She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 523

Dressed in a sharp black suit, his tall, imposing figure exuding an undeniable aura of authority, Lucian Shapiro strode into the room. His strikingly handsome, chiseled features immediately drew every eye in the hall.

He walked through the parted crowd, ascending to the second-floor terrace to stand right beside Loyce. His timing was absolutely flawless.

He didn't need a microphone; his deep, resonant voice effortlessly projected across the entire space. "I am Admiral Lucian Shapiro of the Naval High Command. This was a classified joint operation between myself and Ms. Lonsdale. Furthermore, the individuals taken from Yavon County were not abducted by her; they were apprehended by my subordinates. This was an authorized military sting. Your interpretation of the events is absurdly misguided."

The young heirs and socialites in the crowd stared in wide-eyed shock.

The Metropia police officer who had questioned Loyce turned deathly pale, sweat beading on his temples. The colleagues behind him visibly panicked. They had simply received an inter-departmental request for assistance from a county jurisdiction and were here to follow standard procedure for an inquiry.

They hadn't received a single memo about a classified military investigation.

Hank sneered, glaring daggers at the terrified cops below. "So you came here to arrest my sister without even verifying the facts? And you just magically decided to do it at this exact moment? Seems to me like you're acting on someone else's orders."

Hank's accusation cut like a knife, exposing the most embarrassing reality—they had been used as pawns.

"N-no, sir! Admiral, this is an absolute misunderstanding!" The lead Metropia officer snapped into a perfect salute, his voice trembling. "We... we simply received a formal report and a request for cooperation from Yavon County. We were following protocol! We were not acting on anyone's orders! We will verify this with our superiors immediately!"

As he spoke, he shot a vicious glare at the now visibly terrified Yarden, cursing him internally.

This small-town idiot had dragged them into a high-stakes power struggle between the military and the elite. It was professional suicide!

Lucian's gaze swept over them coldly, not bothering to press the issue, though his sheer presence made the officers feel as though there were knives at their backs. "Verification is your duty. However, given the classified nature of our operation and the need to protect our witnesses, Yavon County Executive Yarden is now a prime suspect in this case. He will be taken into military custody immediately. You may assist in maintaining order, but you are barred from interfering in the core investigation."

Yarden, who had boldly crashed the gala on Alicia's orders, had never expected the military to be involved! He thought this was just petty corporate warfare! How was he suddenly the one going down?!

He frantically shouted, "How am I a prime suspect?! I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Is that so?" Lucian's lips curved into a cold smile. "Because I received a report stating that you facilitated a massive human trafficking ring within your own jurisdiction."

Yarden, confident he had covered his tracks perfectly, swore vehemently. "I would never cover up such heinous crimes! But let me remind you, Admiral, among the people you 'apprehended' are the elderly, children, and a severely mentally ill woman. You cannot use force to coerce confessions for crimes they didn't commit!"

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