From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 265: Chapter 265

Outside the gates of the Godard estate, a sedan slowly pulled up to the entrance.
Inside the car, the two officers sent by Elijah to pick up Paisley couldn't believe their eyes as they looked at the vast and luxurious estate before them.
"Are you sure we got the right place?" one of the officers asked.
The other officer double-checked the navigation. "Yes, this is it."
Just as he spoke, the grand gates opened automatically. A young woman with a ponytail walked out, holding the hand of a three- or four-year-old child. They were Paisley and Serena.
Cole had personally escorted Paisley out. He only turned back after making sure Paisley and Serena got into the car safely. But after taking a few steps, something suddenly came to his mind. "Oh no, Miss Jolin seems to be from Central Precinct as well."
He quickly turned around, intending to tell Paisley, but her car had already driven off.
Inside the car, the two officers, after confirming that Paisley was indeed the person they were supposed to pick up, were completely stunned.
"Are you really Ethan's teacher?" the officer in the passenger seat turned to ask Paisley.
The driver was equally curious and glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"Yes, I taught him for a few years," Paisley admitted straightforwardly.
The two officers didn't ask any more questions. Since Elijah had personally sent them to pick her up, there was no way they had the wrong person.
They were simply shocked—shocked by how young the other person was.
Before long, they arrived at their destination: Central Precinct Criminal Investigation Division.
Serena had been quiet the entire way. She knew she was here with Paisley for work, and more importantly, this was a police station—a place dedicated to catching bad guys.
That realization filled her with a strong sense of justice, but it also made her aware that she had to behave. She couldn't be naughty or embarrass Enya.
Even the officer assigned to receive Paisley couldn't help but comment, "Ms. Sutton, your daughter is so well-behaved."
"Thank you," Paisley responded with a smile. As a mother, she naturally loved hearing people praise her child. She was no exception.
Upon receiving the report that Paisley had arrived, Elijah personally came out to greet her. The moment he saw her, a glimmer of hope flashed through his exhausted eyes. "Ms. Sutton, I've been waiting for you."
As he spoke, Elijah led Paisley toward Ethan's office.
To ensure Paisley could work without distractions, Elijah had also arranged for a less busy female officer to take care of Serena, so Paisley wouldn't have to worry.
When Paisley entered Ethan's office, she realized she hadn't seen her apprentice in two years. The last time she saw him, he had been a fresh-faced, spirited young man. But now, he was thin and hunched over, with sunken eyes, dark circles, and bloodshot sclera.
His hair was dry, greasy, and unkempt. His stubble was thick around his lips, and his lips were cracked and peeling. He looked like someone who had been running on high mental focus for too long, completely drained of energy.
"Paisley." Ethan looked at Paisley as if she were his savior. If not for his current miserable state and the fact that he wasn't exactly clean, he would have thrown himself at her for a hug.
"What happened to you?" Paisley was puzzled, thinking, 'What could possibly be so difficult for Ethan that it has driven him to this state?'
Paisley glanced around and saw discarded sketches scattered all over the floor.
"I'm sorry, Paisley. I've embarrassed you." Ethan was full of guilt. In the end, it was his lack of skill. If he had been more capable, Paisley wouldn't have needed to come.
"Come on, Ethan, don't say that. You're one of the top forensic artists we have." Elijah wasn't just trying to comfort him—Ethan truly was among the best in their precinct.
Paisley walked over to the sketch Ethan had been trying to restore and studied it for a moment.
Behind her, Ethan nervously swallowed. "Paisley, I haven't finished this one yet."
But even so, he knew this sketch was useless. It was even worse than the previous ones. His body and mind were both too exhausted. His brain was muddled, and continuing like this would only waste more time. With no other choice, he had asked Elijah to call Paisley over.
Paisley didn't say anything. She simply sat in Ethan's chair, picked up the pencil, and then turned to look at him. "Can you still keep going?"
Ethan immediately understood that Paisley was about to teach him something. He nodded repeatedly. "Yes. Of course, I can."
Even if he was barely holding on, if his teacher Paisley asked him to keep going, he had to endure.
Paisley hadn't expected Ethan to be in such a terrible state. After a brief thought, she took a pill from her bag and handed it to him. "Take this. It'll help restore your energy."
Ethan trusted Paisley completely. If it was something from her, it had to be good.
Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill, and then pulled up a chair and sat beside her.
Paisley wrinkled her nose slightly, looking a little displeased. "Move back a bit."
Ethan looked embarrassed. He knew he probably smelled bad. After apologizing, he shifted his chair a little further away.
Watching the two of them, Elijah asked Paisley, "Ms. Sutton, do you think you can reconstruct the image?"
On the way here, the two officers had already briefed Paisley on the general details of the case. Of course, they had only told her what they were allowed to. Anything related to the investigation's secrecy was kept from her.
Paisley understood this and didn't press for more.
"I'll give it a try." She didn't make any promises—nothing was ever absolute.
Elijah nodded. Even with such a response, he was still hopeful. "Alright, I'll leave you to it, then."
With that, he left, giving Paisley the time and space she needed.
An hour later, Jolin, who had led an investigation team out, returned looking exhausted. She had received a call at dawn about an important lead. After only two hours of sleep, she had left home immediately.
But the lead turned out to be false, and all that time had been wasted.
Just then, Jolin vaguely heard a child's voice. "What's going on? Why is there a kid here? Whose child is this? Who brought them in? Does no one understand the rules?"