Great work girl. Let’s move."

After some few minutes~>>>>>{At Nevena's guest house}

Breanna killed the engine and they approached the entrance.

Sophia took the initiative and rang the doorbell continuously—but there was no response.

"I don't think she's home", Sophia declared, turning disappointedly to Breanna.

"Wait." Breanna's gaze sharpened.

She scrutinized the lock closely. The subtle scratches and misalignment told a clear story.

"Someone tampered with the lock," she observed, exhaling sharply.

She pulled on her gloves and nudged the door open—they were welcomed by an eerily silence.

"Stay close and don’t touch anything," Breanna cautioned, holding her service revolver defensively.

"Understood," Sophia affirmed, falling in step beside her.

A notification buzzed on Sophia’s phone, breaking the silence. She checked the message.

"Ma’am, I just received the V.I.O report on the plate number."

The rejuvenated energy that came with the announcement was undeniable.

"And?" Breanna asked, her attention unwavering.

Sophia frowned. "The registration details are incomplete—but the bank card used is linked to the Hunts Corporation".

"What the f*ck?" Breanna’s expression hardened. "Antonio Hunts again ?".

"I didn't say Mr. Hunts, rather his Corporation", Sophia corrected.

"Sophia!" Breanna called in a malicious tone, strapping her revolver back to its hostler.

"The evidence in the V.I.O system may have been altered with—we just need to escalate this."

"But Ma'am, we can't jus—"

"Sweetheart! Let’s head somewhere", Breanna interrupted, swaying away from the room.

“Ma'am where are we off to ?” Sophia asked , half-running to catch up with Breanna.

"To Antonio of course"

"But Ma'am, we can't just go there without an official permit".

“Who's gonna inform HQ?", Breanna winked, throwing the keys to Sophia. "You drive—I need to rest a little".

Sophia was left in utter shock, she however caught the keys and sat behind the wheels.

"Why do you suddenly want to rebel against HQ?" Sophia asked, starting the engine.

Breanna pulled away her jacket and reclined her passenger seat—laying back slightly.

"There are three ways to do things, the right way, the wrong way, and the way that I do it".

“Ma'am, are you sure you can handle it—An inquiry might be issued against you if this gets busted?”

"Whatever!" Breanna yawned and laid back fully, yanking her jacket over her face. "Wake me up when we reach".

"Sure thing." Sophia affirmed.

~~

The moment She turned onto the road leading to Anthony’s residence, the mansion’s security system activated, triggering a blaring alarm.

With Blade's 'Antonio' absence, security had been heightened to its maximum level.

The guards—with Grinch in the lead, sprang into action, taking defensive positions as they spotted the approaching police truck from the camera.

From the balcony, Nevena observed the commotion, uncertain of the alarm’s significance.

However, she noticed the guards moving with coordinated precision, their postures tense with skepticism.

“Ma’am, identify yourself,” the lead security guard demanded as Sophia pulled up at the gate.

“Detective Sophia Kendrick, law enforcement,” she replied, retrieving her identification from her wallet.

The role reversal felt unusual—she was accustomed to verifying others, not the other way around.

The guard scanned her credentials and relayed the verification to Grinch, awaiting his response.

"Do you have an appointment with the Boss?" The man asked after a momentary silence.

"No—just police routine inquiry".

"Does Headquarters know that you're here?", The man asked suspiciously.

"Uh... yes—yes. It's an official order." Sophia stuttered, shooting a glance at Breanna, who remained unfazed.

"So where's the permit?"

Sophia fumbled for a while in her jacket before exhaling sharply.

"I—I must've left it in a hurry."

Grinding his molars against each other, the man silently lifted his phone, snapping pictures of her.

"Hey! You can't do that without my permission," Sophia protested, raising a hand to shield her face. "This is harassment!"

"It's just our routine protocol", the man sneered.

Sophia gritted her jaw as the guard snapped another picture, her irritation spilling over.

She had dealt with uncooperative suspects before, but being treated like one was a whole new level of frustration.

Breanna, still seated in the passenger seat, remained utterly composed, snoring while Sophia squirmed under the scrutiny.

It wasn’t until when it was evident that the guards wouldn’t budge did she sigh, yanking away her jacket from her face.

“That’s enough.” Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable steel.

“Go tell Antonio to open the gate.” she ordered, blinking away the tiredness in her eyes.

The lead guard, still skeptical, narrowed his eyes. “And who the fuck are you?”

“Someone your boss wouldn’t want you delaying.”

There was brief pause as the guards exchanged glances,

"One minute, we are still waiting for verification" the lead guard murmured, placing the phone to his ear.

Unable to reach Grinch, he reluctantly lowered his phone. "The Boss isn't home, come by next time".

“I see,” she murmured, finally stepping out of the car.

The guards tensed instantly, hands hovering over their holsters and Tasers .

“Don’t move!” one of them barked, but Breanna ignored him.

With deliberate steps, she approached a lamp stand by the extreme of the gate.

“I said, step back.” The lead guard took a slow, deliberate step forward, his voice harsher now. “Or I will light you up.”

Breanna turned her head slightly, gaze flicking over the Tasers and barrel of the rifle aimed at her chest.

“Go ahead.”

The audacity of that statement left the air charged.

Sophia’s pulse pounded in her ears, she had always known Breanna was bold, maybe even reckless. But this? This was something else.

"Ma'am, please step back". She called out as another guard unhooked his shock baton, its tip crackling with electric menace.

But Breanna continued to the lamp stand—stopping just before it. Then with an effortless confidence—she spoke.

“Brain Box—open the gate,” she said smoothly, her eyes locking onto the lens which the guards aren't even aware of.

Meanwhile Grinch was speaking with their inside man in the HQ when he spotted Breanna in front of the lamp stand lens.

A flicker of recognition flashed in his eyes and he immediately opened the gate.

Right outside the gate, a loud buzz echoed and the gate's magnetic locks clicked open.

A visible ripple of shock passed through the guards. Even the one gripping the Taser hesitated, his thumb twitching over the activation switch.

Breanna exhaled slowly, turning back to face the stunned guards— as if she had never once considered the possibility of them actually attacking her.

"I thought you said Antonio wasn't home".

The guards confused expressions were all the satisfaction she needed as she stepped forward, Sophia driving behind her.

For the first time since she had worked with Breanna, Sophia wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved—Or terrified.

Inside, Sophia parked and was directed to pass through a narrow security screening booth.

Once cleared, she was ushered to a waiting golf cart that transported her further into the estate.

Meanwhile Breanna had gone further into the Estate since she refused to go through the process.

As the main residence came into view, Sophia momentarily paused, taken aback by its grandeur.

“Impressive,” she murmured.

The mansion was an architectural masterpiece—massive columns, sweeping staircases, and extensive balconies overlooking the vast estate.

When compared to other sleek and sophisticated mansions on the street—this one exuded sheer opulence.

Her gaze shifted upward, landing on a familiar figure—Nevena Bachvarov, standing on the balcony above.

“Hi, Miss Nevena,” Sophia greeted, offering a polite wave.

Nevena hesitated before reciprocating the gesture, though uncertainty lingered in her expression.

Meanwhile Grinch opened the front door himself, his eyes scrutinizing Breanna's figure.

She appeared tougher than the last time he saw her.

"Remind me Antonio's net worth", Breanna croaked rhetorically, walking into the house.

"Is he suddenly giving life a chance by deploying so many security measures?". She scorned.

"You never can tell, every man has his preferences", Grinch throated, trailing after her.

"So tell me—what's the purpose of your visit ?”

Breanna snubbed his question and maneuvered through the extensive hallway and guards, straight to Antonio's room.

Yanking it open—it was empty. "Where is Antonio?"

Grinch whistled away, resting his back on the wall.

“Right, of course,” Breanna said, adjusting her jacket as if searching for something. "You're still cheeky—even after all these years".

She pulled out her official identification badge and flashed it before Grinch. "Shall we get down to business?"

For a moment, Breanna thought she saw a proud smile on Grinch's face but then, he furrowed his brow.

“What do you want?” his gruff voice demanded.

“I need to speak to Mr Antonio Hunt.”

Grinch crossed his arms, his demeanor composed.

“Mr Hunt is currently away on business. Is there an issue?” Grinch inquired, his voice neutral.

“Nothing urgent, merely a routine inquiry,” Breanna responded, though a hint of disbelief crept into her tone.

“Routine inquiry ?—I can answer on his behalf,” Grinch offered.

“I appreciate that, but I prefer to speak with him directly". Breanna snapped at him.

"Then—you need to come back some other time" Grinch shot back at her.

"I sure will—I'm not letting him off easily". Breanna assured him with an irked expression.

Meanwhile outside, Sophia sweetly asked Nevena to come downstairs.

"Hello Miss!", Nevena greeted in her Bulgarian accent, stopping before Sophia.

“Ahh—before we begin, would you mind taking me a few photographs? This estate is quite remarkable.”

"You must be a Social Media freak", Nevena remarked.

"You can say that again", Sophia giggled, pulling out her phone.

"Moreover—my work doesn't allow me to see a place of this caliber every day,” she added innocently, extending her phone toward Nevena.

Nevena grinned before taking the phone—snapping a few shots to the amusement of the guards.

"Placing pleasure over work—quite unprofessional for a detective". Grinch sneered, spotting Sophia.

Breanna’s posture shifted subtly. “Don't speak in riddles—I always place my work above everything”

“Do you get to say the same thing about your department's Slay Shamus?,” Grinch clarified, tilting his chin toward the fountain.

"Fuck!" Breanna spat, taking long strides towards Sophia.

"What do you think you are doing?" Her irritated voice cut through their photo section.

Sophia immediately straightened, snatching her phone away from Nevena. “Thanks for the pictures".

Breanna stretched out her palm and Sophia handed the phone to her. Without warning—she tosses the phone into the fountain.

"Always keep it professional". She hedged to dumbstruck Sophia, before turning to Nevena.

"That was wrong", Nevena rasped out, staring as the phone sank to the floor of the fountain. "She's an adult—not some teenager".

"I don't need your opinion on what's wrong or right ?", Breanna huffed. "You're coming with us to the station".

"Shamus {Detective}, she's a guest of my Boss—You can't take her without a warrant". Grinch expressed his dissatisfaction.

"An ongoing case requires that she accompanies us to the station,” Sophia reiterated on behalf of Breanna. "For questioning".

"I'm sorry but you can't take her in Antonio's absence". Grinch maintained.

"If she's really important to him, he should come take her once he returns". Breanna smirked. "Sophia—bring her along".