Spiraling Challenges

After the intense confrontation with Dialla, Rosseaulyn finally returned to her office, desperate for a moment of respite. She filled a kettle with water and prepared a cup of red tea with milk, hoping it would soothe her weary soul. Taking a handkerchief, she dipped it into the hot water and placed it on her forehead, attempting to alleviate the fatigue that clung to her.

Lying on her desk, Rosseaulyn's face displayed signs of exhaustion. A reddish hue tinted her cheeks, and she began to cough. Her thoughts swirled in the haze of weariness.

'How long has it been since I had a good sleep?' she mused.

Contemplating where to secure the safety of Geena and Cathie, her inner dialogue continued, 'I can't burden Carmella for too long... Oh, my head is spinning. A sip of tea might help before I succumb to fatigue. But I can't even reach it. I've depleted my stamina, much like Ms. Yeleona...'

As Rosseaulyn drifted into a deep sleep, a mysterious lady, previously appeared in the rose garden, silently entered her locked office. Observing Rosseaulyn, she gently touched her cheek.

"Your face... so hot. I did warn you about the cold night. Time for a pill to chase away that cold." She said, placing a small pill in Rosseaulyn's mouth before disappearing.

Unaware of the visitor, Rosseaulyn slept soundly for several hours until a persistent knocking on her door roused her from her dreams. Startled, she quickly realized someone was at her door.

"Hmm?! What's that sound? Oh, someone was knocking on my door. Wait a second. I feel so refreshed. I thought I had a cold, but I'm feeling well now. Unbelievable!"

"Ma'am! Are you in there?! Are you alright?! Knock Knock!" Sergeant Whitlock asked worriedly from the outside, continuing to knock.

"Yes, Sergeant Whitlock, the door is going to get shattered if you keep knocking like this!" Rosseaulyn quipped, opening the door.

"Sorry, Ma'am. I knew you were inside, and I got no response. I worried you might have passed out or something."

"Well, you almost right about it. I was about to pass out earlier on."

"I think I've just disturbed your rest. Did I?"

"Never mind about it. Hmm? Has anyone else come into my office before you came in?"

"I don't think so, as nobody besides me knows you are inside your office. Everyone just assumed you are on duty outside there."

"Weird. I feel like someone was just inside my office just now..."

"Dream?"

"Perhaps. Forget about it. Judging from your face, you must have arranged a meeting with the police chief. When is it?"

"Yes, Ma'am! As you requested, 7 pm tonight."

"What time is it now…?"

"It's already 5:37 pm now."

"Huh?! I've been asleep for that long?! Almost six hours…"

"Do you need me to accompany you to meet the chief?"

"I guess not… I'm alone; it will be fine. Thanks, Sergeant; you may get back to your work."

"You're welcome!"

After Whitlock left and closed the door, Rosseaulyn approached the mirror inside her room. She checked her appearance and attire for tidiness before heading to meet the chief.

"All right! Teeth… Checked! Hair… Checked! Uniform… Good and tidy! I remember the military and police unit are not getting along… I must show them a good impression first…"

After grooming herself, Rosseaulyn headed to the Kothern National Police. Upon arrival, she found nobody at the reception, and everyone displayed unfriendly expressions, reluctant to assist her. Aware of the hostile gazes, she abandoned the idea of seeking help and decided to find the chief's office on her own. Taking the elevator, she was promptly denied access without an access card.

"Hey! Missy! Don't you know outsiders are not allowed to access other floors on their own?!" An angry security guard approached Rosseaulyn.

"Oops, sorry…"

"Hmm? Badges? I see… But here, we don't care who you are! You must follow our rules! Got it?!"

"Yes! I apologize for my actions just now. May I know how to get to the chief's office? Which floor is it?"

"Huh?! Only senior officers or security can access that floor! An outsider is definitely not allowed to go there!"

"But I've made an appointment with her!" Rosseaulyn started to lose her patience.

"The way you're responding to me seems like you are not happy with me! Aren't you?!"

'Oh damn… I forgot to keep myself calm…'

"Speechless?! Fine, I will just need you to leave…"

"Wait!"

"Changing your mind?!"

"My second apology for my bad manners, but you misunderstood. I was just trying to explain that I have an appointment with your chief."

"How do I know whether you are really her guest?! Do you have any proof or a letter?!"

"I don't have it, but you could just tell her that Second Lieutenant Winton wished to see her; I guess she will understand it."

"Don't try to put pressure on me just because you are a lieutenant!"

"I didn't mean it that way…"

"Well! If you are really a guest invited by the chief, then she will come down here and take you to her room personally! But I don't see our chief is here, and I never received any instruction or information about any guest coming!"

"I guess she may be too busy to get down here just to bring me to her office; I will just go to her office by myself. Would you mind showing me how to get to her office?"

"What a stubborn lady… If you keep insisting on getting to our chief's office, then you can take the staircase over there! Her office is located on the 42nd floor!"

"42nd floor?!"

"I didn't force you to climb your way up the staircase! If you are not happy with it, then you may leave now!"

"Nope, I will take the staircase. Thanks for showing me the path!"

"You're welcome!" The security said in a sinister manner.

'Ridiculous… I don't even know the police unit hated us so much… Keep digging at me…' Rosseaulyn took a deep sigh as she didn't expect that the relationship between the military and police would be that bad.

She looked at her watch, and the time was showing 6:51 pm. She was shocked and realized she had no time to waste, so she started to run all the way up the stairs to the 42nd floor in just eight minutes. Not to mention, she was still wearing her high heels.

'Huuh… Huuh… So tired and almost out of breath…I guess I have been sitting in the office for too long… I should join the next training session with those rookies… Damn, I still have one minute left!' Rosseaulyn was catching her breath and thought.

"Hoho, you must be Second Lieutenant Winton! So, you really ran all your way up here? Impressive and unbelievable!" A woman suddenly appeared behind her and said.

"Yeah… Huuh… Huuh… You must be the chief… Huuh… Nice to… Huuh… Meet you… Huuh…"

"Just catch your breath before saying further. Follow me this way to my office."

"Sure…"

The chief walked extremely fast to her office while Rosseaulyn was trying her best to catch her breath while catching up to the chief from behind. The chief arrived at her office, and she sat down on her sofa without inviting Rosseaulyn to sit down. 

"So, Lieutenant… What makes you wish to pay a sudden visit to us?"

"Let me get straight to the point. I want to enhance the security of Luthernza through the cooperation between military and police forces."

"Cooperation?! Hahaha! Are you kidding me, Lieutenant?! Your honorable Kothern military are always arrogant and very self-centered. You never take us police forces seriously. Now you're telling me to cooperate?! What a joke!"

"I'll admit that some of the military jerks are exactly like what you said, but not every one of us is like that!"

"So, you are telling me that you are not one of them?! And you come here as you really and truly wish to cooperate with us?!"

"Yes!"

"If you can't show your sincerity, how can we believe that you are different from those uncultured military officers that we dealt with before?"

"Is climbing 42 levels of staircase still not sincere enough for you?"

"No! That's your own choice, and nobody forces you to do so!"

"Then, how much do you wish us to pay for you, then?"

"How dare you! Just mind your words! WE are not corrupted like you!!" The chief was so angry that she knocked over the coffee table and yelled at Rosseaulyn.

"Chief! I did not intend to humiliate or offend you! It's just one of my ways to show my sincerity."

"Your way? Indeed… What a dirty way from the military, which I am not surprised at all! Showing sincerity…? How about I will just ask you one simple question and see how much sincerity you have…"

"Question? Alright, please go ahead."

"What's my name? Could you answer that, Second Lieutenant Rosseaulyn Winton!?"

'Oh damn…' Rosseaulyn was not able to answer and kept silent.

"Hoho, obviously you are not ready to see me yet. Not even trying to cooperate with us. So disappointed… Lieutenant Winton, please leave here at once. You are not welcome. Bye."

"Fine, my third apology to the police force! But I won't disappoint you next time when we meet!"

"I can't wait then! Do you want to use the elevator?"

"Nope, I will just take the staircase."

"Well, as you wish!"

Again, Rosseaulyn climbed all her way down to the ground floor through the staircase, but this time she didn't show any sign of being out of breath. Instead, she showed a determined face with a rather displeasing expression. When she arrived at the front gate, it was already closed and locked. The security officer purposely came to dig at her again.

"Is your meeting with the Chief successful?!" The security officer asked sarcastically.

"Not today, but I will pay a visit to her again someday!"

"Missy, you are very stubborn, huh! You should learn to give up and stop wasting both our time!"

"Sorry, not my style… By the way, the door is locked. Could you unlock it for me, please?"

"Nope, as I told you, this is the rules here, and you must follow our way! Now it's not office hours anymore, so I must shut and lock the door!"

"Then, how should I exit this building?"

"You can take the fire escape staircase behind to your exit, but the maintenance is still ongoing back there, so I have locked the door to the fire escape from this floor up to the fifth floor!"

"So, do you mean I have to take the staircase to the sixth floor and make my way down using the fire escape staircase?"

"Exactly!"

"Thanks for showing me the way again!" Rosseaulyn was holding her temper and maintaining her calm very hard.

"You are… Wel… Come!"

Rosseualyn followed exactly what the security officer said by climbing up the staircase to the sixth floor and then made her way down using the fire escape staircase to her exit. She got back to her car and immediately laid down on the back seat.

"Huuh… Last night I was getting dug by Carmella… This morning was by Dialla… Now it's the security and chief… I wonder who else is going to come digging at me… Sigh…"

"Knock! Knock! Knock! Hey!!" The security officer knocked on the window of the car.

"It's him again…" Rosseaulyn got up and wound down the window.

"Missy! Don't you see the big sign over there?!"

"Hmm? What sign? Let me see… 'Visitors can only park for no more than 30 minutes…'"

"I have the right to clamp your car right away if you don't leave at once!"

"Fine, I will leave here at once!"

Rosseaulyn quickly moved to her driver's seat and drove her car away angrily. She then decided to head to visit Carmella and Geena. When she arrived at the slum area, the area was even more chaotic than last night. She witnessed a man being stabbed to death on the street, and there were many gangsters wandering around and fighting in a gang.

"This is madness… I can't understand why Carmella is still willing to stay in such places… I will clean up all this mess for sure!"