From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 266: Chapter 266

Serena had been quietly reading her book, but the policewoman was just too fond of her. Every so often, she would ask if Serena was thirsty, hungry, wanted to eat something, or wanted to watch cartoons.
In no time, Serena had a pile of snacks in front of her.
Serena was a polite child. Seeing how kind the policewoman was to her, she sweetly said, "Thank you, Miss. You're so nice."
Hearing that "Miss" made the policewoman happy.
Noticing Serena reading a book, she asked if there was anything she didn't understand and told her she could ask for help.
Serena actually understood everything, but when she saw the eager anticipation in the policewoman's eyes, she felt like she had to pretend otherwise. So, she randomly pointed at a line in the book. "This part."
The policewoman's sense of duty instantly kicked in. She pulled Serena onto her lap and started explaining. Her voice was gentle, and every now and then, she would ask, "Do you understand?"
Serena cooperated perfectly, nodding and responding.
The warm and cozy moment was suddenly shattered by an impatient, furious shout. "What's going on? Why is there a kid here? Whose child is this? Who brought her? Does anyone here even know the rules?"
Serena was startled by the sudden outburst and instinctively shrank into the policewoman's arms.
The policewoman quickly comforted her, "It's okay, don't be afraid."
By then, Jolin had already walked over. When she saw the child in the policewoman's arms, her irritation flared instantly. "This is a police station, not a daycare. If you want to teach a kid, take her home."
Jolin had been leading a team since the early hours of the morning, tirelessly searching for clues.
The moment Jolin returned, she found her colleague leisurely sitting in the Criminal Investigation Unit, reading with a child.
Jolin was mad. It wasn't just Jolin—her teammates, who had been on the mission with her, also looked displeased.
However, unlike Jolin, they didn't voice their dissatisfaction directly. After all, they were colleagues who saw each other every day.
Besides, the policewoman taking care of the child had a special status. Although she was in a clerical role, her rank was above theirs.
But Jolin never cared about things like that. If she didn't like something, she would call it out—whether it was a superior officer or even the chief himself.
It was precisely because of this uncompromising attitude that, despite her outstanding abilities and numerous solved cases, she remained just a deputy captain in the district's Criminal Investigation Unit.
The policewoman, worried that Serena had been frightened, held her closer before looking up at Jolin. "Ms. Godard, this child was entrusted to me by Mr. Wyatt."
Jolin's frown deepened. "Mr. Wyatt's kid?"
The policewoman quickly shook her head. "No, she's the daughter of the forensic artist Mr. Wyatt invited."
Jolin knew Elijah had invited a forensic artist to help with the case. But in her eyes, forensic sketching was just a supplementary tool in solving crimes.
The real work still relied on gathering clues, collecting evidence, and making logical deductions. So Jolin never took this so-called forensic expert seriously, especially since Ethan had been working for days without managing to reconstruct the suspect's face.
That only made Jolin, who already had little faith in forensic sketching, even more disappointed.
She let out a cold laugh. "This is the first time I've seen someone bring their kid to work."
Her words dripped with disdain for the forensic artist Elijah had invited.
"Ms. Godard, don't say that. Mr. Wyatt mentioned that this artist is Ethan's mentor, and their skills are incredible. When they were in Brightmoor, they helped solve several major cases," the policewoman explained.
Jolin raised an eyebrow but didn't change her mind much. She sat on the couch, exhausted, and absentmindedly grabbed some of the snacks meant for Serena, popping them into her mouth.
She had been out searching for clues since dawn. Now that she was back, she hadn't even had a sip of water or a single bite to eat.
Serena noticed that this formidable policewoman seemed both tired and hungry. She held out her small cake. "Eat this. It's yummy. You won't be hungry anymore."
Jolin was taken aback. She had just lost her temper, yet this kid was still offering her food?
"Oh... uh... okay..." Jolin awkwardly took the cake, and then just as awkwardly mumbled, "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Serena giggled. Then she added, "My mom is really amazing. She'll definitely help you."
Jolin wanted to say she had no faith in forensic sketching, but when she looked into Serena's clear eyes, something in her hardened heart softened. She couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh.
"Well... let's hope so..." It wasn't that she wanted to be pessimistic—this case was just incredibly difficult. Otherwise, Ethan wouldn't have stayed up so many nights without managing to reconstruct the suspect's face.
This suspect was exceptionally cunning and highly skilled in counter-surveillance. There were barely any clues to analyze.
They had spent countless hours working, only to find a single video that might show the suspect. But the camera was old and poorly maintained, making the footage incredibly blurry.
On top of that, the camera angle and the suspect's deliberate attempts to obscure their face made it nearly impossible to make out their features.
Even using advanced image restoration technology hadn't produced any ideal results.
Jolin knew Elijah had run out of options, which was why he listened to Ethan's suggestion and invited his mentor to help. But even so, Jolin wasn't holding her breath.
Montera had more than just one forensic artist, and Ethan was already one of the best among them. Jolin thought, 'Even Ethan couldn't do it, so even if his teacher is a little stronger, how much stronger could she really be?'
Jolin glanced at Serena with a hint of disdain, and then quickly turned her head away the moment Serena looked at her.
That was close—they almost made eye contact.
Jolin continued thinking, 'Especially someone who has to bring a child along while working—could she really handle this job well?'
Jolin had her doubts. It wasn't just her; the other team members also had their reservations. But they were all too exhausted, and before long, each of them found a spot, closed their eyes, and rested.
Jolin leaned back on the sofa, her legs sprawled carelessly over the coffee table. Arms crossed, she dozed off just like that.
Seeing how tired the team was, the policewoman didn't disturb them. Instead, she held Serena and moved a little farther away.
Time passed unknowingly, long enough that Serena had fallen asleep. Just then, Elijah burst in excitedly. "It's out! It's out!"