CHAPTER 22: TEMPORARY MISSION COMPLETED!

Tennyson’s expression hardened immediately, his polite mask slipping into irritation. He turned to the officer with a falsely apologetic tone.

"Ms. Erisia, you shouldn’t say things like that." He forced a laugh that sounded more like a grind of teeth. "I’m sorry for the disturbance, Officer. But Ms. Erisia Wrenford doesn’t know what she’s talking about, so please don’t mind her hysterics. I had just begun interrogating the driver, and he started asking for things. Naturally, I rejected him. He became agitated, and unfortunately, that upset Ms. Erisia. Please, let me continue without interruptions."

The officer shifted uneasily, clearly unsure how much weight to give to Tennyson’s words. He opened his mouth to respond—

But Erisia’s voice broke over him, raw and jagged, every syllable dripping with anguish.

"He’s lying. He’s fucking lying!" She gasped, clutching her chest as if her ribs would shatter with the force of it. "I knew it—I knew no one in my family had ever loved me. They hate me, even though I’m their blood, their daughter. I almost died—do you understand? A car came for me, and instead of fighting for me, my family sent him to silence it! To bury me like I was nothing!"

The driver shifted in his seat, suddenly less defiant and more unsettled, eyes darting nervously to the officer.

The officer finally raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Ms. Erisia, please—calm down. It’s alright, we’ll take care of this matter." His gaze hardened as it slid toward Tennyson. "Mr. Emerson, I think—"

Sobbing softly, Erisia cut him off, her voice trembling but purposeful. "Officer, there are CCTV cameras in this interrogation room, right? We can check them. We can see if he was really just interrogating the driver."

Silence crashed down in the room. Tennyson’s jaw clenched, his smile cracking. The officer’s eyes flicked up to the small black dome in the corner of the ceiling.

Then Tennyson doubled down, his smile snapping back into place, thin and smug. "CCTV?" he scoffed, brushing imaginary lint off his suit. "By all means, review them. They’ll show exactly what I said—me conducting a proper interrogation while Ms. Erisia... indulged her melodramatics. Cameras don’t lie, after all."

"You—you think this is melodramatic?" She buried her face into Rein’s fur, shaking, before she lifted her swollen eyes to the officer. "All my life I’ve been treated like I was nothing. My family smiled in public, but behind closed doors, I was the unwanted daughter. Bullied. Ignored. Repressed. And now—now they send him—" she jabbed a finger at Tennyson, "a fixer, not a lawyer, to buy off the man who tried to kill me." Erisia poured her grief into the pitiful, bullied, repressed version of Erisia’s life.

[ I can give you names that will make the officer lean more towards your words—whether they are lies or not. ]

[ Names of judges, councilmen, and police inspectors who aren’t strangers to corruption. Names that weren’t faceless at all but familiar to the police, who had always wanted to drag them into the cells where they belonged. ]

’What are you waiting for? Come on, I want this mission completed as soon as possible. I can’t fucking stand anyone from the Wrenfords.’

[ Judge Halvorsen – Known in Brightfall’s underbelly for overturning convictions in exchange for quiet "donations." A reputation for throwing out evidence at the faintest loophole. Frequently seen leaving upscale restaurants with Tennyson, both laughing like old friends. ]

[ Councilman Deane – A fixture in the city’s nightlife. Photos exist of him and Tennyson drinking together at private clubs, surrounded by women who were later linked to trafficking rings. His campaign coffers mysteriously refill every time a scandal surfaces. ]

[ Chief Inspector Yule – Long rumored to be the government’s "cleaner" inside the force. Several investigations into high-profile politicians and businessmen dissolved under his watch. Whispers claim he and Tennyson have worked hand in hand to bury evidence before it reached court. ]

The System’s neutral voice whispered names into her mind. And she repeated them aloud, one by one, sobbing through the words.

"Ask him—ask him about Judge Halvorsen. About Councilman Deane. About Chief Inspector Yule. You know their names, Officer. Everyone does. Those are the kind of people he associates with. Of course he himself is no different."

The officer stiffened. Those names were familiar—too familiar. Each tied to rumors that had long circled Brightfall’s underbelly: bribes, suppressed cases, vanishing witnesses.

They had wanted proof for years, and now here was the family’s golden lawyer, dragged under suspicion by the trembling accusations of his own client.

Tennyson’s face paled before flushing red. "This is absurd! The ramblings of a traumatized girl!" he snapped, his tone cracking with an edge of panic.

The officer’s polite composure toward Tennyson slipped away, replaced by a cold, cutting look reserved for men with status who thought they could bury filth beneath their money. His voice was frigid, almost unpleasant as he said, "I think Ms. Erisia is right. We should check the CCTV to see if what she’s saying is truly ’nothing,’ as you called it."

He turned to Erisia, his tone softening briefly. "Miss Erisia, with me." Then he glanced at Tennyson, eyes narrowing. "You too."

They stepped out of the room together, the officer locking the door behind him with a decisive click.

"This way," he said, striding down the hall.

Erisia sniffled, her lashes wet, hugging Rein closer as she tried to suppress the smile tugging at her lips. She reminded herself over and over that she was still acting as pitiful Erisia.

[ Notice: This exercise will be used as the first half of Lesson Two. Maintain focus. ]The System’s voice slid across her mind.

’Hmm,’ Erisia hummed back inwardly, adjusting her posture as she melted further into her role.

They reached the surveillance room—a space larger than average, its arrangement neat and high-tech.

Moments like this reminded Erisia that this world was different. In her previous life, a police station in a commercial district could never afford such sleek precision.

The officer—Tyler, his badge confirmed—greeted the three people already in the room. Pleasantries were exchanged quickly before one officer asked, "Wait—was one of the accident victims really Cassian Rowe? The singer?"

"Yes," Tyler nodded. "He’s in the break room."

The man bolted out immediately, muttering a rushed "Thanks!" over his shoulder.

Tyler turned back, explaining why they were there. The remaining two—a man and a woman—looked at Tennyson with unconcealed distaste, their lips curling as though he already smelled of rot.

"Um... can we watch it now, Officer?" Erisia asked softly, her tone weary but carefully molded into the pitiful version of herself.

"Yes. Over there," the woman officer said, gesturing to the front desk with its array of glowing screens.

They leaned forward as the man in charge tapped the keyboard twice, navigated smoothly, and pulled up the feed.

"This was from the moment the lawyer entered the interrogation room," he said, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed.

The screen flickered, and the video rolled.

[CCTV Playback — Interrogation Room 2]

Audio: High fidelity. Video: Full color, crisp angles. Automatic subtitles scrolling at the bottom.

• The footage opens with the door sliding shut. The timestamp blinks in the corner. The camera angle is wide, catching the table, three chairs, and the driver inside.

[Subtitles]

Erisia: "After you."

• Tennyson enters, briefcase in hand, followed by Erisia. Both take their seats opposite the driver, who keeps his head low.

Tennyson: "Mrs. Wrenford has made her wishes clear. This matter should be tidied up quickly, with no further complications. I’ll ask the driver a few questions. If he cooperates, he won’t see prison—he’ll be compensated. Everyone walks away satisfied."

Erisia: "Compensated? He tried to kill me."

• Tennyson gives her a thin, patronizing smile. The subtitles keep up smoothly with the dialogue.

Tennyson: "Attempted vehicular homicide, if you want the precise term. But trials are messy, Miss Wrenford. Headlines are even messier."

Erisia: "And that’s exactly what my dearest mother told you, right?"

Tennyson:"Yes. Miss Erisia, you must understand. Mrs. Wrenford only wants to avoid unnecessary scandal. Bad press harms the family—and by extension, you. But rest assured, we will uncover why this man targeted you."

• The camera zooms slightly as Erisia leans back, eyes glittering with amusement that doesn’t reach her smile.

Erisia:"Then go ahead. Let’s hear it."

• Tennyson turns smoothly to the driver, sliding a check across the table. The man’s eyes twitch toward it involuntarily.

Tennyson:"This is just the beginning. Cooperate, and you’ll walk out a free man. If not—prison will be the least of your problems."

Erisia: "And what exactly do you think you’re doing?"

Tennyson: "My job."

Erisia:

"Your job? If that’s your job, then I don’t want you as my lawyer. You can leave. I’ll handle this myself."

• Tennyson stiffens visibly, his mask cracking. His voice is tighter now.

Tennyson:"Miss Erisia, I was sent here by Mrs. Wrenford. I must see this through."

The footage was paused.

Tyler’s lips pressed into a hard line as he leaned against the desk, arms folded across his chest. His eyes didn’t leave Tennyson.

"Mr. Emerson," he began, his tone deceptively calm, "what I just watched isn’t what I’d call interrogation. It’s an obstruction. Interference. Attempted coercion of a suspect in police custody. By law, I should arrest you right now and drag you down to jail."

Tennyson inhaled, color blotching across his cheeks. "You—you can’t—"

Tyler cut him off with a raised hand, his voice dropping to something even colder. "Save it. You think being the Wrenfords’ lawyer makes you untouchable? It doesn’t. Don’t fool yourself into thinking I won’t put cuffs on you just because you wear a suit and call yourself counsel." He leaned forward, voice lowering. "The only reason you’re not in a cell this second is because your very presence here tells me this case is bigger than one hired driver. For someone like you to swoop in and try to bury it? That means rot. And now..." His smile was humorless. "Now I’m very interested."

He straightened, brushing invisible dust from his sleeves. "So, Mr. Emerson, here’s how this will go. You’re walking out of this station tonight. But don’t mistake that for mercy. It isn’t because of who you are, or who you work for. It’s because you just lit a fire under me. And trust me when I say—I’ll enjoy seeing exactly how far this trail of filth runs."

"Now," Tyler tilted his head toward the door, eyes narrowing, "if you please, step out."

Tennyson’s jaw was locked so tightly it seemed his molars might crack. He gathered his briefcase with a jerky motion and turned, storming past Erisia.

She leaned slightly, her voice so low it barely stirred the air between them,

"I wonder," she murmured, "what you’ll say to Selena Wrenford when she asks if the job is done. Don’t worry, I’m sure your buddies will be there to keep you company. Oh—and who would’ve guessed your mistress was one of Councilman Deane’s trafficked girls? Did he gift her to you? Or did you buy her on discount?" Her smile didn’t reach her swollen eyes. "Guess I’ll have to confirm. Though, I am curious..." She stretched the syllables like a blade across his throat. "...what will happen when your wife finds out about... E. V. E. R. Y. T. H. I. N. G."

Tennyson froze, his breath catching like he’d been gut-punched. His teeth ground so hard the sound was audible, fury and disbelief carving grooves into his face.

And in that instant, he understood her words. They were a warning, a leash. He would have to tell Selena the case was handled, lie smooth and sweet, keep her quiet until the truth burned its way out. In order to keep his wife in the dark about his secrets.

Without a word, he tore his gaze from Erisia—half shock and all fury—and stormed out of the room.

[ System Notice: Temporary Mission Completed Successfully ]

[ Update: The case has now been officially opened. Brightfall Police will commence formal investigations. ]

[ Advisory: Participation in the investigation will significantly increase probability of Recommended Mission success. ]

[ New Achievement Unlocked — Speed Demon Strategist ]

You completed the mission in the shortest recorded timeframe yet.

Time Taken: 00:27:32 (Under half an hour).

[ Reward Unlocked: Bonus reward for Temporary Mission Completion. ]

— Base Reward: Standard-tier system credits.

— Time Efficiency Bonus: Elevated to Top-Tier Bonus Reward.