Chapter 163: He'd Never Seen Her Care This Much
The police officers entered the apartment, and it took them only a glance to identify who they were looking for among the people present.
They gave Joseph the same speech they'd just given Isabella.
Learning that William had been the one to call the police, Isabella felt anger surge through her.
"Officer, when they were fighting earlier, many residents in our complex witnessed it, and the security cameras recorded the whole thing. This was clearly mutual combat," Isabella cut in from the side.
Joseph's parents were first-generation immigrants, and he himself didn't hold Aetherian citizenship. A police record could jeopardize his visa. That would be a disaster.
The officers were polite but firm—Joseph needed to come to the station.
"Even in cases of mutual assault, we still need him to come to the station and give a statement. The proper procedures must be followed. We'll make our own judgment about what happened—we'll get to the bottom of this."
Joseph didn't put up any resistance, nor did he offer a single word of explanation. As he walked to the door, he gave Isabella a reassuring look.
"Isabella, don't worry. I'm just going to give a statement, that's all. Please don't overthink it—I'll be back soon."
Joseph's figure quickly disappeared into the stairwell, but Isabella found it difficult not to overthink.
He had no one here but her. What if they actually arrested him?
Mary was also shaken by the scene, but being an outsider, she quickly recovered and gently nudged Isabella's arm.
"Ms. Capulet, you should hurry and follow them. At least go see what's happening. If it's serious, you'll need to find him a lawyer."
Mary's words snapped Isabella into action. She grabbed her coat and rushed out, driving after the police car.
Joseph hadn't been back in the country for long, yet his experiences during this short time had been remarkably eventful.
She'd never been to a police station in her life, and Joseph had been back less than a week.
The two officers weren't surprised to see Isabella following them.
They led Joseph into an office to take his statement, and since no one stopped her, Isabella followed them inside.
As soon as she entered, she saw William sitting at a table with Laura right beside him.
Laura must have just gotten there. She was cradling William's face, fussing over his bruises.
"Why would you get into a fight with some thug like that? It kills me to see you hurt like this," Laura said.
As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks, her reddened eyes presenting a pitiful sight.
The officer who had just entered seemed somewhat exasperated by this display. "You don't need to be so upset—he didn't exactly come out worse for wear. Looks like mutual combat to me."
Both men were ridiculously good-looking—could've been actors—which made the matching black eyes almost funny.
Isabella went straight to Joseph, resting a hand on his shoulder in silent support.
She considered Joseph family, and she certainly wouldn't let him be wronged.
The moment Isabella appeared, Laura seemed to grow even more animated, leaning half her body against William in an intimate display that was nauseating to watch.
Isabella acted as though Laura's behavior didn't exist, focusing instead on whatever punishment Joseph might face.
"He's Isabella's ex-husband. Even after their divorce, he keeps harassing her. Today he was physically grabbing and pulling at Isabella, so I lost my temper and threw a punch." Joseph showed no embarrassment, admitting everything openly in front of the police.
William, sitting across from him, frowned slightly. "Isabella and I haven't officially divorced yet. We're still legally married."
The officer's brow furrowed instantly. "So this is a domestic dispute?"
"Of course not—he has no legal relationship whatsoever with my wife," William stated.
Isabella objected sharply. "We've already filed for divorce with the court. The paperwork just takes time. Stop introducing yourself as my husband—it makes me sick."
The officer rubbed his temples.
He understood the situation perfectly. That was the problem.
When handling civil disputes, their first option was always mediation, resorting to penalties only when absolutely necessary.
This was going to be a nightmare.
"And what's your connection here?" the officer asked, turning to Laura, who seemed particularly close to William.
She was the only one who didn't seem directly involved.
Laura's face flushed slightly, taking on a somewhat bashful expression.
"I'm William's girlfriend. We're in a romantic relationship."
The officer's expression turned stern. "So you won't divorce your wife, but you're dating someone else?"
This was getting off track. Isabella didn't want to discuss this.
"Officer, I only care about whether Joseph will face any penalties because of this incident."
A fine would be manageable, but if he were actually detained, that would be a real problem.
The race was coming up soon—this would be a scandal. Whether word got out or not, it would be terrible for their preparation.
"Mutual combat, minor injuries. If you settle and cover medical costs, we're done here."
Isabella's shoulders sagged with relief.
Laura, however, noticed the change in her expression and stared at Isabella, suddenly struck by a new idea.
"I've never seen you care about anyone like this. Not even Nathan when he got hurt. But some random guy gets arrested and you're falling over yourself?"
To Laura, it didn't add up.
What kind of mother ignores her own son but freaks out over some stranger?
Unless they were more than friends.
Laura gasped, covering her mouth theatrically.
Her tone grew heavier with mockery.
"I heard you two have known each other for a long time—even longer than you've known William? You're so insistent on getting divorced... could it be because he came back to the country, and you two are—"
She didn't need to finish the sentence. Leaving it half-said allowed people's imaginations to run even wilder.
Laura smiled sweetly at Isabella, all innocence.
You can't prove a negative.
Once the seed was planted, no amount of denial would kill it.