Chapter 688

Debra came straight to the point. “Since Mr. Hardy is aware of the situation, please take me to see Michael.”

The officer nodded, jumping to his feet. “Of course, everything’s ready. Right this way, Ms. Frazier.” He led her through a maze of corridors until they reached the interrogation room. Michael had been locked up for days. His once clean-shaven face was covered with rough stubble, and dark circles hung beneath his eyes.

The moment he saw Debra enter, he shot to his feet. The guards at the door stepped forward, ready to intervene if necessary.

“Ms. Frazier, you can speak with him here,” the officer said. “We’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

Debra said calmly, “No need. I’m here to take him with me.”

The officer stammered, “Uh, that’s not something we can authorize.”

Debra sharply glanced at them. “Michael is an artist under the McKinney Group. Our lawyers have been negotiating with you for days. If he assaulted someone, we’ll pay damages. But you’ve kept him here this long. Surely, you’ve uncovered something by now.”

Michael, unable to contain his frustration, interjected, “I didn’t hit anyone.”

Debra’s gaze darkened as she turned back to the officer. “If he didn’t lay a hand on anyone, what right do you have to keep him locked up like this?”

The officer’s voice faltered. “Well, the evidence isn’t conclusive, and the victim is refusing to settle.”

Debra demanded, “Oh? And who is this so-called victim? I’d love to see who dares to extort our artists.”

The officer broke into a nervous sweat. He now understood why Pedro had conveniently disappeared, leaving him to handle this volatile situation. Dealing with Debra was like walking through a minefield.

“How about this? You bring the victim here, and I’ll talk to them personally. If they relent, you can release Michael, right?”

“Well…” The officer still looked troubled. When Michael was brought in, Pedro had already instructed them to get to the bottom of it. But the other victim refused to relent. He didn’t believe Debra could change anything. At most, she could offer a large sum of compensation.

“What’s the matter? Can’t even do this? Mr. Hardy should have told you that I’m not an easy person to deal with. I’ve given you a way out. If you don’t take it, I just take Michael away,” Debra pressed.

The officer finally gave in. “Alright, I’ll bring the victim over.”

“Good, I’ll wait here,” Debra said, sitting down in the chair. “But I have limited time. If the person isn’t here in half an hour, I’ll take Michael and leave.”

“I’ll personally bring them over,” replied the officer, instructing the guards to keep an eye on the interrogation room.

After he left, Debra asked Michael, “What exactly happened?”

He replied, “I heard you had an incident on the island, so I canceled all my work for the day. As soon as I left the studio, someone bumped into me head-on. She fell to the ground, crying and shouting that I had hit her. The crowd around started to jeer, and I don’t know who called the police, but they arrived very quickly.”

Chapter 600