Chapter 633

Thalassa took a deep breath to dispel her fear, and followed Payne to the dining table..

Payne’s eyes, calm and resolute, held a deep intensity as he looked at Thalassa, taking the lead in the conversation. “What’s the case? Let’s hear it.”

“Captain Payne,” Thalassa began, “I’ve heard of your integrity and commitment to fairness and justice.

You’re not swayed by power, nor are you afraid of it. Whenever there’s a case of injustice, you’re there to solve it. That’s why I came to you. You would investigate regardless of who is involved, right?”

Thalassa didn’t jump straight into the case details. Instead, she was trying to gauge Payne’s stance.

If she revealed too much too soon and Payne chose not to investigate due to Lysander’s influence, she would be left in a worse situation than before.

Payne chuckled lightly. Her little trick was child’s play in his eyes.

“I’m not afraid of power, nor do I let it influence me. But my willingness to take on a case depends on my mood,” Payne replied casually, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Thalassa frowned subtly. It seemed Payne wasn’t going to be easily persuaded.

But his fearlessness in the face of power was a good start.

Thalassa then laid out the case, from start to end.

She relayed every word said by Evelyn, Robert, and Sophia. She didn’t leave out a single detail.

Payne listened, sipping his coffee with a relaxed demeanor.

When Thalassa finished, she looked at Payne anxiously. “This involves the Sinclair family, Captain Payne. Will you investigate?” “Who is involved is not important. What matters is that I’m not interested in this case. Besides, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Starhaven Police Department in the south side of the city, not mine in the north.” Payne’s tone was nonchalant.

Payne was Thalassa’s only hope. If he refused to take this case, she would be lost, unsure of whom to turn to.

“Captain Payne, name your terms. What would it take to pique your interest?” Thalassa asked seriously, looking straight at Payne across the table.

Payne paused, his gaze drifting over his coffee cup to meet hers. Setting his cup down, he replied leisurely, “That depends on what you can offer to make it interesting.”

Thalassa hesitated, then asked, “Are you free for a drink tonight, Captain Payne? If I pique your interest, will you consider the case?”

“We can give it a shot.” Payne’s lips curled up in a faint smile.

The spark of interest in Thalassa’s eyes didn’t escape his notice. He had yet to meet anyone brave enough to confront Lysander. She was the first.

How could he not be intrigued?

“Good, Thalassa nodded firmly. “I’ll get the wine.”

With that, she got up and walked over to the buffet, picked up a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses, and headed back towards Payne.

Charlotte was having a drink when she spotted Thalassa walking towards Payne with a bottle of wine.

Seeing Thalassa stirred up feelings of jealousy and resentment in Charlotte. She decided to intervene and subtly moved towards Thalassa.

Thalassa was so focused on making sure Payne would enjoy the wine, in hopes of him taking on her mother’s case, that she didn’t notice when someone stepped on the hem of her dress. As she took a step forward, she lost her balance.

With a gasp, the wine glasses and bottle slipped from her hands, shattering on the floor. Thalassa was about to crash onto the broken pieces when someone suddenly wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her back with a firm grip. She found herself in a man’s arms.