Chapter 235: Things Escalate

When Anne Hathaway saw the police heading toward her apartment, she initially panicked, fearing they might discover Martin's presence.

But after just a few calming words from Martin, her anxiety mysteriously vanished, replaced by an unexpected sense of composure. She couldn't help but wonder if it was Martin's magical reassurance or simply the effect of his words. Did she trust him that much already?

Knock, knock, knock!

The knocking at her door jolted her back to reality. Taking a deep breath, Anne opened the door.

"Hello, officers. Did something happen across the hall?"

The two policemen looked startled. One of them asked cautiously, "Ma'am, how did you know?"

Anne shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on, officers, with all that noise, I've been watching through the peephole for a while now."

Her honesty eased their suspicion.

"Do you have questions? Would you like to come in and sit down?" Anne offered.

She surprised herself with her calm demeanor—she had never thought she'd be this bold!

The officers exchanged glances before one of them said, "No need. We just have a couple of questions."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Ma'am, what's your name?"

"Anne Hathaway. I'm an actress."

"Do you live here?"

"Yes, this is the apartment I'm renting."

"Did you hear any unusual noises last night?"

"No, I'm a deep sleeper. I didn't hear anything."

"All right, thank you for your time, Miss Hathaway."

"No problem!"

After closing the door, Anne continued to watch through the peephole.

She saw the landlord being brought in by the police for questioning.

"Have you seen these two men before?" one officer asked.

"No, never," the landlord replied.

"What about this woman?"

"Of course, that's Sophia Santi, one of my tenants."

The landlord's curiosity got the better of him when he noticed Sophia's disheveled state and dazed expression.

"Can I ask what's going on here?"

The officers exchanged a strange look. "The two men can't speak properly right now—they seem to be in extreme shock. As for Miss Sophia, she claims your apartment building is haunted. She said she spent the entire night climbing the stairs."

A nearby female officer stifled a laugh, while her male colleague couldn't hide a smirk. It was clear they didn't believe Sophia's story.

The landlord exploded in anger. "That's nonsense! My building has been rented out for over a decade without any issues. Haunted? She must be on drugs!"

The officers nodded subtly, seemingly agreeing with the landlord's theory.

Still, the matter needed to be investigated.

Moments later, several officers emerged from Sophia's apartment. One of them reported to a senior officer, "Sir, we found surveillance and recording equipment in a bag, along with $3,000 in cash in a paper bag. There's also some white powder on the table—possibly drugs."

The senior officer's eyes lit up with interest, but he frowned. "If she's using drugs, why would she call the police?"

Shaking his head, he set the question aside. "Take everyone and everything back to the station. Interrogate the men separately once they're coherent."

Sophia, along with Desborough and Stevenson, was taken away, as were some items from the apartment.

The building finally quieted down.

Before leaving, Martin gave Anne a lingering kiss, planting a "seed of affection" in her heart. He also left behind a psychological suggestion to ensure she wouldn't slip up if the police questioned her again.

Back at the precinct, a junior officer reported to the senior officer, "Sir, the two men confessed. They were spying on Anne Hathaway, the neighbor across the hall. They said—"

The officer hesitated.

"What did they say?" the senior officer pressed.

"They said they had information that Anne Hathaway was meeting Martin... romantically."

"Martin? Which Martin? Wait, Martin Myers? The young hero? Our city's honorary citizen?"

"Yes, sir. That's exactly who they meant."

The junior officer continued, "We also looked into it. Last night, Martin Myers attended the premiere of The Princess Diaries, which stars Anne Hathaway. After the event, Martin had his driver take Anne home. But whether or not he went upstairs is unclear."

"Does the building or surrounding area have surveillance cameras?"

"No, sir. Most of the tenants in that building are aspiring actors and models who value their privacy. The landlord didn't install any cameras. The nearest surveillance point is at an intersection 500 meters away. The surrounding alleys are camera-free."

"Damn it!" the senior officer cursed. "Go back to the apartment and bring Anne Hathaway in for questioning."

"Yes, sir!"

He then called a female officer. "Jenny, crack that laptop's password immediately. That hidden camera was definitely used last night. I need to know what they recorded!"

"Understood!"

After some hesitation, the senior officer entered the chief's office.

"Have you confirmed the details?" the chief asked.

"Not yet. We're still investigating."

"Damn it. All right, keep working. I'll personally call Martin. If this is true, we'll need to suppress the story. Martin just received the honorary citizen award. A scandal now would spell trouble for both the mayor and me."

"Understood."

After the officer left, the chief picked up the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Myers. I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a few questions..."

Martin's surprised voice came through. "What? No, no, no. I only dropped Anne off last night and left immediately. I didn't stay."

"Mr. Myers, I need you to be honest. If anything happened, I can help you."

"I swear, I'm telling the truth. You can investigate."

After hanging up, the chief tapped his desk thoughtfully. Martin didn't sound like he was lying. Could it be that the paparazzi had been fed false information?