Chapter 431 - Unpredictable Direction

Laila leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers on the table absentmindedly. "Is there a problem with me sitting in my own coffee shop?"

"Enough with your act. We've known for a while that the owner of that shop is Aiden," the officer playing the good cop sneered, not thrilled about having to arrest a bunch of people just to get the shop from that stubborn old man.

Laila shrugged. "I can only say your information is outdated. Just a couple of days ago, that coffee shop became mine. If you don't believe it, feel free to investigate."

The good cop seemed like he wanted to say something else but was cut off by the angry cop.

"Fine, we'll investigate it. Until then, stay here, alright?"

Laila smirked. "Of course."

While the two policemen went out to investigate, the adjacent interrogation room was in chaos. The heavily built men, whom the police were treating like a major threat, were proven to be licensed gun-carrying professional bodyguards. Each of them had impressive credentials, meaning that having money alone wouldn't suffice. They needed enough influence as well.

Hiring eight top-tier gold-badge bodyguards was equivalent to protecting the president. So why were they all in that small coffee shop?

Unfortunately, these people remained tight-lipped no matter how they were questioned. After presenting their gun-carrying licenses, they clammed up, waiting for their lawyer to arrive. The police couldn't conduct a more forceful interrogation, so they had to temporarily treat their presence at the coffee shop as a coincidence – a coincidence that these individuals happened to be gathering there and, coincidentally, got involved in a scuffle.

On the other hand, the interrogation of the biker gang went relatively "smoothly." They repeated the same story over and over – they were there for business in their headquarters, which was the coffee shop! What kind of business? Well, the kind that involved selling some delightful substances that made users extremely happy.

The person behind sending the bikers was quite ruthless. He wanted to tarnish the coffee shop's reputation to the point where it would be shut down. Then he could purchase it at a rock-bottom price.

Without Laila's presence, the biased interrogations conducted by the corrupt police officers would have likely succeeded in this plan. However, her involvement had taken the situation in an unpredictable direction.

For the police, investigating the coffee shop's owner was relatively straightforward. Before long, they received confirmation that the coffee shop indeed had a new owner.

This was absolutely unexpected. Who would have thought that the stubborn old owner, who had refused to budge even under threat and property damage, would suddenly sell the shop to someone else in such a short time? According to common expectations, shouldn't he have become even more determined and resolute?

The police officers were clueless about this turn of events, and even the mastermind behind this scheme, who had received the news, couldn't believe it. Describing him as a mastermind was somewhat exaggerated; he was just a small-time real estate developer. He mainly made money by acquiring valuable land at a low price and transforming it into upscale residential or commercial buildings.

He had a good eye for location, developing some nice areas and making decent money. As Hollywood gained worldwide attention, he set his sights on this area. He speculated that Hollywood's film industry would soon become global, making it the irreplaceable hub for the entire world. With more people coming, land would become more valuable. If movie stars congregated here, wouldn't it be ridiculous if they couldn't afford a decent residence?

His plan had tremendous market potential, but he had hit a major obstacle right away. Ignoring the run-down buildings around, the coffee shop in the most crucial location had become his top priority.

Even if the owner refused to leave, resisted, and acted tough, it was not an issue. He had various methods to make them relent. When smashing the shop initially didn't yield results, he turned to the biker gang, intending to let the old man experience constant fear and chaos.

However, he had never anticipated that the outcome would align with his expectations. The bikers occupied the coffee shop, and the police arrested everyone, yet the result was that the stubborn Aiden had sold the shop! Moreover, he had sold it to a young girl.

When did the shop become so affordable that even any random young girl could buy it? If she was from a wealthy family, wouldn't they send her to the best university? Even if she didn't cut, they could easily donate a substantial sum to secure an honorary professorship for her.

So, he thought the story about the shop changing hands was a mere lie. Aiden probably transferred the shop temporarily to avoid trouble and would reclaim it later, once everything settled down.

However, he had to deal with a formidable figure who saw through every little trick. Trying to outmaneuver someone like her was simply too easy.

Upon hearing the words of real estate developer Victor, the police officers found it somewhat reasonable. Even though Laila displayed a calm demeanor different from an ordinary girl, they still found it hard to believe that she could be a powerful figure. Otherwise, she would have called her private lawyer already.

After the police left the interrogation room, Laila immediately called Walton, informing him of the situation here. It must have been quite a surprise for the renowned lawyer to hear this news. Who said the young heiress was a workaholic who didn't know how to relax? Look at her, she even played at the police station.

Still, he was thrilled to hear the story. It meant that if Laila experienced any form of injustice, he had evidence to sue the police department! As an ambitious lawyer with ideals, who wouldn't want to make a big case out of this? Suing the police department – that would be fantastic!

"Don't worry, leave this matter to me. I promise you'll get the most satisfactory outcome," Walton assured over the phone.

Once they settled on their plan of action, the two police officers returned.

The good cop entered with a stern expression, while the bad cop took a gentler approach as he sat across from her. "We looked into it, and it's confirmed that the coffee shop is now in your possession. However, there are some complications you need to be aware of."